Native plants · Iowa

Native plants of Emmet County

125 plant species are recorded as native to Iowa in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Emmet County by USDA PLANTS. 62 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Emmet County, Iowa

Native species: 125 Typical Iowa county: 44 (median of 99 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 62 Typical Iowa county: 24
Share by type (all 125 native species): Percent of the 125 native species in each growth type

Shrub <1% (1)
Wildflower (forb) 40% (50)
Grass or grass-like 54% (67)
Vine <1% (1)
Fern 5% (6)

Grasses and grass-like plants make up the largest share of the native list (54%), followed by wildflowers (40%).

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

ZIP codes mainly in this county fall in USDA hardiness zone 5a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 62

Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.

Garden-ready native plants of Emmet County, Iowa
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American red raspberry Rubus idaeus	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
annual wildrice Zizania aquatica	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common rivergrass Scolochloa festucacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
field horsetail Equisetum arvense	Fern	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata	Grass or grass-like	5.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
green needlegrass Nassella viridula	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
hooded lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus	Wildflower (forb)	1.1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum	Fern	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
plains muhly Muhlenbergia cuspidata	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
prairie sandreed Calamovilfa longifolia	Grass or grass-like	4.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
tall cottongrass Eriophorum angustifolium	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides	Grass or grass-like	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile	Fern	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
water sedge Carex aquatilis	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
whitegrass Leersia virginica	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 63

PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.

American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
balsam groundsel Packera paupercula
bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bluntleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum canadense
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
fall rosette grass Dichanthelium wilcoxianum
falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
golden zizia Zizia aurea
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
hairyjoint meadowparsnip Thaspium barbinode
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
Macoun's barley ×Elyhordeum macounii
marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
meadow garlic Allium canadense
meadow zizia Zizia aptera
Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
rayless alkali aster Symphyotrichum ciliatum
Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
shortbeak arrowhead Sagittaria brevirostra
silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
whitehair rosette grass Dichanthelium villosissimum
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
witchgrass Panicum capillare
yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima

Also listed as native and introduced here 2

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

common reedPhragmites australis
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

Compared with Iowa

The typical county is the median of the 99 Iowa counties with PLANTS county records; the statewide figure counts every species native anywhere in the state. More species is not better or worse: counties differ in size, habitat and how thoroughly they have been surveyed.

Native species counts, Emmet County and Iowa
Measure	Emmet County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	125	44	1,374
Garden-ready natives	62	24	496
Tree	0	—	110
Shrub	1	—	72
Wildflower (forb)	50	—	779
Grass or grass-like	67	—	298
Vine	1	—	55
Fern	6	—	60

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Emmet County.

Dickinson County, IA 89 garden-ready
Kossuth County, IA 31 garden-ready
Palo Alto County, IA 67 garden-ready

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
Scope: Emmet County (county FIPS 19063), Iowa. 125 native species from PLANTS county distribution records; garden-ready = species with a PLANTS characteristics record.
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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