Native plants · Iowa
Native plants of Madison County
334 plant species are recorded as native to Iowa in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Madison County by USDA PLANTS. 138 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Madison County, Iowa
- Native species
- 334 Typical Iowa county: 44 (median of 99 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 138 Typical Iowa county: 24
- Share by type (all 334 native species)
-
Percent of the 334 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (61%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (19%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 138
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny blackberry Rubus allegheniensis | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| American basswood Tilia americana | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| American bellflower Campanulastrum americanum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 12b |
| American bittersweet Celastrus scandens | Vine | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| American hazelnut Corylus americana | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| American lotus Nelumbo lutea | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| American sycamore Platanus occidentalis | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| Bicknell's sedge Carex bicknellii | Grass or grass-like | 3.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| big bluestem Andropogon gerardii | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 2b |
| bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2b |
| black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black oak Quercus velutina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black raspberry Rubus occidentalis | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| black walnut Juglans nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| black willow Salix nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1b |
| 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 |
| bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| broadleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium latifolium | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa | Wildflower (forb) | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| bur-reed sedge Carex sparganioides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | — |
| butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| Canada germander Teucrium canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| closed bottle gentian Gentiana andrewsii | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| common evening primrose Oenothera biennis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| crested sedge Carex cristatella | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| cup plant Silphium perfoliatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | — | Zone 2b |
| cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| downy arrowwood Viburnum rafinesqueanum | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3a |
| eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| golden currant Ribes aureum | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| gray dogwood Cornus racemosa | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| greater straw sedge Carex normalis | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens | Grass or grass-like | 5.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2a |
| hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| inland rush Juncus interior | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| jewelweed Impatiens capensis | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| leadplant Amorpha canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Missouri River willow Salix eriocephala | Tree | 52 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa | Tree | 85 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus | Shrub | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora | Grass or grass-like | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida | Wildflower (forb) | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| poverty rush Juncus tenuis | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata | Grass or grass-like | 8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| prairie crab apple Malus ioensis | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| prairie willow Salix humilis | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| purplestem aster Symphyotrichum puniceum | Wildflower (forb) | 8.1 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| red mulberry Morus rubra | Tree | 70 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11a |
| riverbank grape Vitis riparia | Vine | 45 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| rock elm Ulmus thomasii | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| rufous bulrush Scirpus pendulus | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| sandbar willow Salix interior | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| shagbark hickory Carya ovata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| slippery elm Ulmus rubra | Tree | 85 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| spreading yellowcress Rorippa sinuata | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| stalkless yellowcress Rorippa sessiliflora | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12b |
| stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides | Grass or grass-like | 4 in | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| upright sedge Carex stricta | Grass or grass-like | 4.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| water knotweed Polygonum amphibium | Wildflower (forb) | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| white avens Geum canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| white oak Quercus alba | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| white prairie clover Dalea candida | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Woods' rose Rosa woodsii | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 196
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
- amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
- ashy sunflower Helianthus mollis
- Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
- bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- birdfoot violet Viola pedata
- blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
- blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
- blue wild indigo Baptisia australis
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
- bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
- bristleleaf sedge Carex eburnea
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
- buffalo clover Trifolium reflexum
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
- button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
- Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
- Carolina draba Draba reptans
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
- churchmouse threeawn Aristida dichotoma
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
- common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
- common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- compassplant Silphium laciniatum
- Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- Davis' sedge Carex davisii
- downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
- downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
- dwarf chinquapin oak Quercus prinoides
- dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
- elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
- feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
- field thistle Cirsium discolor
- fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- foxtail prairie clover Dalea leporina
- golden zizia Zizia aurea
- grape honeysuckle Lonicera reticulata
- great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
- Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
- green dragon Arisaema dracontium
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
- hairyjoint meadowparsnip Thaspium barbinode
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
- Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
- hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
- Hitchcock's sedge Carex hitchcockiana
- hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
- hoary verbena Verbena stricta
- honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
- Illinois ticktrefoil Desmodium illinoense
- Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
- inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
- Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- lanceleaf buckthorn Rhamnus lanceolata
- large St. Johnswort Hypericum majus
- largebract ticktrefoil Desmodium cuspidatum
- largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
- longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
- longflower beeblossom Oenothera filiformis
- mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- meadow garlic Allium canadense
- Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
- Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
- mullein foxglove Dasistoma macrophylla
- narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
- northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
- Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
- obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
- palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
- plain gentian Gentiana alba
- pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
- poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
- prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
- prairie goldenrod Oligoneuron album
- prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
- prairie rose Rosa arkansana
- prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
- prairie violet Viola pedatifida
- purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
- purple milkweed Asclepias purpurascens
- rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
- ramp Allium tricoccum
- red baneberry Actaea rubra
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- rock muhly Muhlenbergia sobolifera
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
- shortbeak arrowhead Sagittaria brevirostra
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- sicklepod Arabis canadensis
- skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
- slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
- slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
- small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
- smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
- smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
- smooth rose Rosa blanda
- soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
- soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
- Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
- spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
- starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
- swamp verbena Verbena hastata
- sweet coneflower Rudbeckia subtomentosa
- tall blazing star Liatris aspera
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
- tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
- tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
- Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
- Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
- western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
- white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
- whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
- whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
- willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
- winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
- wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
- wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
- woodland lettuce Lactuca floridana
- woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
- yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
- yellowfruit sedge Carex annectens
- yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
Also listed as native and introduced here 3
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.
- annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
- 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.
| Measure | Madison County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 334 | 44 | 1,374 |
| Garden-ready natives | 138 | 24 | 496 |
| Tree | 33 | — | 110 |
| Shrub | 16 | — | 72 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 204 | — | 779 |
| Grass or grass-like | 62 | — | 298 |
| Vine | 14 | — | 55 |
| Fern | 5 | — | 60 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Madison County.
- Adair County, IA 93 garden-ready
- Clarke County, IA 24 garden-ready
- Dallas County, IA 23 garden-ready
- Guthrie County, IA 162 garden-ready
- Polk County, IA 40 garden-ready
- Union County, IA 92 garden-ready
- Warren County, IA 32 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
- Madison County (county FIPS 19121), Iowa. 334 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