Native plants · Iowa

Native plants of Winneshiek County

131 plant species are recorded as native to Iowa in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Winneshiek County by USDA PLANTS. 64 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

Winneshiek County, Iowa

Native species: 131 Typical Iowa county: 44 (median of 99 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 64 Typical Iowa county: 24
Share by type (all 131 native species): Percent of the 131 native species in each growth type

Tree 11% (14)
Shrub 3% (4)
Wildflower (forb) 46% (60)
Grass or grass-like 25% (33)
Vine 5% (7)
Fern 10% (13)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (46%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (25%).

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 zones 4b to 5a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 64

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

Garden-ready native plants of Winneshiek County, Iowa
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
American red raspberry Rubus idaeus	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
American speedwell Veronica americana	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
arctic brome Bromus kalmii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
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
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana	Vine	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
field horsetail Equisetum arvense	Fern	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
groundnut Apios americana	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus	Wildflower (forb)	9.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
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
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
northern bedstraw Galium boreale	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum	Fern	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
northern red oak Quercus rubra	Tree	81 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica	Tree	30 ft	Sun	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
prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
purplestem beggarticks Bidens connata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
pussy willow Salix discolor	Tree	40 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
silver maple Acer saccharinum	Tree	90 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 2b
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
stalkless yellowcress Rorippa sessiliflora	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
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
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
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
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
woodland muhly Muhlenbergia sylvatica	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 67

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.

Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
compact dodder Cuscuta compacta
Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
downy phlox Phlox pilosa
early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
false melic Schizachne purpurascens
golden zizia Zizia aurea
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
Kalm's hawkweed Hieracium kalmii
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense
meadow zizia Zizia aptera
neckweed Veronica peregrina
northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
pleatleaf knotweed Polygonum tenue
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
purple rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes racemosa
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
rope dodder Cuscuta glomerata
rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
whitehair rosette grass Dichanthelium villosissimum
witchgrass Panicum capillare
wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

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.

climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
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, Winneshiek County and Iowa
Measure	Winneshiek County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	131	44	1,374
Garden-ready natives	64	24	496
Tree	14	—	110
Shrub	4	—	72
Wildflower (forb)	60	—	779
Grass or grass-like	33	—	298
Vine	7	—	55
Fern	13	—	60

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Winneshiek County.

Allamakee County, IA 37 garden-ready
Fayette County, IA 13 garden-ready
Howard County, IA 9 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: Winneshiek County (county FIPS 19191), Iowa. 131 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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