Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jul through Sep — an easy fit for Iowa, hardy in zones 3–9 here.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Iowa · Zones 4–6
Native Plants for Iowa
Iowa gardens sit in the Midwest — a landscape of tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, and Great Lakes woodland. The plants below evolved with that climate (humid continental, cold winters) and are hardy through zones 4–6, so once established they shrug off the local weather without fuss, fertilizer, or much water.
the Midwestthe Great Plains
Ecoregion: Western Corn Belt tallgrass prairie
Collections for Iowa
Find the right natives for your yard.
Each collection is filtered to what actually grows in Iowa. Pick the goal that fits your conditions.
Pollinators
59 native species
For bees
56 native species
Butterflies
55 native species
Hummingbirds
14 native species
For birds
31 native species
Deer-resistant
47 native species
Full sun
58 native species
For shade
14 native species
Drought-tolerant
38 native species
Clay soil
48 native species
Rain garden
25 native species
Groundcovers
14 native species
Flowering shrubs
11 native species
Grasses
8 native species
Low-maintenance
33 native species
Fall color
13 native species
Fragrant
13 native species
Notable natives
Plants to know in Iowa.
A cross-section of the 70 species native to your region — the workhorses worth starting with.
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Native to Iowa and hardy in zones 3–8; it flowers in Apr and May and reaches 15–25 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Native to Iowa and hardy in zones 4–9; it blooms Apr through Sep and reaches 8–15 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Sep through Nov — an easy fit for Iowa, hardy in zones 3–8 here.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
1–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Apr through Jun — an easy fit for Iowa, hardy in zones 3–8 here.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Native to Iowa and hardy in zones 4–8; it blooms Jul through Sep and reaches 2–3 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Native to Iowa and hardy in zones 3–8; it flowers in Sep and Oct and reaches 3–5 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Native to Iowa and hardy in zones 5–9; it blooms Jun through Aug and reaches 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
An Iowa native at 1.5–2 ft tall that blooms May through Jul, comfortable in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
An Iowa native at 2–4 ft tall that blooms Jun through Sep, comfortable in zones 4–9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Native to Iowa and hardy in zones 3–9; it blooms Jul through Sep and reaches 5–8 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
An Iowa native at 2–4 ft tall that flowers in Aug and Sep, comfortable in zones 3–9.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Native to Iowa and hardy in zones 5–9; it flowers in Apr and May and reaches 15–25 ft.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
An Iowa native at 4–7 ft tall that blooms Jul through Sep, comfortable in zones 3–8.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Native to Iowa and hardy in zones 3–8; it flowers in Sep and Oct and reaches 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Native to Iowa and hardy in zones 3–9; it blooms Jun through Sep and reaches 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Sourcing
Where to buy Iowa natives
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.