Many years ago at our old farm, we chose to reclaim the acres previously being rented to a farmer for corn and soy production. The first year we moved there they were still farming it.
One day, they showed up to spray the crops with herbicide. When they drove across our lawn to get to the second field, the tires of the tractor left dead spots. It was eye opening. If these chemicals were strong enough to indirectly streak across our lawn, then where else were they ending up, and how were they affecting our health and the local ecology?
That's when I decided to convert the field into a native prairie garden. I dove head first into researching what I should grow.
Within just one year of starting that project, the monoculture once completely devoid of life and diversity had become home to tons of insects and birds. I watched goldfinches dive in and out collecting seeds from the black-eyed susans and coneflowers. I witnessed many monarch and other butterfly species complete their life cycles there. Bees buzzed about, and not just imported honeybees, but native ones of all shapes and sizes. It was a beautiful transformation that showed me what caring about our ecosystems can do, and that change for the better can happen quickly.
What makes a plant native?
Native plants are ones that have evolved naturally in an area without any human involvement. They are perfectly adapted to the soil types, climate, and provide a specific benefit to local wildlife.
The alternatives to native plant species are introduced species, which are brought from other parts of the world, but typically behave under cultivation (meaning they don't spread into natural areas through seed or rhizomes and typically don't cause problems in native ecosystems), or invasive species, which are introduced by humans and spread aggressively, causing displacement of native species and direct harm to the ecosystem.
In Iowa, some of the most problematic invasive species we see are Japanese Honeysuckle, Autumn Olive, Multiflora Rose, Siberian Elm, White Mulberry, Tree of Heaven, Bradford Pear, Reed Canary Grass, Garlic Mustard, Dame's Rocket, and quite a few more. You have almost definitely seen these plants in woodlands, roadsides, and even purposely planted in urban and suburban areas!
There are also plant species that are native, but if not managed their populations will expand rapidly and encroach on less aggressive natives. An example of this in Iowa is the Eastern Red Cedar - those little evergreen trees you see growing in open fields and roadsides. They have major benefits for wildlife, but they quickly overtake open areas and decrease diversity in prairies and savannas that should be full of native grasses, wildflowers, and keystone tree species. Before European settlement, fires and massive herds of bison kept these trees from invading grasslands, but because those hardly exist in our landscape anymore, the balance of our ecosystems has shifted.
How does one determine if a plant species is native?
This was a challenge I had early on in my research. It is not enough to go by common names. We need to be specific and know the latin name, also called the scientific name, of the plant we want to lookup. This can be challenging, but here are a few tips.
If you are in the field trying to identify plants you come across, my go-to is a phone app called PictureThis. It allows you to take a photo and get a quick identification with the common and latin name. It works best when plants are flowering, or have some other distinct identifying feature. It isn't as accurate for small seedlings, or trees without leaves.
If you are looking to purchase seeds or plants online or at a nursery, it should be much easier to find the latin name because it will be on the listing or tag. I always recommend shopping at stores that specialize in native plants. We have a few local to central Iowa - Allendan Seed in Madison County, and Blooming Prairie Nursery in Carlisle are great sources for plants and seeds. Other nurseries sometimes have a "native" section, but I have found that even with good intentions, they tend to include non-natives and cultivars of native species. This is why you should always do your own research and look up the species before purchasing.
Once you have the latin name, you can use the BONAP database to search your plant ( www.bonap.org ). BONAP stands for the Biota of North America Program. It has maps that show native ranges at the county level. The website can be a little cumbersome, but you are looking for neon green on your county. Dark green means it's native somewhere in the state, but not necessarily your area. Find the map key here: http://www.bonap.org/MapKey.html
Native Plant Lookup Quick Steps
- Find latin name.
- Go to google and search "bonap (insert latin name)".
- Click on the first result.
- Click on the map for the species you are looking up.
- Look for neon green.
But we need to go back to what I said about cultivars - what does that mean? Cultivars are plants that are bred and selected for certain traits. You can usually tell if the name on the tag contains apostrophes.
For example, yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is native to Iowa, but the wild species, also called the straight species, has a white flower. Most general nurseries do not sell this type of yarrow. You will typically only find cultivars. The hybrid yellow flowered yarrow cultivar will be formatted like this: Achillea millefolium 'Moonshine', Achillea X 'Moonshine", Moonshine Yarrow, or Yarrow 'Moonshine'.
But why does it matter? Cultivars do not play the same role ecologically that the straight species do. In the case of 'Moonshine' Yarrow, it is crossed with another non-native yarrow species Achillea taygetea, which is native to Greece. It is sterile, meaning it does not produce seeds like the wild species, which are a food source for birds. The foliage has a light colored, fuzzy texture, whereas the native species has darker, smooth foliage. And we already mentioned the difference in flower color. These features matter because moths and beetles use yarrow as a host plant to complete their reproductive cycle. When we alter the foliage and flower color, these insects may not be able to find and use the cultivar to reproduce. In some cases, cultivars can cross pollinate with wild species and change features of local plant populations over time.
What are some common plants native to Iowa?
These are some of my favorite plants to incorporate into both curated gardens and wild areas:
FLOWERING PLANTS
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata -Swamp Milkweed
Liatris pycnostachya - Blazing Star
Rudbeckia hirta - Black Eyed Susan
Rosa carolina - Wild Rose (Iowa State Flower)
Vernonia fasciculata - Common Ironweed
Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot
MORE FLOWERING PLANTS
Amorpha canescens - Lead Plant
Ageratina altissima - White Snakeroot
Apocynum cannabinum - Dogbane
Aquilegia canadensis - Columbine
Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata - Whorled Milkweed
Baptisia alba - White Wild Indigo
Ceanothus americanus - New Jersey Tea
Chamaecrista fasciculata - Partridge Pea
Dalea purpurea - Purple Prairie Clover
Echinacea pallida - Pale Purple Coneflower
Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake Master
Helianthus maximilani - Maximillian's Sunflower
Iris virginica var. shrevei - Southern Blue Flag
Solidago speciosa - Showy Goldenrod
Zizia aurea - Golden Alexanders
Verbena stricta - Hoary Vervain
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae - New England Aster
Sambucus canadensis - Elderberry
Pycnanthemum virginianum - Mountain Mint
GRASSES
Andropogon gerardii - Big Bluestem
Bouteloua curtipendula - Side Oats Gramma
Eragrostis spectabilis - Purple Love Grass
Sporobolus heterolepis - Prairie Dropseed
Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem
KEYSTONE TREES
Oaks - white oak, swamp white oak, northern pin oak, shingle oak, bur oak, blackjack oak, chinkapin oak, pin oak, dwarf chinkapin oak, red oak, post oak, black oak, Bebb's oak, Bush's oak, lea oak, logue oak
Plums - American plum, Chickasaw plum, hortulan plum, Mexican plum, wild goose plum
Cherries- pin cherry, wild black cherry, chokecherry
Willows - peach-leaf willow, pussy willow, Missouri River willow, sandbar willow, prairie willow, black willow
Maples - black maple, silver maple, sugar maple
Elms - American elm, slippery elm
Hickories - bitternut hickory, shell-bark hickory, shagbark hickory
These species are just some of the native plants essential to the health and prosperity of our ecosystems in Iowa. Without them, we will see, and already have seen, a steep decline in the insects, birds, mammals, and other creatures that depend on them.
Complete list of Iowa keystone species here: https://www.fairfield.lib.ia.us/application/files/4316/7450/0542/SE_Iowa_Keystone_trees2.pdf
Adding any of these plants to your yard will profoundly benefit the world around you, and you will get to enjoy seeing more life in your yard!