Best Native Wildflowers to Grow in Iowa
Iowa sits in USDA Hardiness Zone 5. These 21 native wildflower varieties are suited to Iowa's 155-day growing season with last frost around April 30 and first frost around October 5.
Varieties
21
for Iowa
USDA Zone
5
155-day season
Beginner
12
easy to grow
Heirloom
14
heritage varieties
Iowa in USDA Zone 5
Iowa is primarily in Zone 5. Varieties that thrive in this zone will typically grow well across the state, though local microclimates vary.
When to Plant Native Wildflowers in Iowa
Growing Native Wildflowers in Iowa
Zone 5 offers an excellent sweet spot for native wildflower gardening, with a generous 155-day growing season that allows most perennial wildflowers to establish strong root systems before winter. The moderate climate provides enough chill hours for proper seed stratification while avoiding the extreme temperature swings that stress plants in harsher zones. However, the April 30th average last frost means you'll need to be patient with warm-season annuals, and the October 5th first frost requires strategic planning for late-blooming varieties.
When selecting native wildflowers for Zone 5, prioritize varieties that can handle temperature fluctuations and establish quickly once soil warms. Look for plants with strong cold tolerance that won't be damaged by unexpected late spring frosts, yet can also withstand occasional summer heat waves. The key is choosing a mix of early, mid, and late-season bloomers to maximize your growing window and provide continuous habitat for pollinators throughout the entire season.
Variety Comparison
| Variety ↑ | Days | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Bee Balm | 300-365 | Easy to moderate |
| Black-Eyed Susan | 100-120 | Very easy |
| Blanket Flower | Not applicable | Easy |
| Butterfly Weed | 365 | Easy |
| Cardinal Flower | N/A | Easy |
| Coral Bells | N/A | Easy |
| Lanceleaf Coreopsis | N/A | Very easy |
| New England Aster | 365-450 | Easy to moderate |
| Partridge Pea | — | Easy |
| Prairie Blazingstar | Not applicable | Easy |
| Purple Coneflower | 300-365 | Easy |
| Spiderwort | — | Easy |
| Sweet Alyssum | 50-60 | Very easy |
| Wild Bergamot | N/A | Easy |
| Wild Blue Indigo | — | Easy |
| Wild Blue Lupine | — | Moderate |
| Wild Blue Phlox | — | Easy to moderate |
| Wild Columbine | N/A | Moderate |
| Wild Ginger | — | Easy |
| Wild Indigo | Not applicable | Easy |
| Wild Lupine | N/A | Moderate |
Variety Details
Bee Balm
Semidouble blooms in shades of lavender, salmon, magenta, and pale to bright pinks are useful as cut and edible flowers. Additionally, monarda attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to the garden. Also known as beebalm, Oswego tea, and scarlet beebalm. Medicinal: Aerial parts in infusions to improve digestion. Leaves and blooms contain thymol-related antibiotic-antiseptic compounds. Perennial in Zones 4-9. Edible Flowers: Add petals to salads, sprinkle over mild fish, use in fruit salads, or to garnish desserts and drinks. Flavor is minty and spicy.
Black-Eyed Susan
Compact plants are outstanding in the garden or in large containers. Combine Cherry Brandy's 3-4" flowers with rudbeckia of other colors, or do a dramatic mass planting for red blooms all summer. Also known as blackeyed Susan and gloriosa daisy. Tender perennial in Zones 9-10.
Blanket Flower
A cheerful and resilient native wildflower that blooms from early summer until frost with vibrant daisy-like flowers in shades of red, orange, and yellow. Perfect for xeriscaping and low-maintenance gardens, this drought-tolerant perennial attracts butterflies and beneficial insects while requiring minimal care once established.
Butterfly Weed
Attracts butterflies and bees. Grows well in arid soils. Also known as milkweed, butterfly weed, butterfly milkweed, and butterfly-weed. Medicinal: Roots are a respiratory expectorant and diaphoretic. Perennial in Zones 4-9.
Cardinal Flower
Nature's most brilliant red wildflower creates an unforgettable display with its intense scarlet blooms that seem to glow in shade gardens. This native beauty is a hummingbird magnet, drawing ruby-throated hummingbirds from miles around with its tubular flowers perfectly designed for their long beaks. Thriving in moist soils where many plants struggle, it brings vibrant color to pond edges, rain gardens, and woodland borders.
Coral Bells
Native coral bells offer delicate clouds of tiny white or pink flowers dancing above beautiful mounds of scalloped leaves that change colors with the seasons. This versatile perennial bridges the gap between wildflower and cultivated garden, equally at home in formal borders or naturalized woodland settings. Its long-lasting foliage provides four-season interest while the airy flower stems attract bees and other beneficial pollinators.
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
This cheerful native perennial produces masses of bright yellow daisy-like flowers with distinctive notched petals from spring through fall. Lanceleaf coreopsis is incredibly easy to grow and drought tolerant, making it perfect for beginner gardeners and low-maintenance landscapes. Its long blooming period and excellent cut flower qualities have made it a staple in cottage gardens and prairie restorations.
New England Aster
The crown jewel of fall-blooming wildflowers, this spectacular native transforms into clouds of tiny purple flowers just when most gardens are winding down. Essential for monarch butterfly migration and beloved by over 100 native bee species, it provides crucial late-season nectar when little else is blooming. The impressive 3-6 foot tall plants create dramatic backdrops and naturalize beautifully in wildflower meadows.
Partridge Pea
A delightful annual legume that produces bright yellow flowers with distinctive red-spotted petals throughout summer and fall. This native prairie plant fixes nitrogen in the soil while attracting beneficial insects and providing seeds for quail and other wildlife. The sensitive compound leaves fold when touched, adding an interactive element that children love.
Prairie Blazingstar
A tall, dramatic native perennial that sends up striking purple flower spikes that bloom from top to bottom in late summer, creating a unique spectacle in prairie gardens. This pollinator magnet is essential for monarch butterfly migration and adds stunning vertical interest to any native plant garden.
Purple Coneflower
Easy-to-grow echinacea. Vigorous plants with large, purple-petaled flowers. Fibrous roots are easy to harvest (other species have taproots). Attracts and is a food source for bees. Also known as purple coneflower and eastern purple coneflower. Normally grown for 3-4 years for harvest of sizeable roots. Perennial in Zones 3-10.
Spiderwort
A resilient native wildflower producing clusters of three-petaled blue to purple flowers that open in the morning and close by afternoon. This easy-to-grow perennial forms attractive clumps of grass-like foliage and self-seeds readily to create natural colonies. The mucilaginous stems and leaves were traditionally used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes.
Sweet Alyssum
Sweet Alyssum is fast and low growing, trouble free, and low cost, making it a popular choice for use as beneficial insect habitat in vegetable and fruit production. Because of its very manageable plant habit, Sweet Alyssum is a good choice for beneficial planting in greenhouses and containers, in addition to outdoor production. Sprawling plants with dense clusters of small flowers. Commonly known as sweet alyssum, but also known simply as alyssum. Tender perennial in Zones 9-11. Attracts and provides a food source for beneficial insects such as lacewings, parasitic wasps, syrphid flies, and tachinid flies.
Wild Bergamot
A fragrant native wildflower that attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds with its clusters of tubular lavender-pink blooms. This hardy perennial spreads naturally to form beautiful colonies and has been used traditionally for tea and medicinal purposes. Its minty fragrance and long blooming period make it a favorite for pollinator gardens and prairie restorations.
Wild Blue Indigo
A stunning prairie native that produces dramatic spikes of deep blue lupine-like flowers in late spring, followed by attractive seed pods that rattle in the wind. This long-lived perennial forms impressive clumps over time and is virtually maintenance-free once established, making it a cornerstone plant for naturalized gardens.
Wild Blue Lupine
A stunning prairie native producing tall spikes of deep blue pea-like flowers that create dramatic vertical accents in wildflower gardens. This nitrogen-fixing legume improves soil while attracting bees and serving as the sole host plant for the endangered Karner Blue butterfly. The distinctive palmate leaves and showy flower spikes make it a standout in naturalized plantings and cottage gardens.
Wild Blue Phlox
A woodland treasure that carpets forest floors with fragrant lavender-blue flowers in early spring. This spreading perennial creates stunning drifts of color before trees leaf out, making it perfect for naturalizing in shade gardens or woodland borders. The sweet-scented blooms attract early butterflies and other pollinators emerging from winter.
Wild Columbine
This delicate woodland native produces unique red and yellow flowers with distinctive spurs that nod gracefully above blue-green compound foliage. Wild columbine is a hummingbird magnet and thrives in partial shade where many wildflowers struggle. Its ability to self-seed in rocky crevices and woodland edges makes it perfect for naturalizing in shade gardens.
Wild Ginger
A charming woodland groundcover with heart-shaped leaves that forms lush carpets in shaded gardens. This native wildflower produces curious burgundy bell-shaped flowers hidden beneath the foliage in spring, pollinated by ground-dwelling beetles and ants. Its aromatic rhizomes were historically used as a ginger substitute by early settlers.
Wild Indigo
A unique prairie native with silvery-gray foliage and distinctive deep purple flower spikes topped with bright orange stamens, creating an unusual and striking garden display. This extremely drought-tolerant legume develops a deep taproot and becomes virtually maintenance-free once established, making it perfect for challenging sites.
Wild Lupine
This stunning native perennial produces tall spikes of blue-purple pea-like flowers above distinctive palmate leaves. Wild lupine is the sole host plant for the endangered Karner blue butterfly and an important nitrogen-fixer that improves soil health. Its deep taproot makes it extremely drought tolerant once established, perfect for naturalizing in sandy soils.
Zone 5 Growing Tips for Iowa
Start cold-hardy perennials like Wild Columbine, Purple Coneflower, and New England Aster from seed indoors 8-10 weeks before your last frost date (mid-February to early March). These can be transplanted outside 2-3 weeks before the last frost since they tolerate light freezes. Warm-season varieties like Butterfly Weed and Bee Balm should wait until soil temperatures consistently reach 60°F, typically mid to late May in Zone 5.
Direct seeding works well for many Zone 5 natives, but timing is crucial. Sow cold-season varieties like Wild Blue Phlox and Wild Ginger in early April, even if there's still frost risk. For heat-lovers like Blanket Flower and Black-Eyed Susan, wait until after Memorial Day when soil is truly warm. Many of these wildflowers benefit from fall seeding (September-October) to take advantage of natural winter stratification, which often produces stronger plants than spring-sown seeds.