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Des Moines Outdoors

Des Moines Outdoors

Wildflowers of the Iowa Prairie: Find These 10 Wildflowers!

DSMOutdoors

Iowa Wildflowers
Gray-Headed Coneflowers, Voas Nature Area, Minburn, Iowa

The prairie is in bloom! So, it’s the perfect time to spot Iowa wildflowers on your outdoor adventures. You can find these beauties while hiking and biking (and even along roadsides). But, of course, visiting local prairies is an excellent way to see Iowa wildflowers. 

Restored prairies are ideal for an Iowa wildflowers scavenger hunt! And, if you want to go out and see them in bloom, we got you covered. Below are ten common prairie wildflowers to see in the summertime in Iowa.

First, Fun Facts

  • Did you know Iowa was once predominantly prairie? Before European settlers came to Iowa, 80% of the land was prairie. But, things have changed. Iowa now has only .1% of that prairie.1 Thankfully, many conservation groups are working on prairie restorations throughout the state.
  • What exactly are wildflowers? Native or introduced flowers that grow without human cultivation or intervention.

Find These Wildflowers of Iowa Prairies

Below are some of the more common Iowa wildflowers we see in the prairies. We’ll list some information on each one that can help you with identification. But if you want to do a deep dive on Iowa’s wildflowers, we offer further resources at the end of the article.

Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)

  • Legume family
  • 1½ – 2½ feet tall
  • Hairy stem
  • Narrow, alternate leaves
  • Elongated, thimble-shaped flower with small purple flowers & yellow stamens; blooms bottom to top
  • Blooms July-August
Purple Prairie Clover
Purple Prairie Clover

Gray-headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

  • 3-5 feet tall
  • Hairy stem
  • Alternate, lobed leaves
  • Drooping yellow flowers, gray to brown center “cone”
  • Blooms early July – August
Gray headed coneflower
Gray-headed Coneflowers

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta L)

  • 1-2 feet tall
  • Alternate, oval leaves
  • Hairy stems
  • 2-3 “ yellow, daisy-like flowers with brown cone-shaped center disks
  • Blooms mid-June – mid-July
Black Eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susan

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa L.)

  • Also called Beebalm or Horsemint
  • 2-4 feet tall
  • Four-angled, smooth stem
  • Opposite, oval leaves, rounded base with a pointed tip, serrated
  • Purple or pink, irregular, pom-pom shaped flowers above leafy bracts
  • Blooms July – early August
Wild Bergamot
Wild Bergamot

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa L.)

  • Also called butterfly weed or pleurisy-root
  • 2 – 3 feet tall
  • Hairy stems
  • Long, smooth, alternate leaves
  • 2-5 inch clusters of bright orange flowers with small petals
  • Blooms mid-June to mid-August
Butterfly Milkweed
Butterfly Milkweed

Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.)

  • Member of the Aster family
  • 3 – 6 feet tall
  • Large, four-angled, smooth stem
  • Large, sturdy leaves that form a “cup” that can hold water
  • Flowers each have 20-30, 2-inch yellow rays, with a darker yellow-green center of tiny flowers
  • Blooms July-September
Cup plant
Cup Plant
Cup plant leaves
Cup Plant leaves

Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium)

  • Also called Prairie Dock
  • Member of the Daisy family
  • 3 – 5’ tall
  • Smooth, sturdy stem
  • Opposite, rough, cupped leaves
  • Yellow, sunflower-like flowers, 2-3” across, with a yellow center disk
  • Blooms mid-July to August
Rosinweed
Rosinweed
Rosinweed leaves
Rosinweed leaves and stem

Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)

  • Aster family
  • 4 – 6 feet tall
  • Thick, center stem with white hairs
  • Large, lobed leaves stand vertical to face east-west
  • Flowers are 3-4 inches wide and look like sunflowers
  • Blooms July – August
Compass Plant
Compass Plants
Compass plant
Compass Plant leaves

Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya Michx.)

  • 3 – 4 feet tall
  • Stiff, hairy, leafy stem (doesn’t branch)
  • Alternate, narrow, smooth leaves that get shorter as they go up the stem
  • A cluster of small, purple, round flowers form a spike at the top of the stem; blooms from the top down
  • Blooms late July – August
Prairie Blazing Star
Prairie Blazing Star

Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

  • Member of the Parsley family
  • 2 – 3 feet tall
  • Ridged stem, not hairy
  • Alternate, long, blue-green leaves with prickles on edges; pointed tip
  • Tiny white flowers are on a round head
  • Blooms mid-July to mid-August
Rattlesnake Master
Rattlesnake Master

Get out and explore local prairies

There are many prairie areas undergoing restoration in Central Iowa! So, get out, explore, and find wildflowers at the local prairies! Check out our list of prairie areas near Des Moines! We bet the list is longer than you thought possible!

Iowa Wildflowers Resources

  • Iowa’s Living Roadway Plant Profiler from the Iowa DOT
  • Iowa Prairie Plants from the University of Iowa
  • Prairie Wildflowers of Illinois
  • Recommended Wildflower Guides from UNI
  • Go Native or Go Wild! (On planting wildflowers)
Related: Spring Wildflowers: Spot These Spring Beauties On Your Next Hike

1. Tallgrass Prairie. Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge. US Fish and Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Neal_Smith/wildlife_and_habitat/tallgrass_prairie.html

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Des Moines Outdoors is a site dedicated to helping you find the best of everything outdoors in the state of Iowa. We’re native Iowans that, for over 25 years, camped, hiked, biked, and explored our home state. We encourage you to do the same.

There’s so much more to see and do in Iowa than many people imagine! Our goal is to help visitors and residents alike experience the best of our beautiful state.

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