Iowans can expect next year to be bright and colorful – at least according to the images found within the 2021 Garden Calendar produced by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. With a theme of Iowa Natives, the new calendar features 12 months of native plants, including bloodroot, bluebells, prairie smoke, bur oak, witch hazel, winterberry, and others. Full-page photos are featured each month, along with monthly tips that provide timely cultural information for fruits and vegetables, lawn care recommendations, tree and shrub guidance, and other information...
From the bur oak tree towering over the savanna to the humble bladderwort, floating untethered in the water of wetlands, Iowa's plants and plant-like organisms are fascinatingly diverse. This article explores that diversity, describing the classification Iowa's plants, the varied places they occur, and the remarkable adaptations they have to life in Iowa.
This publication informs Iowa farmers and landowners about the process and benefits of establishing small areas of perennial prairie vegetation to benefit soil health, water quality, and wildlife. Establishment of prairie vegetation takes both time and active management—this publication aims to help farmers and landowners set reasonable expectations while sharing consensus best management practices for successful establishment and management.
Iowa was once covered by 30 million acres of prairie that was home to a huge diversity of plant and animal life. Prairies contain an abundant mixture of grasses, sedges, and forbs or wildflowers. Different prairie plants grow based on soil types and moisture levels, which determines whether an area will be a wet, mesic, or dry prairie, all of which can be found in the state. Since European settlement, prairie land cover in Iowa has been reduced to less than 0.1% of its original extent and with its disappearance, the state lost many of the plants and animals that depend on this habitat for survival. Efforts have been made across the state and throughout the Midwest to restore prairie habitat and preserve the few original prairie remnants that have persisted. To learn more about one of Iowa's rare remnant prairies check out this video.
Here, we have collected resources from a variety of sources that provide useful information on prairie restoration, management, and renovation. This page primarily focuses on larger prairies. Urban prairies and prairie gardens are important as well. We will soon have a backyard page available for more information on how to establish prairies in landscapes or backyards.
How to Establish Prairie Habitat
The Conservation Learning Group at Iowa State University collaborated with several other organizations to produce a guide called What to Expect: Establishing Prairie Vegetation on Your Farm that provides some quick tips for starting a prairie and explains how a newly established prairie looks from year 1 through year 7 and beyond.
The National Park Service has a series of pages that break prairie restoration down into useful steps which introduce the restoration process for beginners:
Prairie habitat can be integrated into productive agricultural fields. Photo Credit: Conservation Media Library
The Tallgrass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa also has a guide on site preparation and seeding.
North Dakota State University has a Prairie Reconstruction Guidebook with an in depth description of how to establish prairie habitat.
Prairie restoration can be a unique process for each landowner based on site characteristics and restoration goals.
The Nature Conservancy provides guides to prairie restoration that are tailored to specific land-use types. Note: this resource provides information for seed mixes and restoration professionals specific to Minnesota so be sure to check out the Iowa specific resources listed below on our page for that information.
There are many places that sell native prairie seeds or plants and offer services to help private landowners establish prairie habitat. The links below are not an endorsement of any company or organization and omission does not imply discrimination.
Plant Iowa Native has a list of private companies in Iowa (click on “Prairie/Wetland Services) that offer seeds, seed mixes, and plants as well as various services related to establishing and managing a prairie including soil testing, planting, mowing, prescribed burning, herbicide application, and brush control.
The Iowa DNR has private lands staff who work cooperatively with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other agencies to provide technical assistance to landowners and connect them with various cost-share programs related to prairie establishment. Visit our Wildlife Habitat Programs and Consultation page to find NRCS and DNR employees in your area that are available to help.
Managing Established Prairies and Renovating Grassland
Although prairie habitat is native to Iowa it can take some work to establish a high quality prairie with a diversity of native plants.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service has a guide for managing native prairie starting the first year after planting and continuing through the third year and beyond.
The Tallgrass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa has a technical guide for initial post seeding and early reconstruction management. They also have a guide that describes evaluating the quality of a prairie after the first or second growing season to make sure restoration goals are being met. Their evaluation suggestions range from complex sampling techniques to simply take a photo of the prairie each year to document changes.
Knowing when species bloom and including species that bloom during different times throughout the growing season in your seed mix maximizes the amount of time you get to enjoy flowers. The publication Introduction to Iowa Native Prairie Plants on the Iowa State University Extension Store includes flowering periods of common native prairie plants.
The Iowa Prairie Network Prairie Literature reading list provides a variety of resources related to prairies including general background information, propagation and management, plant identification guides and keys, and even a list of fiction novels and poems about prairies for the true prairie enthusiast. The Iowa Prairie Network also has a list of Iowa prairies that people can visit.
