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The American hazelnut (Corylus americana) is found throughout Iowa except in the northwest corner.

Habitat: Commonly found in wood edges and dry open woods.

Hardiness: Zones 4 through 9

Growth Rate: Moderate to Rapid

Mature Shape: Rounded

Height: 15 to 18 feet

Width: 10 to 12 feet

Site Requirements: American hazelnut grows moist loamy to well drained sandy and clay soils. Adaptable to adverse soil conditions.

Flowering Dates: March - May

Seed Dispersal Dates: September - October

Seed Bearing Age: 3 years

Seed Bearing Frequency: Yearly

Seed Stratification: Seeds need 5 months cold stratification at 34°F to 40°F

The bebb willow (Salix bebbiana) is found in northeast and north central Iowa

Habitat: Native in the moist locations of northeast and north central Iowa.

Hardiness: Zones 3 through 7

Growth Rate: Moderate

Mature Shape: Grows as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree

Height: 15-25 feet

Width: 10-15 feet

Site Requirements: Moist, wet climate with sun accessibility and partial shade; grows in clay, sand, and loam.

Flowering Dates: April - May

Seed Dispersal Dates: May - June

Seed Bearing Age: 1-2 years

Seed Bearing Frequency: Yearly

Seed Stratification: Seeds disperse in the spring and immediately germinate. no stratification period is needed

The buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea) is found in western Iowa

Habitat: Grows on dry uplands, prairie woodland edges and loess bluffs.

Hardiness: Zones 2 though 3

Growth Rate: Medium

Mature Shape: Multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a rounded form

Height: 8-10 feet

Width: 8-10 feet

Site Requirements: full sunlight; dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil; drought tolerant

Flowering Dates: April - June

Seed Dispersal Dates: Through Winter

Seed Bearing Age: 2 years

Seed Bearing Frequency: Yearly

Seed Stratification: Acid scarification followed by prechilling for 2-3 months at 34°F to 40°F

In Iowa the common juniper (Juniperus communis) is often only a large, bushy shrub, seldom reaching tree size. It has a short, irregular trunk.

Habitat: Grows on dry wooded bluffs and rocky slopes. Found in extreme northeast Iowa.

Hardiness: Zones 2 through 9

Mature Shape: Upright, densely pyramidal becoming irregular and pendulous with age

Height: 30-40 feet

Width: 10-20 feet

Site Requirements: Prefers full sun and well drained soils. Is tolerant of a variety of conditions including poor soils, heat and drought.

Flowering Dates: April - May

Seed Dispersal Dates: Seeds persist for 2 years

Seed Bearing Age: 10 years

Seed Bearing Frequency: Irregular

Seed Stratification: Prechill for 3 months at 34°F to 40°F

The awl-shaped, leaves are spreading, spiny and scale-like and 1/3 to 1/2 inch long. They are more flattened and white on the upper surface than the red cedar and turn a rich bronze color during the winter. The bluish or purple fruit is an irregular, ball-shaped berry, with one to three small hard seeds. The bark is reddish brown and becomes papery scaled.

Diseases that Can Affect Common Juniper

• Cedar-Hawthorn Rust
• Cedar-Apple Rust
• Seasonal Needle Loss
• Kabatina Tip Blight

Insects that Can Affect Common Juniper

• Conifer Spider Mites

The downy hawthorn (Crataegus mollis) is the largest and most common of the hawthorns found in Iowa. These plants can be an aggressive invader of open or abandoned sites.

Hardiness: Zone 3

Growth Rate: Moderate

Mature Shape: Low spreading branches; similar to an apple tree

Height: 20-30 feet

Width: 25-30 feet

Site Requirements: Full sun, drought tolerant

Flowering Dates: April - May

Seed Dispersal Dates: Fall

Seed Bearing Frequency: Yearly

Seed Stratification: Warm stratification for 21 days at 85°F followed by prechilling for 6 months at 50°F