Question:
What native perennials grow well in dry soils?Answer:
Perennials native to Iowa for sunny locations that tolerate dry soils include:
- yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
- prairie onion (Allium stellatum)
- leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
- prairie sage (Artemisia ludoviciana)
- butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
- side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
- New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus)
- prairie tickseed (Coreopsis palmata)
- purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)
- pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
- purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- prairie smoke (Geum triflorum)
- false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
- wild bergamont (Monarda fistulosa)
- spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata)
- eastern prickly pear (Opuntia compressa)
- switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
- large-flowered beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus)
- moss phlox (Phlox subulata)
- prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
- black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
- little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- compass plant (Silphium laciniatum)
- stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida)
- showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)
- prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
- smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)
- hoary vervain (Verbena stricta)
- soapweed (Yucca glauca)
Perennials native to Iowa for shady locations that tolerate dry soils include:
- Wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
- wild ginger (Asarum canadense)
- wild geranium (Geranium maculatum)
- May apple (Podophyllum peltatum)
Last updated on
March 6, 2026