MLRA 104 - Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies Iowa and Minnesota 22,640 km2 (8,740 mi2)

Potential Natural Vegetation:
This area supports prairie vegetation. Big bluestem and indiangrass are dominant on the well drained soils on the rolling slopes. Switchgrass, prairie cordgrass, and prairie dropseed are better adapted to the somewhat poorly drained soils. Switchgrass, sedges, and rushes grow in poorly drained draws or valleys. Common cattails grow on swampy sites. Little bluestem, porcupinegrass, and sand lovegrass grow on sandy, rocky, dry sites. Forbs such as clovers, phlox, sunflower, gayfeather, and goldenrod grow on the better soils. Roundhead lespedeza, spiderwort, and flowering spurge grow on the droughty soils. Loosestrife, bedstraw, milkweed, and tickelovers are water-tolerant species that grew on wet soils.

12/16/98