Iowa Plants Pull it or Keep it

Tool to identify invasive species

This app was created in response to interest generated by a student at Wilson Elementary located in Davenport, Iowa. The student created the idea for an app as part of an environmental science project that could be used to identify invasive species along Iowa’s local waterways. The City of Davenport staff discussed this idea with the student and her family and then brought the idea to ISWEP (Iowa Stormwater Education Partnership) staff and members. A committee was formed, and due to the need for an app to identify native plants and weeds, the rest is history.


This app is designed to be a quick reference for identifying native and invasive plant species. Terms and descriptions are simplified to ensure the app is useful to professionals and volunteers alike.



The app is a useful tool for professionals and volunteers engaged in the maintenance of stormwater best management practices (BMPs) such as rain gardens, biocells, biowales, and prairie areas. It focuses on the most common weeds found in an Iowa urban setting as well as the most commonly used native plants in BMPs.


Knowing what should be pulled and what should be kept is as easy as selecting a few plant characteristics and matching the results to the plant(s) of concern. Plants may be found in more than one location within the app because year to year certain species may present different characteristics as they grow.