Agastache foeniculum - Blue Giant Hyssop
Height: 2-4' Width: 1.5-3'
Upright, clump forming perennial in the mint family. Lavender blooms in mid-summer have no scent but the foliage brings a wonderful anise fragrance to the garden.
Sun
Part Sun
Low Moisture
Medium Moisture
Pollinator
Nebraska native
Allium cernuum - Nodding Onion
Height: 18" Width: 18"
This easy to grow ornamental onion offers large attractive nodding pink flower clusters in late summer. All Alliums are great for pollinators!! Very drought-tolerant once established. Combines well with prairie dropseed grass!
Edible
Rain Garden Plant
Allium senescens 'Mongolian Gem' - Mongolian Gem Allium
Flowers form up to 2" lavender balls in fall. Foliage turns golden yellow in autumn. Very easy to grow, drought and heat tolerant. Forms tight bunches of foliage. The bees love this plant!!
Allium stellatum - Prairie Onion
Height: 12" Width: 12"
Foliage may go dormant is summer months. Great naturalizer! Flowers are pinkish-white to pink, depending on the plant. Prefers good drainage!
Regionally native
Amorpha canescens - Leadplant
Height: 4' Width: 3'
Purple-blue flower spikes appear with bright orange anthers in June to July. This long lived plant takes several years to reach maturity, be patient, it will reward you in the long run. Very drought-tolerant once established. Deep root systems. Dried leaves make an excellent iced tea beverage.
Amorpha nana - Dwarf Leadplant
Height: 1-3' Width: 1-3'
Honey scented rose colored blossoms appear early to mid-summer. Very drought-tolerant once established. Prefers good drainage.
Amsonia illustris - Shining Bluestar
Height: 3' Width: 2'
Thick, glossy green foliage turns a striking yellow in fall. This tough Great Plains native will perform for decades when planted in well-drained, sunny locations. The emerging foliage looks like asparagus. Clusters of pale blue star-like flowers top the plants in May.
Amsonia tabernaemontana - Eastern Bluestar
Height: 3' Width: 3'
Willow-like foliage turn a buttery yellow in fall. Pale blue, starry flowers appear in spring. Very adaptable to soil moisture conditions. A great plant for beginning gardeners that are looking for easy to grow plants that provide benefits to pollinating insects!!
Anemone hupehensis-Japanese Anemone
Height: 2-4' Width: 2-3'
Silvery pink flowers with rose shading appear from August to October. The foliage remains very attractive all season long. Easy to grow and dependable in the garden. Great as a cut flower!
Part sun
Medium moisture
Antennaria plantaginifolia -Woman's Tobacco
Height: 0.5-1' Width: 0.75-1.5'
Matt-forming plant with paddle shaped leaves. Non-showy whitish-pink flowers.
Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis' - Western Mugwort
Height: 1.5' Width: 1.5-2'
Widely adapted to many conditions, native to dry prairies from Canada to Mexico. Erect perennial that grows in spreading clumps. Inconspicuous flowers above aromatic foliage.
Aruncus dioicus - Goat's Beard
Height: 2-3' Width: 1-3'
Tall, erect, bushy clump forming plant with dark green foliage. Long, creamy white flower spikes. Perfect for moist sun to part shade.
Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed
Height: 4-5' Width: 2'
Light pink flower clusters appear in summer. Very adaptable plant. Highly preferred milkweed species by monarch butterflies.
Astragalus canadensis-canadian milkvetch
Height: 3' Weight: 14-18"
This stout, erect-stemmed, often branched perennial. Many whitish to pale yellow or greenish pea flowers hanging down slightly in dense racemes atop often clustered, leafy stems.
Low moisture
High moisture
Baptisia alba/lactea - White Wild Indigo
Height: 2-4' Width: 2-2.5'
Sparse foliage, looks great massed with other plants. Resembles asparagus when emerging in spring. Creamy white flowers give way to persistent charcoal-black seed pods.
Baptisia australis 'minor' - Dwarf Blue Indigo
Height: 3' Width: 2-3'
Attractive dense, blue-green foliage. Vibrant blue spikes of flowers in early summer. Very long-lived. Resents being transplanted when large, so plant a small one in its final location. The perfect prairie plant takes several years to make a presence so be patient.
Yellow Wild Indigo - Baptisia sphaerocarpa
Height: 3-4' Width: 3'
Grows to 4 feet tall with many branches, rounded into a compact clump. It has large yellow flower spikes in spring along the upper part of the stems, well above the foliage. Slow to establish, but very long lived
Boltonia asteroides var. latisquama 'Snowbank' - Snowbank Aster
Height: 3-4' Width: 3-4'
Tiny, daisy like flowers inspired common names like aster and chamomile. Native to wet prairies and the edges of waterways in Central North America.
High Moisture
Calamintha nepeta 'Montrose White' - Montrose White Calamint
Height: 1-1.5' Width: 1-1.5'
A perennial herb in the mint family. Native to Europe and the Mediterranean. Forms a dense foliage mat with upright flowering stems. Foliage is very fragrant when crushed. This easy to grow, dependable perennial is getting rave reviews from garden designers!! It's a real performer in the landscape!
Callirhoe involucrata - Purple Poppy-Mallow
Height: 1' Width: 3'
Stems sprawl along the ground forming a thick mat. Rounded, hairy leaves are deeply lobed and cleft. Wide flowers have a white spot at the base. Flowers open and close with the sun. One of the easiest wildflowers to grow, great for tough, hot areas, spilling over retaining wall or weaving between tall, leggy wildflowers
Centranthus ruber 'Pretty Betsy' - Pretty Betsy Red Valerian
Height: 2' Width: 1.5'
Clusters of fragrant rose-red, star shaped flowers on strong branching stems. Low, rich green foliage. Flowers in June until frost. Best planted in groups. Great as a cut flower! This easy to grow perennial attracts a lot of pollinating insects!!
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides - Plumbago/Leadwort
Height: 12" Width: 12"-4'
Great groundcover between big plants!! Blooms with beautiful gentian blue flowers in late summer until frost. Bronze-red foliage in fall.
Shade
Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips' - Hot Lips Turtlehead
Height: 2-4' Width: 2'
Deep green, glossy, toothed foliage. Vibrant pink flowers resemble a turtle's head. Prefers consistently moist soils in full sun, but also tolerates up to 2/3 shade. This is a favorite of bumble bees and should be in every garden!
Coreopsis lanceolata - Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Height: 1-2' Width: 2-3'
Large yellow flowers bloom throughout the summer. Lance-leaf tickseed grows in small clumps but forms extensive colonies. Branching stems at the base. Great as a cut flower! After blooming shear back to basal foliage to encourage new flowers. Allow seed heads to form later for song birds and to allow some reseeding in the garden.
Dalea purpurea 'Stephanie' - Stephanie Purple Prairie Clover
Height: 15-18" Width: 15-24"
Bright lavender-purple cylindrical blooms make a nice contrast with the fine textured dark green foliage. Fuller and more compact type. Must have dry, well-drained sunny site to grow to it's full potential! Plant it high and dry and you will be rewarded!
Echinacea pallida- Pale Purple Coneflower
Echinacea paradoxa - Ozark coneflower
Height: 2-3' Width: 1-1.5'
The only Echinacea species to have yellow flowers. Typically found in glades and prairies in the Ozark region. Flowers occur on rigid stems that can remain erect into winter and are visited by goldfinches for seed. Plant this one in dry, well-drained soils or raised beds.
Echinacea tennesseensis-Tennessee coneflower
Height: 1.5-2' Width:1-1.5'
Less vigorous and smaller than other Echinacea. The daisy-like cornflower is slightly upturned and rose-purple in color. Great cut flower!
Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake-Master
Height: 4' Width: 2-3'
Yucca-like foliage. Interesting, spiky, cream-colored seedheads. Adaptable to varying soil moisture conditions and very long lived in the garden. Pollinating insects can't resist the nectar from this great plant!
Eupatorium dubium 'Little Joe' - Little Joe Joe-Pye Weed
Height: 3-4' Width: 2'
A choice perennial with attractive foliage and purple-spotted stems. This compact Eupatorium is topped with muave pink blooms in late summer that are irresistible to pollinators.
Eutrochium maculatum 'Gateway' - Gateway Joe-Pye Weed
Height: 4-5' Width: 3'
Large 1' wide clusters of lavender-pink flowers in late summer top this bold, impressive plant. This is one of the best native plants for attracting pollinators. Easy to grow and very long-lived. Ideal for the back of the border or as a specimen plant!
Geranium cantabrigiense 'Karmina' - Karmina Cranesbill
Intense pink flowers appear in spring. Very dense and compact habit. Tolerant of almost anything you can throw at it! Makes a good groundcover as it spreads. Striking red fall foliage.
Geranium cinereum 'Ballerina' - Ballerina Cranesbill
Height: 4-8" Width: 12-18"
Selected for its short stature. Spreading habit. Gray-green foliage. Soft pink flower with dark purple interior that blooms in summer. Great for rock gardens!
Geum triflorum - Prairie Smoke
Early spring flowers are a harbinger of the season, with 1-inch nodding, bud-like pink to purplish flowers. The real show is the feathery seed head plumes that look like the hair of a troll doll. Green, fern-like foliage remains attractive all season.
Helenium autumnale - Helen's Flower
Height: 4-6' Width: 2-3'
Easily grown and long-lived native. Bright yellow, daisy like blooms top plants in early fall. Prefers moist soil, works well in rain gardens, but also tolerates drought. This impressive plant can be sheared back in mid summer to reduce the height and increase flowers. An impressive array of pollinators are attracted to this overlooked native beauty.
Heliopsis helianthoides 'Summer Sun' - Summer Sun Oxeye
Height: 3-4' Width: 1-2'
Forms a taller bush clump than other Heliopsis. Dark green foliage. Golden yellow, daisy-like flowers from early summer to fall. Great as a cut flower!
Iris virginica var. shrevei - Southern Blue Flag iris
In the wild, the roots of this rare native iris are often under water for protracted periods of time. Great for bioretention swales or rain gardens as it spreads by rhizomes. It grows well in average garden conditions as well, just not as robust. It is a top notch pollinator plant and a real pleasure watching bumble bees pry open the flowers to get the nectar. Our seed source is from a plant rescue in Fremont CO, Iowa.
Liatris ligulistylis - Meadow Gayfeather
Height: 3-4' Width: .5-2'
Upright, clump forming native perennial. Rose-purple colored blooms that emerge in late summer. Flowers form as an inflorecence atop of the leafy flower stems. Highly attractive for butterflies.
Liatris pycnostachya 'Eureka' - Eureka Thickspike Gayfeather
Height: 3-4' Width: 2-3'
A clump forming perennial that feature talk stalks of brilliant purple flowers in late summer. Flowers open from top to bottom of the stalks. This granddaddy of the gayfeathers is a butterfly magnet as are all gayfeathers, but this one tolerates either wet or dry soils. The seeds of gayfeathers are enjoyed by American goldfinches in winter. The name comes from the original seed source near Eureka, KS
Liatris spicata - Spiked Gayfeather
Spikes of purple flowers are very attractive to butterflies. Songbirds often eat the seed. Great as a cut flower! This gayfeather is also called marsh gayfeather, in reference to it's ability to grow in wet, poorly drained soils. Perfect for rain gardens....and pollinators!!
Liatris squarrosa-scaly blazing star
Height: 1-2' Width: 1'
One of the earliest Liatris to bloom. Very drought-tolerant once established. Very drought-tolerant once established. Songbirds often eat Liatris seeds!
Linum perenne 'Lewisii' - Lewis Blue Flax
Dark green small leaves on narrow stems. Very tough! Masses of bright blue flowers in spring and summer. Competes will with grass. Very drought-tolerant once established.
Lobelia siphilitica 'Blue Select' - Great Blue Lobelia
Height: 2-3' Width: 12-18"
Bright blue flowers in early fall, this native is often seen along woodland paths. Thrive in full sun to part shade if given constant moisture. Beautiful along a stream or beside a pond. Great as a cut flower!
Monarda didyma 'Raspberry Wine' - Raspberry Wine Beebalm
A large perennial with erect stems and raspberry red blooms. Flower from mid-summer to fall, very attractive to pollinators. This is one of the most highly rated beebalm selections available. Easty to grow and long-lived!!
Monarda fistulosa - Wild Beebalm
Distinctly aromatic foliage with historic medicinal uses. Nectar attracts bees, butterflies, skippers, and hummingbird moths.
Mead's Beebalm - Monarda meadia
Height: 3-4' Width: 1.5-2'
This vibrantly colored Monarda blooms earlier than Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). The long bloom times of the two species overlap and look attractive when planted together.
Regional native
Oenothera macrocarpa 'Comanche Campfire' - Comanche Campfire Evening Primrose
Height: 6-12" Width: 1-2'
Prairie native that blooms bright butter yellow. Can bloom from June all the way to October. Foliage is a shiny, silvery-green color. Stems are an attractive ruby red. Originated from a population in western Oklahoma, rescued from an abandoned oil field.
Oenothera macrocarpa ssp. fremontii - Fremont's Evening Primrose
Height: 12" Width: 9-14"
Silvery narrow foliage. Covered with yellow flowers in late spring and then blooms sporadic throughout the summer months.. Flowers fade to reddish gold color. Well-suited for hot, dry, windy areas.
Parthenium integrifolium - Wild Quinine
Height: 3' Width: 1.5 - 2'
Long-stalked, rough perennial with large toothed basal leaves. The leaves grow smaller as the stem elongates. Clumps of white, button-like flowers appear at the top of the plant.
Penstemon digitalis - foxglove penstemon
A clump forming, easy to grow penstemon found in prairies, fields and wood margins. Two-lipped tubular white flowers bloom on tall, rigid stems. The seed source for this gem originated from Waubonsie State Park in Iowa.
Penstemon hirsutus - hairy penstemon
Height: 18" Width: 10-12"
A woolly-stemmed penstemon with long, slender, two toned, pale-violet flowers. A compact, long-lived penstemon that has become a favorite perennial for those that have discovered it and grow it!!
Penstemon strictus - Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Height: 2-3' Width: 1'
Multiple spires of large, royal-blue to purple flowers rising above low mats of shiny, handscome foliage. It can be short lived in clay soils, but long-lived in sandy, dry soils. It should be allowed to reseed itself.
Phlox divaricata 'Louisiana Blue' - Louisiana Blue Woodland Phlox
Starry, fragrant, lavender flowers. Prefers part shade to fully shaded areas. Goes dormant in the summer. Self-seeds for a naturalized appearance, combining and happily sharing space with other spring bloomers.
Phlox pilosa 'Eco Happy Traveler' - Eco Happy Traveler Prairie Phlox
Height: 12-15" Width: 12-15"
Early blooming phlox with bright pink flowers. Prefers a drier site and can go dormant in middle of summer. Perfect for meadow gardens and natural areas.
Physostegia virginiana 'Vivid' - Obedient Plant
Showy, bright pink spikes of flowers in late summer. Flowers can be swiveled on the stem and will stay put… giving rise to the name “Obedient Plant”. Can be aggressive, but well worth planting! Ideal when planted as a groundcover between taller, leggy perennials
Prairie Cinquefoil - Potentilla arguta
This lovely prairie native features upright stems topped with crowded rosettes of attractive cream to light yellow flowers.
Pulsatilla patens - Pasque Flower
Height: 12-18" Width: 12"
One of the earliest-blooming flowers. Covered with fine, white hairs that help protect it from frost. Striking, deep purple flowers with bright yellow anthers are followed by silky seed heads that highlight the fine, fern-like foliage. One of the best....period!!
Pycnanthemum muticum - Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Height: 2-3' Width: 1.5'
Summer flowers with underlying silver bracts are ornamentally attractive, particularly when grouped or massed. ONE of the most most highly rated pollinator plants known!!
Part Shade
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium - narrowleaf mountain mint
Height: 2' Width: 3'
An erect, branching perennial native to dry, open prairies and rocky woods. Very narrow, needle like leaves have a strong mint aroma. Irresistible to pollinators!
Pycnanthemum verticiliatum var. pilosum - Hairy Mountain Mint
Easy to grow and easy to care for once established. It is clump-forming and can spread by rhizomes, but roots can be easily cut back once a year to prevent spreading. Outstanding pollinator plant!!
Pycnanthemum virginianum - Virginia Mountain Mint
Height: 2' Width: 2'
Mint-scented foliage makes a great tea, and adds good mint flavor to other beverages. Great nectar source for insects. Forms a small clump. Drought-tolerant once established.
Ratibida pinnata - gray-headed coneflower
Height: 3' Width: 18"
Large, drooping yellow petals. Cones sometimes appear gray. Best used in masses due to somewhat sparse foliage. Long blooming period. Great as a cut flower!
Rudbeckia fulgida var. speciosa - showy black-eyed susan
Height: 18-24" Width: 18-24"
One of the most popular wildflowers in North America. Dependable and hardy. Heavy flowering plant.
Rudbeckia subtomentosa - sweet coneflower
Height: 5' Width: 2-4'
A sweet, fragrant coneflower native to moist prairies and streambanks. Daisy like flowers with yellow rays and purplish-brown centers. Plantsman Rod Ackerman from Bluebird Nursery states that this has been the most dependable of all the Rudbeckias and should not be overlooked. Very easy to grow and long-lived in the garden!
Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' - Caradonna meadow sage
Height: 12-24" Width: 12-18"
Glowing purple backed stems with rich, deep purple flowers. Long, showy bloom time from Early to Late summer. Adored by butterflies!
Saponaria ocymoides - rock soapwort
Height: 12" Width:
Covered with masses of bright pink flowers in early spring. Forms a dense, low-growing groundcover. Shear back after bloom for a new flush of growth. Prefers good drainage.
Scutellaria resinosa 'Smoky Hills'- Smoky Hills Prairie Skullcap
Height: 15", Width: 15"
Smoky Hills is an improved selection of Prairie Skullcap originally collected in the Smoky Hills of Kansas. It is a low care, long blooming plant that loves sun and heat. Drought resistant/drought tolerant plant. Encourage the plants to reseed themselves by mulching with crushed gravel so they can form colonies of colorful plants. Low fertility, well-drained soil. Deep blue or purplish flowers tipped with 2 small white patches from May-July. Growing in a rounded form, the plants have leaves with grayish pubescence. This handsome Great Plains native is an essential.
Senna hebecarpa - wild senna
Height: 4-6' Width: 2'
Fine-textured foliage similar to honey locust. Clusters of yellow flowers throughout summer. Forms jet-black seed pods that persist through winter. Heat- and drought-tolerant once established
Silphium integrifolium - rosinweed
Height: 4-5' Width: 12-18"
Cousin of the compass plant but better for the garden due to short stature and tough stem. Extremely tolerant of dry, infertile conditions.
Silphium laciniatum-compass plant
Height: 5-9' Width: 1.5-3'
Tall, sturdy, rough, bristly plant that grows stiff hairs on flowering stocks. Flowers bloom in loose spikes on the upper parts of the platn. Yellow, daisy like blooms.
Solidago graminifolia - Grass-leaf Goldenrod
Fine-textured linear foliage and golden flat-topped inflorescences in late summer. May spread somewhat aggressively in ideal moist, sunny conditions. Drought tolerant once established.
Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' - fireworks goldenrod
A compact, cascading, clump-forming native cultivar with a radiating flower form that really looks like fireworks.
Solidago speciosa - showy goldenrod
Height: 2-3' Width: 1-2'
Tends to bloom later than most goldenrods. One of the showiest goldenrod flower with large, feathery plumes of golden flowers.
Solidago speciosa 'Wichita Mountains' - Wichita mountains goldenrod
An upright growing selection with bottle brush shaped flower spikes. Extremely drought tolerant.
Solidago sphacelata 'Golden Fleece' - golden fleece goldenrod
Height: 1-2' Width: 1-2'
A show of golden yellow flowers from mid-August through September. Semi-evergreen heart-shaped leaves. Excellent groundcover.
Symphyotrichum laevis 'Bluebird' - bluebird smooth aster
Height: 2-3' Width: 2-3'
Violet blue, daisy like blooms. Upright plant with arching stems. Attractive green-blue foliage. Great as a cut flower!
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum 'Lady in Black'-lady in black calico aster
Height: 1-3' Width:1-3'
Selected for its dusky-purple leaves. Foliage makes good accent in planting beds even when not in bloom. Pink-lavender blooms emerge in late summer/early fall. Great as a cut flower!
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies' - October skies aromatic aster
Height: 2-3' Width: 2'
Dark sky blue flowers. Late blooming, late October, but worth the wait! Works as a groundcover and reduces erosion. Great as a cut flower!
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite' - raydon's favorite aromatic aster
Reliable, aromatic aster. Strikingly beautiful mounded habit. Masses of violet-blue flowers mid to late autumn. Great as a cut flower!
Symphyotrichum oolentangiense - sky blue aster
Height: 3' Width: 1-2'
Blue-violet flowers late summer to fall. Found in dry or moist prairies, drought tolerant. Very tough plant but prefers good drainage. Great as a cut flower!
Symphyotrichum turbinellum - prairie aster
Height: 3-4' Width: 2-2.5'
Very late-blooming, one of the last asters to flower in the autumn. Large purple-blue flowers.
Thalictrum dasycarpum - purple meadow-rue
Height: 3-5' Width: 3-4'
Fine-textured, medium green, compound foliage with sprays of tiny, purplish-white flowers. Purple stems.
Thermopsis caroliniana - Carolina Lupine
Features erect, dense, terminal, spike-like racemes of yellow, lupine-like flowers which bloom in early summer. Plants thrive in sunny gardens with average well drained soils and are durable and long lived after establishment.
Thermopsis montana - Moutain Goldenbanner
Height: 1.5-2' Width: 1.5-2'
A beautiful, rarely offered upright, clump forming perennial. It emerges early with attractive pea-like foliage and soon forms dense terminal spikes that blooms yellow in early spring. Attractive seed heads in summer.
Tradescantia tharpii - dwarf spiderwort
Height: 6-12" Width: 6-12"
A compact, clump forming spiderwort found in rocky prairies and woodland glades. Three petaled flowers with bright yellow stamens sit atop short stems.
Valeriana officinalis - common valerian
Height: 3-5' Width: 2-4'
Clumping perennial with scented leaves, stems, flowers and roots. Valerian known for its sedative qualities and its ability to relax the central nervous system and the smooth muscle groups.
Vernonia gigantea - giant ironweed
Height: 5-8' Width: 3-6'
The common name refers to the toughness of the stem. Dense, fluffy, rose-purple flowers appear in late summer into fall. Flowers give way to rusty seed clusters.
Veronicastrum virginicum 'Albo-Rosea' - albo-rosea culver’s root
Strong, upright and slender in form. Leaves are long, narrow and whorled in groups. Small flowers appear in clusters up to 9" long and very fragrant.
