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Featured Plant Species

Acorus calamus - Sweet Flag

Emergent Shallow
Emergent Marsh Forb
A plant whose leaves can be mistaken for those of Iris, this interesting wetland wildflower takes its common name from the sweet aroma released when its leaves are crushed. Found along stream banks and in a variety of wetlands, this 2’-4’ tall plant produces a spadix of tiny, greenish-yellow flowers in spring to early summer.

Allium cernuum - Nodding Onion

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Forb
White-to-pink flowers highlight this short member of the onion family. Growing to 2’ tall, this is a good choice for low-profile areas. A bulb-forming plant that grows in moist, rich soils and full sun, it looks best planted in mass.

Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed

Upland Dry
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
Butterflies and scores of insects rely on this plant for food. The huge pink blossoms are gorgeous, and the seed pods make for winter interest. This plant grows 2’-4’ tall in full sun and well-drained soils.

Aster laevis - Smooth Blue Aster

Upland Moist
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie / Savanna Forb
A beautiful late summer to mid-fall bloomer, this smooth-stemmed aster species produces blue-to-violet flower heads that can be up to 1” in diameter. A perfect plant for dry fields and open woods, it can grow up to 4’ tall.

Baptisia australis - Blue Wild Indigo

Upland Moist
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
A member of the pea family, this deep-rooted legume with bushy habit and large showy spikes of deep indigo blue flowers makes its blooming debut during late spring. Smooth, rounded, blue-green leaflets and black seed pods make ideal dried flower arrangements. This plant prefers average soil, is flood and drought tolerant, and grows 3’-5’ tall.

Baptisia bracteata - Cream Wild Indigo

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie / Savanna ForbThis member of the pea family grows up to 3’ tall. Compact in shape with beautiful groups of cream blossoms, this plant grows well in most well-drained soils. Install plugs or potted plants, because it can take many years to develop from seed.

Baptisia lactea - White Wild Indigo

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Forb
A member of the pea family, this species can tolerate medium soil moisture and produces bright white 1” long flowers on a loose stalk. Its 3-leaflet leaves provide an attractive bluish-green foliage. It grows from 2’-4’ in height and flowers during early summer.

Bouteloua curtipendula - Side-Oats Grama

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie Grass
A delicate-looking grass of dry prairies, this 2’-4’ tall species prefers full sun and blooms from mid-summer to mid-fall. It produces small green flowers with red stamens, and the flowers mature to a purplish color. Its oat-like seeds attract birds.

Chelone glabra - Turtlehead

Saturated
Wet Prairie / Marsh / Swamp Forb
This plant receives its common name from the terminal clusters of creamy-white flowers shaped like turtles’ heads. It often blooms in its first year from late summer to mid- autumn, growing 3’-4’ in height. It tolerates moist-to-wet soil but does well in average garden soil.

Coreopsis lanceolata - Sand Coreopsis

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie / Savanna Ford
Growing up to 2’ in height, this attractive plant with its 4”-6” long, lance-shaped leaves is a bright addition to the prairie landscape. Preferring full sun and dry soils, this species produces 1”-2.5” diameter yellow flower heads from late spring to late summer.

Coreopsis palmata - Prairie Coreopsis

Upland Dry

This plant has interesting and attractive foliage. It prefers dry soils and sunny to partially sunny conditions. Its bright yellow flower heads are 1”-1.5” in diameter and appear from early to late summer. It grows up to 2’ in height.

Coreopsis tripteris - Tall Coreopsis

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Forb
Large 2” flower heads appear on tall, branching stems in late summer. This excellent border plant has leaves with three elongate leaflets and prefers moist soil. The giant of the genus Coreopsis, it grows 6’-8’ tall and flowers from July to August. It is extremely drought tolerant and deeply rooted.

Dalea purpurea - Purple Prairie Clover

Upland Dry
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
This member of the pea family enriches the soil by pulling nitrogen from the air. The 2” rosy purple spike sits atop its 12”-24” tall stem and the leaves provide a food source for sulfur butterfly offspring. It grows best in full sun and prefers average to dry soil conditions. Its taproot can reach 5’ in depth.

Dodecatheon meadia - Shooting Star

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Forb
The white-to-pink flowers with petals swept backward like the tail of a comet, with light green oval leaves at the base, make for an elegant spring wildflower. Blooming briefly from April to May, this 12”-18” tall plant goes dormant after setting seed and performs best in well-drained soil.

Echinacea pallida - Purple Coneflower

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie Forb
A wonderful cousin of the well-known Echinacea purpurea, this species has beautiful pale purple ray flowers whose heads range from 2”-3.5” in diameter. The flowers tend to droop, creating a visually stunning look. This species blooms late spring to late summer. It is a favorite nectar source for butterflies and provides seeds for birds.

Elymus canadensis - Canada Wild Rye

Upland Moist
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Grass
Elymus hystrix Bottlebrush Grass Mesic Woodland / Forest Grass This medium-to-full shade grass has a seed head that resembles a bottlebrush. In natural conditions you can find this growing in dry, well-drained areas. The 3’-5’ tall grass works well under large trees, where some light can reach the understory. Also called “nodding wild rye” because the seed heads droop downward, this 2’-5’ tall July-to-August blooming perennial adapts to a wide range of soils. Its leaf blades are flat or folded, 4”-12” long. Preferring average, well-drained soils in full sun, it can be easily grown from seed.

Elymus hystrix - Bottlebrush Grass

Upland Moist
Mesic Woodland / Forest Grass
This medium-to-full shade grass has a seed head that resembles a bottlebrush. In natural conditions you can find this growing in dry, well-drained areas. The 3’-5’ tall grass works well under large trees, where some light can reach the understory.

Eupatorium maculatum - Spotted Joe-Pye Weed

Saturated
Wet Prairie Forb
A superb butterfly-attracting species, this 4’-7’ tall plant produces large, branching clusters of purplish-pink flower heads in mid-summer to mid-fall. Named for its purple-spotted stem, this species prefers wet soils and full sun. It is found in wet meadows and on the edges of ponds, lakes, and streams.

Eupatorium perfoliatum - Common Boneset

Saturated
Wet Prairie Forb
This mid-summer to early autumn blooming plant produces loose, flat-topped heads of white disk flowers. Mostly found in moist meadows, this forb will also perform well in drier situations. Reaching heights of 2’-4’, this late emerger makes up for its slow start with a rapid burst of growth.

Filipendula rubra - Queen of the Prairie

Saturated
Wet Prairie Forb
Its common name says it all! A member of the rose family, this remarkable plant, with its delicate foliage, produces clusters of pink flowers that have a wonderful fragrance. Blooming in mid-summer, this wildflower prefers wet soils and full sun, and grows 3’-6’ tall.

Geum triflorum - Prairie Smoke

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie Forb
From May to June, the massed flowers of this plant turn fields pink. Seed heads are showy, pink 2” plumes that gradually turn gray. Usually less than a foot tall, with numerous basal leaves and hairy stems, it will flower after its second year if grown from seed; if grown from division it will flower its first year.

Glyceria striata - Fowl Manna Grass

Saturated
Wet Prairie / Mesic-to-Wet Forest Grass
A native perennial with short rootstocks, this grass produces erect leafy shoots in loose tufts. It is found in moist meadows, pastures, ditches, and wet-to-mesic forests. The two-ranked, blue-green leaves of this species are easily recognizable.

Helenium autumnale - Sneezeweed

Saturated
Wet Prairie Forb
This plant prefers full-to-partial sun and blooms mid-summer to mid-fall. It has reflexed, yellow, wedge-shaped ray flowers that are three-lobed. The base of each lance-shaped leaf extends down the stem, making the plant’s stem appear to be winged like the shaft of an arrow. Growing 3’-5’ tall, the plant gets its name from the fact that the dried flower heads and seeds induce sneezing.

Helianthus mollis - Downy Sunflower

Upland Dry
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
One of the many native sunflowers, this plant is a finch favorite. Growing up to 4’ tall, this species grows in a wide range of soils. From sand to well-drained loams, it puts on a great display of yellow blooms. Songbirds are attracted to the seed heads and use them as a food source.

Heliopsis helianthoides - False Sunflower

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie / Woodland Edge Forb
A robust native species, this plant produces numerous, showy yellow flower heads 1.5”-2.5” in diameter. It has large, triangular-shaped, toothed leaves. Growing in full-to-partial sun, it prefers dry-to-moist soils. Blooming mid-summer to early fall, it grows up to 6’ tall.

Hibiscus laevis - Smooth Rose Mallow

Emergent Shallow
Emergent Marsh / Pond Edge Forb
A terrific, showy wetland forb, this species is characterized by its long, 3-lobed, spear-shaped lower leaves. Growing 3’-7’ tall, this plant prefers wet soils and full-to-partial sun. Its mostly white flowers are 4”-6” in diameter and have pink centers. It blooms from mid-summer to early fall.

Hibiscus moscheutos - Swamp Rose Mallow

Emergent Shallow
Emergent Marsh Forb
Another showy wetland forb, this species produces flowers that can be reddish in color. Its leaves are rounded and egg shaped, although some may appear marginally lobed. It prefers wet soils and full-to-partial sun.

Juncus torreyi - Torrey’s Rush

Saturated
Wet Prairie Rush
One of the most distinctive rushes, with dense bunches of round seed heads borne near the tips of erect stems, this plant performs best in damp soils and adds structure and interest in hard-to-landscape situations. Blooming from June to July, this dark green plant with brown seed heads grows 1’-3’ tall.

Koeleria pyramidata - June Grass

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie / Savanna Grass
This slender grass, with showy, whitish, spike-like panicles and ribbon-like leaves, is nice for landscaping in masses. Blooming from May to June, this plant prefers well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Growing to 2’ tall, its blooms make excellent dried flowers.

Leersia oryzoides - Rice Cut Grass

Saturated
Wet Prairie / Woodland Grass
This 3’-5’ tall plant is used for streambank stabilization and in vegetated swales. Mature plants tolerate seasonal to permanent flooding and prefer moist-to-saturated soils in full-to-partial sun. The seeds and roots are eaten by waterfowl and songbirds, and also provide cover for many reptiles, amphibians, insects, and fish.

Liatris aspera - Rough Blazing Star

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie / Savanna Forb
Found in dry prairies and sandy savannas, this attractive plant grows 2’-3’ tall when planted in a dry, sunny, well-drained soil. Individual tufts of small pink flowers form a 1’ long spike at the end of a 3’ stem. As its name indicates, this plant is a star among the late-season bloomers.

Liatris pycnostachya - Prairie Blazing Star

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Forb
Similar to its sister plant Liatris aspera (Rough Blazing Star), this species produces unbranched stems 5’ tall, forming narrow, spiked, pink clusters of flower heads. This late summer-blooming plant prefers full sun and dry-to-moist soil.

Lupinus perennis - Wild Lupine

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie / Savanna Forb
This plant produces an elongated cluster of bluish flowers with interesting silvery-green foliage. It can be found in full-sun prairies to partially shaded savannas. Blooming from mid-spring to early summer, this 1’-2’ tall plant offers bees an early nectar source.

Mimulus ringens - Monkey Flower

Emergent Shallow
Wet Prairie / Swamp / Floodplain Forb
This is an attractive wetland wildflower with 1” long, violet-purple flowers. This species grows in areas with damp soils and in water up to 3” deep. Blooming from mid-summer to early fall, this species prefers full sun but also grows well in shaded conditions.

Monarda punctata - Horse Mint

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie Forb
A member of the mint family, this sand-loving species grows 1’-2’ tall in full sun. The unique leaves, colorful bracts, and spotted flowers of this plant attract a multitude of butterflies and bees to its rich nectar. Deer resistant, this plant is great for sandy, dry areas.

Nuphar advena - Yellow Pond Lily

Aquatic
Emergent Marsh / Pond / Lake Forb
This floating-leaved, aquatic species can grow into water up to 7’ deep, sending its foliage to the surface. Most of its 4”-12” long leaves are held above the water, but some float on the surface. Blooming in late spring to late summer with yellow 1.5”-3” flowers, it prefers full-to-partial sun and can spread rapidly.

Nymphaea odorata - White Water Lily

Aquatic
Pond / Lake Forb
With its 4”-8” wide, bright-white blooms barely floating on the surface, this elegant aquatic plant grows in waters up to 6’ deep. All of its round, notched leaves float on the surface. It prefers full-to-partial sun and blooms from late spring to late summer.

Parthenium integrifolium - Wild Quinine

Upland Dry
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
With unusual flower heads crowded in domed clusters and attractive basal leaves, this plant provides ample garden enjoyment throughout the summer season. Preferring well-drained to moist soil, this plant grows to 3’ tall and provides excellent fragrant dried flowers.

Peltandra virginica - Arrow Arum

Emergent Deep
Arrow Arum Swamp Forb
This perennial plant with arrow-shaped leaves is found in wetlands and flowers in the summer. The seeds develop in a spike-shaped pod and are released early in the fall as the pod decays. The leaves can grow up to 3’ in length, and plants as tall as 7’ have been found.

Physostegia virginiana - Obedient Plant

Saturated
Wet Prairie ForbA beautiful plant with 1” long, pinkish-to-lavender, tubular flowers in a spike on top of the plant, it is called “obedient” because its flowers remain for a while in whatever position they are moved. Preferring moist-to-medium soils and full sun, this 2’-5’ tall plant blooms in late summer to early fall.

Pycnanthemum virginianum - Common Mountain Mint

Saturated
Mesic-to-Wet Prairie Forb
This member of the mint family prefers medium-to-wet soils and full-to-partial sun. It grows 1’-3’ high and blooms in early-to-late summer. It produces many round flower heads, each with numerous small, white flowers. It is a favorite among native bees and wasps.

Ratibida pinnata - Yellow Coneflower

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Forb
With its long, yellow, drooping ray flowers, this pretty plant creates an impressive display when in full bloom. The disk of each flower head is greenish-grey to brown and gives off an anise-like odor when crushed. Reaching heights of up to 6’, it prefers full sun and dry-to-moist soils.

Rosa palustris - Swamp Rose

Emergent Shallow
Emergent Marsh / Swamp Shrub
This fragrant wetland beauty is a many-branched shrub. In bloom from June to July, it grows to heights of up to 6’ and occurs in swamps, marshes, and along stream banks. It is a hardy rose and a favorite ornamental for low, moist, acidic habitats. It is insect pollinated, and the fleshy fruits enclose and protect the developing seeds. Birds eat the fruits and scatter the seed.

Rudbeckia hirta - Black-Eyed Susan

Upland Dry
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
A garden favorite, this plant produces yellow flower heads up to 3” wide with a dark purplish-brown disk in the center. Growing 1’-3’ high, each stem is covered with fine hairs. It prefers dry-to-moist soils and full-to-partial sun.

Rudbeckia triloba - Brown-Eyed Susan

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Forb
Similar to its cousins, this late summer to mid-autumn blooming beauty is ideal for attracting songbirds and butterflies. Its branching stems are covered with 1” yellow flower heads with dark disks and set off by deep-green foliage. It thrives in well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade, and grows to 4’-5’ tall.

Sagittaria latifolia - Common Arrowhead

Emergent Deep
Emergent Marsh / Swamp Forb
An emergent wetland plant with long, arrow-shaped leaves, this species produces small, eye-catching white flowers about 1” in diameter. The flowers grow in whorls of three, with multiple whorls on a single, stout stalk. Growing in water up to 1.5’ deep, this plant blooms from early to late summer. It prefers full to partial sun and grows to a height of 4’.

Scirpus acutus - Hard-Stemmed Bulrush

Emergent Deep
Emergent Marsh / Lake Sedge
A tall, sturdy plant, this species grows in waters up to 2’-3’ deep. Preferring full sun, it blooms between mid-spring and mid-summer. It can reach heights of 6’ and is an important food source for waterfowl and aquatic mammals.

Scirpus pungens - Chairmaker’s Rush

Saturated
Emergent Marsh / Lake Edge Sedge
This plant might first be encountered as a stand of dark-green triangular stems growing in the mud of a lake shore. Considered a bulrush, its stems are sharply triangular and 3’ tall with leaf blades growing up to 8” long. A cluster of one to five brown spikelets form near the tip of the stem.

Senna hebecarpa - Wild Senna

Saturated
Mesic-to-Wet Prairie / Floodplain Forb
This interesting member of the pea family has clusters of yellow flowers in July and August. Found in moist-to-wet conditions, Wild Senna can handle seasonal flooding. It will also do well in medium soils, growing up to 6’ tall. Seed pods make for winter interest and a food source for wildlife. Senna hebecarpa Wild Senna

Silene regia - Royal Catchfly

Upland Moist
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
This elegant prairie plant has showy, red, star-shaped flowers on tall branching stems with mostly basal leaves. This breathtaking beauty prefers well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade and grows to 3’-4’ tall. It is sure to attract hummingbirds to any garden between July and August.

Silphium laciniatum - Compass Plant

Upland Dry
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
One of the most characteristic and noticeable plants of the tallgrass prairie, this plant has large, yellow, sunflower-like flower heads and huge, deeply lobed leaves. Located mostly at the base of the plant, the leaves tend to orient north to south. This 7’-8’ tall June-to-September blooming plant prefers full sun, is deeply rooted, and very drought tolerant. It is an excellent food source for songbirds and butterflies.

Silphium perfoliatum - Cup Plant

Saturated
Mesic-to-Wet Prairie Forb
This plant’s huge perfoliate leaves actually form a “cup” (where the stem and opposite leaves meet) from which goldfinches and other songbirds drink. Several large, 4”-5” yellow, daisy-like flower heads bloom atop the stem, taking the plant to heights of up to 8’ in full-sun conditions. Cup Plant thrives in average soil.

Silphium terebinthinaceum - Prairie Dock

Upland Moist
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
The large leaves of this deep-rooted plant are cool to the touch. In August the stalks set clusters of yellow sunflower heads. Growing in moist-to-dry soils, it attracts butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. With leaves 2’ tall and stems that reach 8’ to 10’, this unique plant is a prairie favorite.

Solidago rigida - Stiff Goldenrod

Upland Moist
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie Forb
This goldenrod forms a rosette of gray-green leaves up to 1’ long and 3” wide. In late summer, its 4’ tall stalk is topped by a 4”-6”, flat-topped cluster of small, yellow flower heads. It provides aesthetically pleasing color in the garden and is well-received as a cut flower.

Solidago speciosa - Showy Goldenrod

Upland Dry
Dry Prairie / Savanna Forb
This species has a branching flower cluster with numerous, relatively large yellow flower heads. It blooms mid-summer to early fall, preferring full-to-partial sun and dry soils. Contrary to popular belief, goldenrod species do not induce seasonal allergies; it is the wind-borne pollen from ragweed that causes them.

Sparganium eurycarpum - Common Bur Reed

Emergent Shallow
Emergent Marsh Forb
An aquatic, emergent forb that grows in water up to 2’ deep, this species looks like cattail to the untrained eye before blooming. Once in bloom, however, the dazzling ball-shaped flower heads on a zig-zagging stalk make it clear that this plant is a wetland wildflower. It grows up to 6’ high and prefers full sun.

Spiraea alba - Meadowsweet

Saturated
Wet Prairie Shrub
Meadowsweet is a small shrub found in damp meadows, ditches and bogs, at the edges of ponds, on river banks, and in damp open woodlands. The creeping rootstock sends up a reddish, angular stem, up to 2’-6’ tall. The small, white, five-petaled flowers grow in clusters from June to August.

Sporobolus heterolepis - Prairie Dropseed

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Grass
A regal-looking grass of the prairie, this species grows 2’-4’ in height. It prefers dry-to-mesic soils in sunny areas. Blooming in late summer, this clump-forming plant turns various shades of gold, bronze, and red in the late fall.

Tradescantia ohiensis - Common Spiderwort

Upland Moist
Dry-to-Mesic Prairie / Savanna Forb
A spectacular plant of prairies and savannas, this 2’-4’ tall plant prefers medium-to-dry soil moisture and full-to-partial sun. Blooming in late spring to early fall, the delicate bluish-purple 1.5” wide flowers emerge in the early morning and often “melt” away in the hot afternoon sun.

Verbena hastata - Blue Vervain

Saturated
Wet Prairie Forb
Emergent Shallow Acorus calamus Sweet Flag Emergent Marsh Forb A plant whose leaves can be mistaken for those of Iris, this interesting wetland wildflower takes its common name from the sweet aroma released when its leaves are crushed. Found along stream banks and in a variety of wetlands, this 2’-4’ tall plant produces a spadix of tiny, greenish-yellow flowers in spring to early summer. A wetland wildflower with branching flower spikes, this 3’-6’ tall plant prefers moist-to-wet soils and full sun. With its tiny purple flowers, it blooms from early-to-late summer. It provides a nectar source for a variety of tiny native bee species.

Vernonia gigantea - Smooth Tall Ironweed

Saturated
Wet Prairie Forb
Reaching heights of 3’-7’, this wetland forb with deep purple heads of disk flowers is easy to recognize when it blooms from August to September. The rich color attracts butterflies and pollinators to its many blossoms.

Veronicastrum virginicum - Culver’s Root

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Forb
A gorgeous wildflower of medium moisture soils, this 3’-6’ tall plant can live in conditions from full sun to partial shade. Blooming from early-to-late summer, small, white, tubular flowers cover multiple floral spikes. Its leaves, in whorls of 3 to 7, add to this species’ charm. It is much sought after by native bees.

Zizia aurea - Golden Alexanders

Upland Moist
Mesic Prairie Forb
A wonderful early season bloomer, this member of the parsley family grows to 3’ tall. It prefers medium soil moisture and can be found in full sun-to-shade conditions. With its attractive foliage and yellow flower head in a flattish umbel, this plant blooms in mid-spring to early summer. It is a food source for several butterfly species.

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