genus species common names height comments forb/grass soil
Anemone patens pasque flower 0.5 ft spring ephemeral, dry soil forb oooXX
Aster ptarmicoides upland white aster 1-2 ft dry soils forb oooXX
Aster sericeus silky aster 1-2 ft loved by rabbits forb oooXX
Aster  oblongifolius oblong leaved aster 1-2.5 ft alternative to NE aster forb oooXX
Astragalus crassicarpus ground plum 1 ft neato seed pods forb oooXX
Bouteola gracilis blue grama grass 1-2 ft tuft w/toothbrush-topped flower stalk, dry soils tuft grass oooXX
Callirhoe involucrata purple poppy mallow 6 in  dry soils, magenta flowers, spreading habit forb oooXX
Campanula rotundifolia harebells 0.5 -2 ft dry soils forb oooXX
Crotolaria sagittalis rattlebox 1 ft   forb oooXX
Delphinium  virescens prairie larkspur 2-4 f   forb oooXX
Koeleria cristata June grass 2 ft dry sandy soils tuft grass oooXX
Liatris punctata dotted blazing star 1-2 ft dry soils forb oooXX
Liatris squarrosa scaly blazing star 1-2 ft dry soils forb oooXX
Lupinus perennis wild lupine 2 ft sandy soil forb oooXX
Monarda punctata spotted bee balm 2 ft   forb oooXX
Oenothera macrocarpa Missouri evening primrose 1 ft very dry soil forb oooXX
Penstemon grandiflorus large flowered beardtongue 2 ft tolerates extremely dry soils forb oooXX
Penstemon cobaea showy beardtongue 2 ft   forb oooXX
Sisyrinchium campestre blue-eyed grass, prairie bl. e. gr 0.5-1 ft very similar to S. angustifolium (oXXXo) grass-like leaves oooXX
Tradescantia bracteata prairie spiderwort 1 ft dry soils grass-like leaves oooXX
             
Agastache foeniculum anise hyssop 3 ft may self seed more than desired forb ooXXo
Bouteloua gracilis blue grama 1.5 ft bunch grass grass ooXXo
Geranium  maculatum wild geranium 1 ft flowers add another ft, mod dry soil forb ooXXo
Helianthus mollis ashy sunflower, downy sunflower 4-5 ft dry soil, spreads by roots forb ooXXo
Hystrix patula bottlebrush grass  3 ft savanna species grass ooXXo
Penstemon digitalis foxglove penstemon 2-3 ft flower stalk adds another ft forb ooXXo
Pycnanthemum pilosum hairy mountain mint 2-3 ft mod dry soil forb ooXXo
Silene regia royal catch fly 2-4 ft brilliant red flowers  forb ooXXo
Tridens flavus purple top, grease grass 4 ft reddish seed heads grass ooXXo
Zizia aptera heart leaved alexanders 1-3 ft mod moist soil forb ooXXo
             
Allium  stellatum prairie onion 1-2 ft mod dry soil grass-like leaves ooXXX
Amorpha canescens lead plant 2-4 ft mod dry soil, shrubby:do not prune for winter forb ooXXX
Andropogon scoparius little blue stem 2 ft  dry soils tuft grass ooXXX
Anemone cylindrica thimbleweed 2 ft    forb ooXXX
Aquilegia canadensis columbine 1-2 ft flower stalk may add 1 ft, mod dry soil forb ooXXX
Artemesia ludoviciana prairie sage 2-3 ft will runner on moist sites - keep dry forb ooXXX
Asclepias tuberosa butterfly milkweed 1-4 ft emerges late spring, no milky sap, dry soil forb ooXXX
Asclepias verticillata whorled milkweed 1-2 ft dry soils forb ooXXX
Baptisia leucophaea cream wild indigo 18-30 in dry soils forb ooXXX
Bouteola curtipendula side oats grama 2-3 ft red anthers grass ooXXX
Camassia scilloides wild hyacinth 2 ft      ooXXX
Cassia fasiculata partridge pea 1-3 ft legume, annual, flings seeds far forb ooXXX
Ceanothus americanus new jersey tea 2-3 ft shrubby forb ooXXX
Coreopsis palmata prairie coreopsis 1-2 ft mod dry soil forb ooXXX
Desmanthus illinoensis IL bundle flower 5 ft too tall for small sites forb ooXXX
Echinacea pallida pale purple coneflower 3 ft     ooXXX
Lespedeza capitata round headed bush clover 4 ft     ooXXX
Liatris  aspera rough blazing star, button blzg str 2-3 ft mod dry soil forb ooXXX
Liatris  scariosa northern blazing star 2 ft      ooXXX
Onosmodium molle false gromwell 3 ft   forb ooXXX
Petalostemum purpureum purple prairie clover 1-2+ ft dry soils forb ooXXX
Ruellia humilis wild petunia 1 ft dry soils, late spring emergence forb ooXXX
Solidago speciosa showy goldenrod 2-5 ft self seeds like dandelion forb ooXXX
             
Anemone canadensis Canada anemone 1-2 ft mod moist soil forb oXXoo
Elymus riparus riverbank rye 4 ft savanna species grass oXXoo
Gentiana andrewsii bottle gentian       oXXoo
Liatris  ligulistylis meadow blazing star 3-5 ft moderately moist soils forb oXXoo
Phlox glaberrima marsh phlox/smooth phlox 1-3 ft full sun forb oXXoo
Phlox maculata wild sweet William/meadow ph. 1- 3 ft mod moist forb oXXoo
             
Allium  cernuum nodding onion 1-2 ft mod moist soil grass-like leaves oXXXo
Bromus kalmii prairie brome 3 ft   grass  oXXXo
Dodecatheon amethystinum amethyst shooting star 1 ft some shade forb oXXXo
Dodecatheon meadia shooting star 1 ft   forb oXXXo
Echinicea purpurea purple coneflower 4 ft most overused native, only in S IA forb oXXXo
Elymus villosus silky wild rye 3 ft   grass oXXXo
Eryngium  yuccifolium rattlesnake master 2-3 ft flower stalk adds another ft, mod dry soil forb oXXXo
Gentiana flavida cream gentian 1-2 ft mod moist soil forb oXXXo
Lilium philadelphicum prairie lily 1 ft   forb oXXXo
Phlox divaricata wild blue phlox 1-2 ft woodland/savanna spp. forb oXXXo
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium slender mountain mint 1-3 ft  not so agg as other pyc. forb oXXXo
Rudbeckia fulgida orange coneflower 2-4 ft mod dry soil forb oXXXo
Silene  stellata starry campion 3 ft white flowers forb oXXXo
Stylophorum diphyllum celandine poppy 1 -2 ft savanna  forb oXXXo
Veronicastrum virginicum Culver's root 3-6 ft mod moist soils forb oXXXo
Zizia aurea golden alexanders 1-3 ft yellow dill-like flower, mod moist soil forb oXXXo
             
Baptisia leucantha white wild indigo 3-4 ft med-dry, emerges very late spring  forb oXXXX
Elymus canadensis Canada wild rye 3-6 ft can re-seed a lot in rich soil grass oXXXX
Geum triflorum prairie smoke 1 ft flowers add another ft, mod moist-dry soil forb oXXXX
Oenothera biennis common evening primrose 3-6 ft biennial   oXXXX
Phlox pilosa prairie phlox 1-2 ft dry soils forb oXXXX
Rudbeckia hirta black eyed susan 2-3 ft wide range of soils forb oXXXX
Silphium integrifolium rosin weed 4-5 ft can be rank forb oXXXX
Solidago rigida stiff goldenrod 2-5 ft self sows like dandelions forb oXXXX
Sporobolus heterolepis prairie dropseed 2-4 ft tuft of grass leaves, dry soils tuft grass oXXXX
Tradescantia ohioensis ohio spiderwort 2-3 ft mod moist soils grass-like leaves oXXXX
             
Aster novae-angliae New England aster 4 ft stems dry up during drought forb XXooo
Chelone glabra turtlehead 3-4 ft wetter sites forb XXooo
Filipendula rubra queen of the prairie 3-5 ft moist soils forb XXooo
Gentiana crinita fringed gentian 1 ft difficult forb XXooo
Helenium autumnale sneezeweed 2-5 ft. moderately moist soils forb XXooo
Hibiscus militaris rose mallow 5 ft   forb XXooo
Hypericum virginicum marsh St. John's wort 1-2 ft moist soils forb XXooo
Lobelia cardinalis cardinal flower 2 -4 ft brillian red flowers forb XXooo
Mimulus ringens monkey flower 2 ft   forb XXooo
             
Asclepias incarnata swamp milkweed 3-5 ft moist to mod dry soil forb XXXoo
Elymus virginicus Virginia wild rye 2-4 ft mod moist soil grass XXXoo
Helenium flexuosum purple sneezeweed 2-3 ft smaller than H. autmnale forb XXXoo
Iris virginica blue flag iris 2-3 ft moist soil grass-like leaves XXXoo
Liatris pycnostachya prairie blazing star 4 ft may flop when flowering forb XXXoo
Liatris  spicata marsh blazing star 3-5 ft moist soils, may flop when flowering forb XXXoo
Lobelia siphilitica great blue lobelia 2-4 ft moist to moderately dry soils forb XXXoo
             
Carex vulpinoidea brown fox sedge 1-3 ft moderately moist soils grass-like leaves XXXXo
           
           
 

* five-step moisture scale: Xoooo = very wet, ooXoo = typical garden soil, ooooX = very dry

Plant moisture requirements are taken from the Prairie Moon catalog, www.prairiemoonnursery.com, 866.417.8156

questions, suggestions? Contact Inger Lamb, 515.250.1693, ingerlamb@mchsi.com