This selection provides diversity for a prairie garden of approximately 100-125 square feet, with several of each species planted as a group. The garden should be in a location that receives at least six to eight hours of sun with average moisture.
These plants provide for a continuity of bloom, diverse heights, color, and form. There will be a variety of plant-insect interactions. The grasses selected are short grasses – a better choice for home gardens.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive. There are many other species that would be appropriate in a mesic prairie garden, but this selection constitutes a good starting place.
| Genus/Species (Latin name) |
Genus/Species (Common name) | Ht | Color | Bloom Time | Spacing |
| Forbs | |||||
| Agastache foeniculum | Anise Hyssop | 3′ | Purple | June – July – Aug – Sept | 18-24″ |
| Allium cernuum | Nodding Onion | 18″ | Purple | July – Aug | 4-8″ |
| Anemone canadensis | Canada Anemone | 1′ | White | May – June | 6-12″ |
| Asclepias tuberosa* | Butterfly Weed | 2′ | Orange | June – July – Aug | 1-3′ |
| Asclepias verticillata* | Whorled Milkweed | 1-2′ | White | July – Aug – Sept | 1′ |
| Aster laevis | Smooth Blue Aster | 4′ | Blue | Aug – Sept – Oct | 18-24″ |
| Aster novae-angliae | New England Aster | 5′ | Purple | Aug – Sept – Oct | 2-3′ |
| Baptisia alba | White Wild Indigo | 4′ | White | June – July | 3-4′ |
| Baptisia australis | Blue Wild Indigo | 4′ | Blue | June – July | 2-3′ |
| Coreopsis palmata | Prairie Coreopsis | 4′ | Yellow | June – July – Aug | 1′ |
| Dodecatheon meadia | Shooting Star | 1′ | Pink | April – May – June | 1′ |
| Echinacea pallida | Pale Purple Coneflower | 3′ | Purple | July – Aug – Sept – Oct | 10-18″ |
| Echinacea purpurea | Purple Coneflower | 4′ | Purple | July – Aug – Sept | 18-24″ |
| Gentiana andrewsii | Bottle Gentian | 2′ | Blue | Aug – Sept – Oct | 1-2′ |
| Geum triflorum | Priaire Smoke | .25-.5″ | Pink | May – June | 6″ |
| Heliopsis helianthoides | Early Sunflower | 5′ | Yellow | June – July – Aug – Sept | 18-36″ |
| Heuchera richardsonii | Prairie Alumroot | 3′ | Green | May – June – July | 8-12″ |
| Liatris pycnostachya** | Prairie Blazing Star | 4′ | Purple | July – Aug – Sept | 6-12″ |
| Lobelia siphilitica | Great Blue Lobelia | 3′ | Blue | July – Aug – Sept – Oct | 12-18″ |
| Monarda fistulosa | Wild Bergamot | 4′ | Purple | July – Aug – Sept | 2-3′ |
| Parthenium interifolium | Wild Quinine | 4′ | White | June – July – Aug – Sept | 1-2′ |
| Penstemon digitalis | Foxglove Beardtongue | 3′ | White | June – July | 12-18″ |
| Phlox pilosa | Prairie Phlox | 2′ | Pink | May – June – July | 10-12″ |
| Ratibida pinnata | Yellow Coneflower | 5′ | Yellow | July – Aug – Sept | 18-24″ |
| Rudbeckia fulgida | Orange Coneflower | 3′ | Orange | July – Aug – Sept | 1-2′ |
| Rudbeckia subtomentosa | Sweet Black-Eyed Susan | 5′ | Yellow | Aug – Sept – Oct | 2-3′ |
| Solidago rigida | Stiff Goldenrod | 4′ | Yellow | Aug – Sept – Oct | 1-2′ |
| Solidato speciosa | Showy Goldenrod | 5′ | Yellow | Aug – Sept – Oct | 2-3′ |
| Tradescantia ohiensis | Ohio Spiderwort | 3′ | Blue | May – June – July | 12-18″ |
| Veronicastrum virginicum | Culver’s Root | 5′ | White | June – July – Aug | 18″ |
| Zizia aurrea | Golden Alexanders | 3′ | Yellow | April – May – June | 1-2′ |
* Good for mesic to dry sites. For mesic to wet sites, use Asclepias incarnata (Rose/Swamp Milkweed)
** Good for mesic to wet sites. For mesic to dry sites, use Liatris aspera (Button Blazing Star)
| Genus/Species (Latin name) |
Genus/Species (Common name) | Ht | Color | Bloom Time | Spacing |
| Grasses | |||||
| Bouteloua curtipendula | Side-oats Grama | 2′ | Aug-Sept | 1′ | |
| Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem | 3′ | July – Aug – Sept – Oct | 2-3′ | |
| Sporobolous heterolepis | Prairie Dropseed | 3′ | Aug – Sept – Oct | 2-3′ | |