The plants on this list were selected using the Cultural Guide in Prairie Moon Nursery’s catalog. Determinations as to moisture and light needs/tolerances are those of Prairie Moon Nursery. The catalog lists additional versatile species. Plants listed are shown in at least two light levels out of three, and three moisture levels out of five. (Data may change from year to year.) A number of the species also have plant-insect interactions.
- Plants shown in all three light categories are shown with an ‘+’.
- Plants shown in four (or more) soil moistures are indicated with an ‘*’.
- Plants favoring Moist (MO), Mesic (ME) or Dry (DR) habitats are shown.
NOTE 1: Some scientific names have changed. This list is using the older, more familiar names. (Aster rather than symphyotrichum, for instance)
NOTE 2: Even though all these plants will grow in various conditions, many will favor one soil type over another, or one light condition over another. Also, similar but less adaptable plants may be a better choice for your site. The Prairie Moon catalog/website will have more information on the plants.
Ag – Aggressive plant
Rhiz – Plant spreads by rhizomes
Ann – Annual
| Light/ Moisture |
Genus/Species (Common name) | Genus/Species (Latin name) | Habitat |
| FORBS | |||
| Yellow Giant Hyssop | Agastache nepetoides | ME | |
| Purple Giant Hyssop | Agastache scrophulariaefolia | ME | |
| * + | Wild Garlic | Allium canadense | Four |
| Nodding Wild Onion | Allium cernuum | ME | |
| Praire Onion | Allium stellatum | DR | |
| Wild Leek | Allium tricoccum | ME | |
| Thimbleweed | Anemone cylindrica | DR | |
| + | Columbine | Aquilegia canadensis | DR |
| Milkweeds | |||
| * | Common | Asclepias syriaca (Ag, Rhiz) | Four |
| Rose/Swamp | Asclepias incarnata | MO | |
| Whorled | Asclepias verticillata (Rhiz) | DR | |
| Asters | |||
| Heath | Aster ericoides (Rhiz) | DR | |
| * | Forked | Aster furcatus | Four |
| Smooth blue | Aster laevis | ME | |
| + | Calico/Side-flowering | Aster lateriflorus | ME |
| * | New England | Aster novae-angliae | Four |
| Sky blue | Aster oolentanglense | DR | |
| * | White Wild Indigo | Baptisia alba | Four |
| Cream Wild Indigo | Baptisia bracteata | DR | |
| Downy Wood Mind | Blephilia ciliata | DR | |
| Wild Hyacinth | Camassia scilloides | ME | |
| Partridge Pea | Chamaecrista fasciculata (Ann) | DR | |
| Prairie Coreopsis | Coreopsis palmata (Rhiz) | DR | |
| Tall Coreopsis | Coreopsis tripteris | ME | |
| White Prairie Clover | Dalea candidum | DR | |
| Purple Prairie Clover | Dalea purpurea | DR | |
| Showy Tick Trefoil | Desmodium canadense | ME | |
| + | Shooting Star | Dodecatheon meadia | ME |
| Pale Purple Coneflower | Echinacea pallida | DR | |
| Purple Coneflower | Echinacea purpurea | ME | |
| Cream gentian | Gentiana flavida | ME | |
| * | Prairie Smoke | Geum triflorum | DR |
| Western Sunflower | Helianthus occidentalis (Ag, Rhiz) | DR | |
| Pale-leaved Sunflower | Helianthus strumosus (Ag, Rhiz) | ME | |
| * | Prairie Alumroot | Heuchera richardsonii | Four |
| Spotted Touch-me-not | Impatiens capensis (Ann, Ag) | MO | |
| + | Dwarf Crested Iris | Iris cristata (Rhiz) | MO |
| Blue Flag Iris | Iris versicolor (Rhiz) | MO | |
| Round-headed Bush Clover | Lespedeza capitata (Rhiz) | DR | |
| Button Blazing Star | Liatris aspera | DR | |
| Prairie Blazing Star | Liatris pychnostachya | MO | |
| Marsh Blazing Star | Liatris spicata | MO | |
| Michigan Lily | Lilium michiganense | MO | |
| Great Blue Lobelia | Lobelia siphilitica | MO | |
| Prairie Loosestrife | Lysimachia quadrifolia | MO | |
| * | Wild Bergamot | Monarda fistulosa | Four |
| * + | Hairiy Beardtongue | Penstemon hirsuta | Four |
| * | Wild Blue Phlox | Phlox divaricata (Rhiz) | ME |
| * | Prairie Phlox | Phlox pilosa | Four |
| Obedient Plant | Physostegia virginiana (Rhiz) | MO | |
| + | Jacob’s Ladder | Polemonium reptans | ME |
| Slender Mountain Mint | Pycanthemum tenuifoleum (Rhiz) | ME | |
| Mountain Mint | Pycanthemum virginianum (Rhiz) | Four | |
| * | Black-eyed Susan | Rudbeckia hirta | Four |
| + | Wild Golden Glow | Rudbeckia laciniata (Ag, Rhiz) | MO |
| Sweet Black-eyed Susan | Rudbeckia subtomentosa | ME | |
| Brown-eyed Susan | Rudbeckia triloba | ME | |
| Prairie Ragwort | Senecio plattensis | MO | |
| Maryland Senna | Senna marilandica | ME | |
| Starry Campion | Silene stellata | ME | |
| * | Compass Plant | Silphium laciniatum | Four |
| Prairie Dock | Silphium terebinthinaceum | ME | |
| * + | Solomon’s Plume | Smilacina racemosa (Rhiz) | Four |
| * + | Starry Solomon’s Plume | Smilacina stellata (Rhiz) | Four |
| * + | Grass-leaved Goldenrod | Solidago graminifolia (Ag, Rhiz) | Five |
| * | Stiff Goldenrod | Solidago rigida | Four |
| Showy Goldenrod | Solidago speciosa | DR | |
| * | Ohio Spiderwort | Tradescantia ohiensis | Four |
| Blue Vervain | Verbena hastata | MO | |
| Culver’s Root | Veronicastrum virginianum | ME | |
| + | Common Blue Violet | Viola sororia | ME |
| Golden Alexander | Zizia aurea | ME | |
| GRASSES | |||
| * | Big Bluestem | Andropogon gerardii | Four |
| * | Little Bluestem | Andropogon scoparius | DR |
| Side-Oats Grama | Bouteloua curtipendula | DR | |
| Prairie Brome | Bromus kalmii | ME | |
| * | Canada Wild Rye | Elymus canadensis | Four |
| Silky Wild Rye | Elymus vilosus | ME | |
| + | Virginia Wild Rye | Elymus virginicus | MO |
| * | Switch Grass | Panicum virgatum | Four |
| Indian Grass | Sorghastrum nutans | DR | |
| * | Northern Dropseed | Sporobolus heterolepis | Four |
| SEDGES | |||
| Prairie Sedge | Carex bicknelii | ME | |
| + | Commom Bur Sedge | Carex grayi | MO |
| + | Palm Sedge | Carex muskingumensis | ME |
| + | Penn’s sedge | Carex pennsylvanica | DR |
| Long-beaked Sedge | Carex sprengelii | ME | |
| * | Brown Fox Sedge | Carex vulpinoidea | Four |