Prairie Grasses and Wildflowers

The following is a guide to some of the prairie plant species that can be found in the restored Uhler Prairie and Coneflower Prairie in the Arboretum.
  1. Plant Family
  2. Period of blooming

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) L.

Yarrow

  • Blooms June - September
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Fragrant Giant Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Fragrant Giant Hyssop

  • Blooms July - August
  • Mint Family (Lamiaceae)

Prairie Onion (Allium stellatum)

  • Blooms July - August
  • Lily Family (Liliaceae)

Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)

Lead Plant

  • Blooms June - July
  • Pea Family (Fabaceae)

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Big Bluestem

  • Blooms July - September
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Windflower or Thimbleweed (Anemone cylindrica)

  • Blooms May - June
  • Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae)

Pussy Toes (Antennaria neglecta)

Pussy Toes

  • Blooms April - June
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) L.

  • Blooms May - June
  • Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae)

Prairie Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana)

Prairie Sage

  • Blooms July - September
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) L.

Common Milkweed

  • Blooms June – August
  • Milkweed Family (Asclepiadaceae)

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) L.

Butterfly Weed

  • Blooms June - August
  • Milkweed Family (Asclepiadaceae)

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) L.

Whorled Milkweed

  • Blooms June - August
  • Milkweed Family (Asclepiadaceae)

Heath Aster (Aster ericoides) L.

Heath Aster

  • Blooms August - October
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Smooth Blue Aster (Aster laevis) L.

Smooth Blue Aster

  • Blooms August - October
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Aromatic Aster (Aster oblongifolium)

  • Blooms September - October
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

White Upland Aster (Aster ptarmicoides)

White Upland Aster

  • Blooms August - September
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Silky Aster (Aster sericeus)

  • Blooms August - September
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis) L.

Canada Milk Vetch

  • Blooms July - August
  • Pea Family (Fabaceae)

Ground Plum (Astragalus crassicarpus)

  • Blooms May - June
  • Pea Family (Fabaceae)

Side Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula

Side Oats Grama

  • Blooms July - September
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Hairy Grama (Bouteloua hirsuta)

  • Blooms May - June
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Prairie Brome (Bromus kalmii) 

  • Blooms June - August
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) L.

  • Blooms July - August
  • Campanula Family (Campanulaceae)

New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) L.

  • Blooms May - July
  • Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)

Golden Aster (Chrysopsis villosa)

  • Blooms July - August
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Prairie Coreopsis or Stiff Tickseed (Coreopsis palmata)

Prairie Coreopsis

  • Blooms June - August
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida)

White Prairie Clover

  • Blooms June - September
  • Pea Family (Fabaceae)

Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)

Purple Prairie Clover

  • Blooms June - September
  • Pea Family (Fabaceae)

Prairie Larkspur (Delphinium virescens)

  • Blooms May - June
  • Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae)

Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis) L.

  • Blooms July - September
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale) L.

  • Blooms June - August
  • Bedstraw Family (Rubiaceae)

White Prairie Gentian (Gentiana flavida)

  • Blooms August - September
  • Gentian Family (Gentianaceae)

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)

Prairie Smoke

  • Blooms April - June
  • Rose Family (Rosaceae)

Frostweed (Helianthemum bicknellii)

  • Blooms July - August
  • Rock-rose Family (Cistaceae)

Stiff Sunflower (Helianthus laetiflorus)

Stiff Sunflower

  • Blooms July - September
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Ox-eye (Heliopsis helianthoides) L.

  • Blooms June - September
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Alumroot (Heuchera richardsonii)

  • Blooms May - June
  • Saxifrage Family (Saxifragaceae)

Path Rush (Juncus tenuis)

  • Blooms May - September
  • Rush Family (Juncaceae)

June Grass (Koeleria macrantha)

  • Blooms June - July
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Round-headed Bush Clover (Lespedeza capitata)

Round-headed Bush Clover

  • Blooms August - September
  • Pea Family (Fabaceae)

Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera)

Rough Blazing Star

  • Blooms July - September
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Dotted Blazing Star (Liatris punctata)

  • Blooms September - October
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)

  • Blooms August - September
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) L.

  • Blooms July - September
  • Bluebell Family (Campanulaceae)

Pale Lobelia (Lobelia spicata)

  • Blooms June - August
  • Bluebell Family (Campanulaceae)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) L.

Wild Bergamot

  • Blooms July - September
  • Mint Family (Lamiaceae)

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) L.

Switchgrass

  • Blooms August - October
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Lilac Penstemon (Penstemon gracilis)

  • Blooms May - July
  • Snapdragon Family (Scrophulariaceae)

Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa) L.

  • Blooms April - June
  • Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae)

Prairie Cinquefoil (Potentilla arguta)

  • Blooms June - July
  • Rose Family (Rosaceae)

Sweet Everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium)

  • Blooms August - October
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

Prairie Coneflower

  • Blooms June - August
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana)

  • Blooms June - August
  • Rose Family (Rosaceae)

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) L.

Black-eyed Susan

  • Blooms June - September
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Prairie Groundsel (Senecio plattensis)

  • Blooms May - June
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Prairie Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium campestre)

  • Blooms May - July
  • Iris Family (Iridaceae)

Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) L.

Canada Goldenrod

  • Blooms August – October
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Gray Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)

Gray Goldenrod

  • Blooms August - October
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida) L.

Stiff Goldenrod

  • Blooms August - October
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Showy Goldenrod

  • Blooms August - October
  • Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Indian Grass

  • Blooms August - October
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)

  • Blooms August - October
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Porcupine Grass (Stipa spartea)

  • Blooms May - June
  • Grass Family (Poaceae)

Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta)

Hoary Vervain

  • Blooms June - September
  • Verbena Family (Verbenaceae)

Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum)

Culver's Root

  • Blooms July - September
  • Snapdragon Family (Scrophulariaceae)

Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)

Golden Alexander

  • Blooms May - June
  • Carrot Family (Apiaceae)

* All photos taken at Gustavus by Bob Dunlap, Arboretum Naturalist unless otherwise noted.