Best Native Prairie

Yellow coneflower, Ratibida pinnata, is a perennial wildflower native to prairies, savannas, and open woodland edges in central and eastern North America. Its flower heads have long, drooping yellow ray florets surrounding an elongated gray-brown central disk, and its leaves are deeply divided. Bloo...

Prairie dock, Silphium terebinthinaceum, is a long-lived perennial in the aster family native to tallgrass prairies and open habitats of central North America. It forms a basal cluster of large, rough-textured leaves and sends up tall, mostly leafless stalks bearing yellow flower heads in summer. It...

Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) is a tall perennial wildflower native to central and eastern North America, where it grows in prairies, floodplains, and other moist, sunny habitats. Its opposite leaves join around the square stem, forming cup-like basins that can retain rainwater and provide drinki...

Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) is a tall perennial sunflower native to the central and western regions of North America. It grows from rhizomes and bears numerous yellow flower heads along the upper portions of its stems, generally flowering later in the growing season than many prair...

Culver's root, Veronicastrum virginicum, is a tall herbaceous perennial native to eastern and central North America. Its upright stems carry whorls of narrow leaves and branching spikes densely covered with small white or pale pink flowers in summer. The plant grows in prairies, open woods, and mois...

Amorpha canescens, commonly called lead plant, is a deciduous shrub native to the central prairies of North America and a member of the legume family, Fabaceae. It features pinnately compound leaves covered in fine, white hairs that give the foliage a silvery-gray appearance. The plant develops deep...

Ground plum milkvetch, Astragalus crassicarpus, is a low-growing perennial legume native to prairies and open grasslands of central North America. It produces clusters of pea-shaped purple flowers followed by rounded, fleshy pods that rest near the ground and resemble small plums before drying. The...

Sky blue aster, Symphyotrichum oolentangiense, is a perennial wildflower native to central and eastern North America. It produces branching clusters of flower heads with pale blue to violet ray florets surrounding yellow disk florets, usually in late summer and autumn. The species grows in prairies,...

Partridge pea, Chamaecrista fasciculata, is an annual legume native to much of eastern and central North America. It bears pinnate leaves, yellow summer flowers with reddish markings, and flattened seedpods that split open when mature. Extrafloral nectaries on its leaf stalks attract ants and other...

Rosinweed, Silphium integrifolium, is a tall perennial wildflower native to prairies and open grasslands of central North America. It bears yellow, composite flower heads resembling small sunflowers on sturdy stems during summer and early autumn. The common name refers to the sticky, resinous materi...

A tall native perennial of North American wetlands and prairies reaching up to 6 feet, producing feathery clusters of purplish-tinged flowers pollinated by wind.

Showy tick trefoil, Desmodium canadense, is a perennial legume native to much of eastern and central North America. It produces upright stems, compound leaves with three leaflets, and dense clusters of pink to purple pea-shaped flowers during summer. Its jointed seedpods break into individual segmen...

Goat's rue, Tephrosia virginiana, is a perennial legume native to dry, open habitats in eastern and central North America. It has silky compound leaves and dense clusters of bicolored flowers, typically combining pale yellow with pink or purple. Its roots contain rotenone and related compounds that...

Amorpha canescens, or leadplant, is a deciduous shrub belonging to the legume family and native to the tallgrass prairies of central North America. It is easily recognized by its pinnately compound leaves covered in dense, fine white hairs, giving the foliage a distinct grayish or lead-like appearan...

Kickapoo Prairie Conservation Area is a native tallgrass prairie reserve in Vernon County, Missouri, notable for protecting vital grassland habitats for migratory birds and wildlife.

Twenty-Five Mile Prairie Conservation Area is a protected ecological site in Missouri, renowned for safeguarding one of the region's largest contiguous stretches of restored native prairie.

Mo-No-I Prairie Conservation Area is a protected natural space in Missouri, distinguished by its ecological restoration efforts aimed at reviving indigenous tallgrass prairie ecosystems.

Mon-Shon Prairie Conservation Area is a preserved grassland habitat in Missouri, recognized for maintaining a diverse array of native prairie plants and protecting vulnerable wildlife species.

Pa Sole Prairie Conservation Area is a preserved natural landscape in Missouri, distinguished by its ongoing restoration of native warm-season grasses and vital pollinator habitats.

A low-growing willow native to eastern North America that ranks among the earliest shrubs to bloom in spring, supplying critical pollen to bees across prairies and open woodlands.

Prunus besseyi, known as Sand Cherry, is a low-growing shrub native to the North American Great Plains notable for its exceptional drought tolerance and production of sweet, dark purple edible fruits.

A tall North American prairie wildflower (Silphium laciniatum) named for its basal leaves' tendency to align north-south, a trait used by early travelers as a natural compass.