Leadplant
Amorpha canescens
Fabaceae
Form: Small, semi-woody to woody shrub with open,
irregular habit, lightly branched; height and spread 36 inches
Foliage: Fine-textured, alternate, odd-pinnately
compound with up to 20 pairs of leaflets less than ½ inch long and covered
with short whitish hairs. The plant
appears silver. Fine texture, but open
habit makes its landscape appearance medium.
Flowers: Narrow racemes 2 to 4 inches long; from upper
leaf axils, blue to red-violet with prominent yellow-orange stamens;
fragrant; June to July
Seedheads: Not effective
Culture: Full sun, dry native soils to well-drained
garden conditions. Cut back to within 6 inches of base in early spring to
encourage full growth. Extensive, deep
(to 16 feet) rootstock makes survival in drought excellent and relocation difficult
Uses: Naturalized landscapes, xeriscape, prairies,
hell strips .
Companions: coneflowers, goldenrod, grasses, penstemons
Propagation:
Seed
Other species: Amorpha
nana, dwarf leadplant
Pussytoes
Antennaria parvifolia
Asteraceae
Form: Tiny mat-forming groundcover not
exceeding 4 inches in height; spreading by stolons to 18 inches or more;
prairie native
Foliage: Basal, dense, silvery gray foliage; each leaf
1 inch long or less; leaves resemble the tip of a paper airplane (spatulate)
arranged at 90 degree angles to one another; ever “gray” through the year; fine
texture
Flowers: Dioecious; (male and female on separate
plants); on upright stems to 6 inches; rounded corymbs with papery scales
that surround the “pussy toes” and create the visual interest; April to May
Seedheads: Not effective; scales do not persist
Culture: Full sun; rocky, gravelly or sandy
well-drained soil; extremely drought tolerant once established. Do not provide supplemental water, especially
in areas of high humidity and high night time temperatures; and withhold
fertilizer. Plains native useful as an
alternative to introduced silver groundcovers like snow-in-summer (Cerastium
tomentosum)
Uses: Rock
garden, edger between steppingstones or along dry paths, hot spots, grown more
for foliage than for flowers.
Companions: thrift, thyme, small sedums, dianthus
Propagation: Spring division or seed
Other species: A.
neglecta, plainleaf pussytoes
A.
dioica, common pussytoes
A. plantaginea,
plantain pussytoes
Fringed Sage
Artemisia frigida
Asteraceae
Form: Small, open and airy clumps with vertical
stems; height to 12 inches, spread to 24 inches; a prairie native
Foliage: Very finely dissected, bright silver
leaves, alternate arrangement; fine texture
Flowers: Yellowish flowers of little consequence;
infrequently produced
Culture: Full sun; dry, infertile, well-drained soil;
do not provide supplemental water or fertilizer to keep plants from flopping
and opening up in center. Cut back after
flowering or in early spring. Intolerant
of standing water or poor drainage but overwinters in raised planters
Uses: Small edger; more reliable performance than Artemisia
x schmidtiana `Silver Mound’ if given the right conditions; texture and
color contrast, hot spots, prairies, naturalized areas.
Companions: little bluestem, sideoats and blue grama,
Mexican hat, yarrow, poppy mallow, puccoon, penstemons
Propagation: Early spring division
Other species:
Artemisia x schmidtiana
`Silver Mound’ - the commercially available silver pincushion
Blue False Indigo
Baptisia australis
Fabaceae
Form: Long-lived perennial that assumes shrub-like
proportions, slowly spreading by stolons; broad rounded height and spread to 48
inches or more. Baptisia minor (dwarf blue false
indigo) is half the size; excellent choice for smaller spaces
Foliage: Fine texture created by digitate foliage
with three obovate leaflets up to 3 inches long; bright green to
gray-green; turns black-charcoal gray with heavy freeze and persists into
winter
Flowers: Up to 1 inch long, pea-like, light to deep
indigo blue, loosely arranged on 12 inch upright stalks, May
Seedheads: Showy, fat black pods persist
Culture: Full sun to part shade; dry soil. No
particular pests or diseases
Uses: Structure and form in border; cutting,
texture, hot spots.
Companions: Shrub roses, grasses, mullein, goldenrod,
artemisia, amsonia
Propagation: Does not transplant well in large sizes, and
takes several years to reach good proportions if grown from seed; weevils
attack the seed, which should be harvested in midsummer, scarified, and planted
fresh
Cultivars: Many hybrids are becoming available, such as B. ‘Smoky Hills,’ B. ‘Prairie Twilight Blues’
Other Species: B. leucantha,
B. lactea are also native species.
Poppy Mallow
Callirhoe alcaeoides
Malvaceae
Form: Upright stems with spreading side branches
from deep taproot, creating a mounded habit, height 24 inches, spread 24 inches
or more
Foliage: Alternate, deep green, deeply palmately lobed;
2 inches in diameter
Flowers: Delicate, like tissue paper; white to light
pink, five overlapping petals, single or in small racemes; stamens and stigmas
a fluffy center mass in each flower. May to October
Seedheads: Not effecive
Culture: Full sun to very light shade, average to dry,
well-drained soils; withstands considerable drought. Prune back hard to encourage dense regrowth
after bloom
Uses: Edger, naturalized plantings, prairie, rock
garden, walls.
Companions: Penstemons, dianthus, goldenrod, short
grasses
Propagation: Cuttings, seed
Cultivars: ‘Logan Calhoun’
- Elegant, clump-former named by Harlan Hamernik. Pure white flowers. A bit hard to establish in small sizes.
Purple Poppy Mallow/Wine Cups
Callirhoe involucrata
Malvaceae
Form: Sprawling, trailing habit, with stems
creeping over other plants or forming a mat up to 36 inches or more across;
12 inch height from taproot
Foliage: Alternate, deeply divided into 5-7 palmate
lobes, dark green, covered with short, stiff hairs, medium-fine texture
Flowers: Single, bowl-shaped; up to 2” across with 5
overlapping petals, deep rose or magenta color, may have white center or base
white in center surrounding branched style.
May to October
Seedheads: Not effective
Culture: Full sun to very light shade; average to dry,
well-drained soils. Cut back after
initial flowering to encourage branching and eliminate ratty, insect-chewed
appearance
Uses: Edger, groundcover, walls, rock garden,
prairie.
Companions: Sedums, Russian sage, short grasses, teucrium
pussytoes, penstemons
Propagation: Seed, cuttings
Other species: C.
digitata, C. tenuissima
New Jersey
Ceanothus americanus
Rhamnaceae
Form: Small shrublike perennial; 30 inches
by 36 inches; semi-woody with tightly clustered stems from deep root.
Foliage: Alternate leaves, 2 to 4 inches long and
oblong, toothed; dark shiny green with a pubescent underside and very
distinct veins; fine texture
Flowers: Small, 5-petaled white flowers in rounded or
cylindrical panicles 2 to 3 inches long on short leafless stalks from leaf
axils on new growth; fragrant; June
Seedheads: Bright red calyx holds shiny seeds.
Often the plant will be blooming and setting seed at the same time.
Culture: Full sun, average to dry, well-drained soil
or garden loam. Favorite food of
rabbits; may require fencing
Uses: Border, cut flower.
Companions: Big bluestem, Indiangrass, ornamental
grasses, goldenrod, small shrub roses, hummingbird mint, prairie clover
Propagation: Cuttings, Division
Pale Coneflower
Echinacea pallida
Asteraceae
Form: lax, lanky habit from basal rosette of
foliage; height in bloom to 36 inches.
Native, most drought-tolerant
of the coneflowers
Foliage: Entire, 3-5 parallel veins in each 3 to 5
inch long leaf, long-petioled at base and sessile above; medium-coarse to
coarse texture
Flowers: Pale purple-pink, ray flowers are narrow and
very soft-looking and droopy. Dark
center cone; June to August
Seedheads: Center ‘cone’ is persistent
Culture: Full sun; average to dry, well-drained
soils. Allow to remain undisturbed, this
is a somewhat short-lived plant, but reseeds easily. It does not transplant readily.
Uses: Excellent prairie plant; hot spots, natural
meadow gardens.
Companions: native grasses, gaillardia, goldenrod
Propagation: Seed
Other species: E. angustifolia, E. purpurea
Yellow Coneflower
Echinacea paradoxa
Asteraceae
Form: Basal mound of foliage topped with weakly
upright flowering stems, to a height in bloom of 18 to 24 inches and a spread
of 15 to 18 inches
Foliage: Long, narrow, lanceolate leaves, bright green
with few parallel veins. Medium texture
Flowers: Bright yellow rays, drooping from brown
center disc, carried singly. June to
July. Flowers are effective for a long
season
Seedheads: Cones remain effective until birds take the
seeds
Culture: Full sun and well-drained soil of average
fertility. Yellow coneflower needs
protection from exposed winter conditions in northern zones.
Uses: Naturalized areas, prairie, hot spots, cut
flowers, butterfly gardens.
Companions: catmint, short native grasses, lavender,
Russian sage, torch lily
Propagation: Seed
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Rosaceae
Form: Basal rosette, dense mound to 12 inch height
and spread.
Foliage: Medium-fine texture, deep green, softly
pubescent, elongated leaves with numerous (up to 30) leaflets; reddish
margin and red fall color
Flowers: Bell-shaped, upturned petals and nodding
form, unusual color between mauve-purple, reddish-pink and burgundy with
lighter pink to cream edges (but not marginated); in ones or threes on stalks
above the foliage in April to May; generally stems are clustered toward the
center of the foliage
Seedheads: Smokelike achenes, fluffy, silver-pink,
persistent for many weeks in summer but not into fall
Culture: Very hardy; full sun to part shade with
adequate moisture and good drainage; good garden soil or gravelly soil
preferred over clay. Intolerant of
over-irrigation or high humidity. Cut
back after flowering to restore foliage.
Somewhat drought tolerant once established
Uses: Edger, cut flowers, multi-season interest,
prairie or wildflower garden, hot sites
Companions:
Propagation: Division in spring, seed
Blue Flax
Linum perenne
Linaceae
Form: Fine and wiry stems form a dense but wispy
vase; up to 24 inches tall and 18 inches wide.
Foliage: Alternate, extremely narrow and
needle-like, up to 1 inch long with entire margins, blue-green to
gray-green. Fine texture
Flowers: Sky blue, up to 1 inch in diameter with five
paper-thin petals, on nodding, casual terminal racemes. Each flower lasts only a day, and closes in
the heat, but flowering begins in May and extends through June into July; Bloom may occur for three months in light
shade, and rebloom will occur if plants are sheared back and given adequate
moisture
Seedheads: Not effective
Culture: Full sun to very light shade, dry to average,
well-drained soil of light composition. Must have excellent drainage,
especially in winter, to promote longer life span. Tolerant of slight
alkalinity. Shear after foliage begins
to wither. Allow this plant to reseed;
it is short-lived.
Uses: Prairie or meadow gardens, naturalized areas,
rock gardens, texture.
Companions: gaillardia, sedum, coneflowers, grasses
Propagation: Seed, division, or stem cuttings
Cultivars: ‘Saphyr’ - more compact, deeper blue.
‘Alba’ - white, but not very effective
Other Species: L. flavum, yellow flax
Puccoon
Lithospermum incisum
Boraginaceae
Form: Small mound to 12 inch height and spread;
natural appearance varies from few to several stems
Foliage: Alternate, sessile, linear to narrowly lanceolate
with pointed tips, covered with short, flat hairs, as are stems; fine
texture
Flowers: Yellow,
long-tubed with five crepe-paper lobes in terminal cymes, cover the plant in
May to June
Seedheads: Not effective
Culture: Full sun, well-drained soil of average to low
fertility; tolerant of mildly alkaline conditions. Extremely xeric once established because of
red, woody taproot
Uses: Edger, mass, hot sites, rock garden. Breeding work at UNL by Dr. Dale Lindgren has
produced a cultivar with excellent garden potential.
Companions: dianthus, catmint, low ornamental grasses,
penstemons, Missouri
Propagation: Seed (collect immediately because it is a
favored food of rodents), cuttings
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Lamiaceae
Form: Stiffly upright stems, rising from loose
colonies formed by creeping rhizomes; rather open, unkempt habit but one that
works well in natural settings
Foliage: Light green, opposite, mostly lanceolate, up
to 4 inches long and ½ inch to 1 ½ inches wide, slightly toothed or not at all,
and lightly pubescent on underside; glandular dots on leaves secrete fragrant
oil. Medium texture
Flowers: On stalks at ends of branches, fragrant (mint-like),
pink-purple, whorled. The tube is fused with an upright upper lobe and reflexed, spreading lower
lobe. Stems occasionally grow out of spent flower head, forming a wedding-cake
appearance. June to July
Seedheads: Not effective
Culture: Full sun to part shade; tolerant of a wide
range of soils, including drier conditions than other members of the genus;
often seen on edges of ditches or railroad rights-of-way. Mildew is a significant problem
Uses: Butterfly or insect garden, cut flowers,
prairie or naturalized plantings.
Companions: native grasses, goldenrod, Queen Anne’s lace,
coneflowers
Propagation: Division in early spring
Missouri
Oenothera macrocarpa
Onagraceae
Form: Decumbent (sprawling stems with tips curved
upright) from very deep taproot; late to emerge in spring and appears as bright
red tips at first; height 8 inches, spread 18 inches
Flowers: Huge,
up to 5 inches wide, four papery pale yellow petals in funnel form; close by
mid-day but reopen in evening; June to July
Foliage: Narrow, lanceolate, entire to 5 inches long
on long reddish petioles; entire, bright green in species but silvery and
narrower in subspecies
Seedheads: Four-winged, odd-looking tan pods nearly
as long as the flowers; persist until early winter
Culture: Full sun to very light shade; must have good
drainage in average to dry soils for best performance. Mark to avoid digging into plants before
dormancy break; prune back hard after bloom to remove floppy stems and
encourage new foliage
Uses: Edger, rock garden, hot sites, prairie.
Companions: catmint, Russian sage, asters, yarrow,
pineleaf penstemon, daylilies
Propagation: Fresh seed or division immediately after
flowering; may weakly reseed if pods are allowed to ripen; difficult to
transplant in large sizes
Cultivars: ‘Comanche Campfire’ - discovered and named by Harlan Hamernik of Bluebird
Nursery, ornamental throughout the season, with bright red stems and petioles
persisting until frost
Other Species: ssp. Fremontii - more refined, more silvery, stems distinctly red,
flowers paler yellow; smaller plant overall
O. berlandieri
O. caespitosa
Foxglove Beardtongue/Talus Slope Penstemon
Penstemon digitalis
Scrophulariaceae
Form: Basal rosette; blooming spikes to a height of
18 to 24 inches and spread of 12 inches
Foliage: Deep green, entire lanceolate leaves to a
length of six inches, semi-evergreen; medium texture. Stem foliage decreases in size; opposite
Flowers: Paired in open whorled spikes (thyrse); white
to pale pink with a bearded staminode, three widely spaced lower lobes and two
upper lobes; one inch flowers; May-June
Seedheads: Small, pointed, shiny brown seeds; persistent
Culture: Well-drained soils of average fertility,
moist to slightly dry; full sun to light shade.
Uses: Cut flowers, prairie, hot sites,
massing.
Companions: lambs ears, fringed sage, Virginia
Propagation: Seed, division
Cultivars: `Husker
Red’ - deep red-green foliage; white flowers; developed at the University of Nebraska
`Dark Towers’ - a P.
Xmexicale hybrid developed by Dr. Lindgren; rich green-red foliage and very
dense spikes of pale pink flowers; spectacular in moist soils and full sun
Other X mexicale hybrids
include `Pike’s Peak Purple’ and `Redrocks’
Slender Beardtongue
Penstemon gracilis
Scrophulariaceae
Form: Basal foliage with upright to vase-shaped
slender flower stalks; height to 18 inches in bloom, spread 12 inches
Foliage: Dark green lanceolate to linear-lanceolate
leaves to 4 inches long, with widely spaced teeth; medium-fine texture
Flowers: Classic “snapdragon” form, each flower
with 5 terminal spreading or reflexed lobes, clusters of 2-6 on hairy,
reddish, usually unbranched flower stalk from upper leaf axils, (thyrse)
papery, delicate in appearance; white to pale lavender, May to June. Flowers have the classic three lower lobes
and two upper lobes and bearded (sterile) staminode
Seedheads: Not effective
Culture: Well-drained soils in full sun to very light
shade; average to low fertility and good air circulation. Few pests or diseases
Uses: Cut flower, prairie, natural garden, hot
sites, massing.
Companions: pink primrose, coralbells, small ornamental
or native grasses, statice, dianthus
Propagation: Seed
Shell-leaf Penstemon
Penstemon grandiflorus
Scrophulariaceae
Form: Basal rosette, very flat to height of less
than 6 inches; open, upright form in bloom, to height of 36 inches and spread
of 18 inches
Foliage: Blue-green, fleshy, almost succulent
foliage, waxy bloom covers leaves, which are broadly ovate to spatulate and
up to 6 inches long. Stem foliage
clasping, smaller, nearly round
Flowers: Showy, short-stalked from leafy bracts near
top of stem (thyrse), tubular, two lobes on upper lip and three on lower, up to
2 inches long, sterile, yellow stamen only lightly bearded; white, pink,
lavender, bluish, crimson, with darker nectar lines. May to June
Seedheads: Large, dark brown, pointed capsules in leaf
axils; ornamental
Culture: Well-drained, average to gravelly soils in
full sun; average to low fertility and good air circulation.
Uses: Cut flower, prairie, natural garden, hot
sites, massing.
Companions: grasses, dianthus, blazing star, skullcap,
scabiosa
Propagation: Readily seeds itself; move seedlings rather
than attempting to divide
Cultivars: ‘War Axe’ - mixed
colors, closer flower spacing
‘Prairie
Snow’ - pure white, less prolific;
selected by Dr. Dale Lindgren
Prairie Phlox
Phlox pilosa
Polemoniaceae
Form: Weakly spreading colonizer; flower
stem height to 18 inches; spread to 24 inches
Foliage: Fine-textured, dark green linear foliage,
sessile, tapering to needle-like (but not sharp) point; opposite; few pests or
diseases
Flowers: One inch wide, bright pink with slightly
lighter center, in open terminal panicles, tubular with 5 petal-like lobes,
very fragrant. April to May, sporadic
rebloom
Seedheads: Not effective
Culture: Even moisture and average to moist soils;
full sun to part shade; protect from hot west sun, as the foliage will wilt in
afternoon sun in dry conditions. Cut
back after bloom to rejuvenate. Phlox
plant bug and voles can devastate it in garden settings. Note, plants are extremely variable,
depending on source
Uses: Open groundcover for small areas; unusual
bright color in mid to late spring; prairie, rock garden, naturalize.
Companions: coralbells, corydalis, small ornamental or
native grasses, prairie smoke
Propagation: Division after flowering
Cultivars: ‘Eco Happy Traveler’ - more compact, floriferous
Pasqueflower
Pulsatilla patens
Ranunculaceae
Form: Flowering occurs from central crown before
full leaf emergence; small mound to 8 inch height and 12 inch spread
Flowers: Single purple to lavender, on 6 inch long
stems; above linear segmented leaves that encircle the stem (consistent with
other anemones, although leaf shape is different); 2 ½ inches wide or more, 5-8 pointed, petal-like sepals, darker on
underside; bright yellow stamens; flowers close at night and reopen. March to April
Foliage: Basal foliage follows flowers; each leaf on a
petiole, divided into lobes, which are then divided further, giving fernlike
appearance (triple-pinnate or ternate); foliage persists through summer.
Entire plant covered with fine, silky hairs, giving it a misted appearance
Seedheads: Showy, spherical, with long silvery plumes
attached to achene; persist through mid-summer
Culture: Well-drained sites and average to rocky soil;
tolerates some alkalinity; full sun but tolerant of part shade and average
moisture as long as drainage is good
Uses: Rock garden, naturalize, early spring
garden.
Companions: daffodils and narcissus, snow-in-summer,
basket-of-gold
Propagation: Self-sows; fresh seed required for
germination; move carefully in spring
Other Species: P. rubra and P.
vulgaris ‘Papageno’
are cultivars of P.vulgaris;
similar to P. patens but flowers more fully open, sepals less joined
Sand Spiderwort
Tradescantia tharpii
Commelinaceae
A smaller species, to a
height and spread of 12’, bearing very large flowers in a wide range of
colors. Needs very good drainage;
thrives in drier conditions than most spiderworts. Tends to become tattered immediately after
bloom; cut back to rejuvenate.
Small Soapweed
Yucca glauca
Agavaceae
Form: Spiky and round at the same time, with the stiff
evergreen foliage forming a clump up to 24 inches tall and wide; flowering
stalks can reach 60 inches. Roots are
branched, horizontal, and becoming semi-woody with age
Foliage: Stiff, bayonet-like leaves up to 30 inches
long and only ½ inch wide. Individual leaves have sharp points, and margins
with white exfoliating fibers; finer texture and overall appearance than Y.
filamentosa. Medium-bold texture
Flowers: Raceme on a thick stalk up to 5 feet tall. Individual flowers bell-shaped or classic
flower-bud shaped, creamy white to occasionally green-tinged or pink-tinged, up
to 2 inches long with 3 petals and 3 sepals, tight against stem. May to July
Seedheads: Capsules, chambered with 2-3 rows of black
seeds. Not particularly effective
Culture: Full sun in dry, well-drained soils of sandy,
rocky, or loess composition. Less
tolerant of heavy clay or standing water.
Place in locations where it is to remain indefinitely, difficult to move or
eradicate
Uses: Hell strips, rock gardens, prairie, native or
naturalized locations, winter interest.
Companions: donkeytail spurge, short native grasses,
cactus, sedum, hummingbird mint
Propagation: seed, root divisions
Other Species: Y.
filamentosa
