Wildflowers of the Tallgrass PrairieThis collection profiles wildflowers of the tallgrass prairie. Stretching over 250 million acres, the tallgrass prairie was once the largest ecosystem in the United States. Its deep rich soils made excellent farmland. By 1860, most of the tallgrass prairies had fallen to the plow. Today, only about one million acres remain, making tallgrass prairie one of the most threatened natural communities. Native grasses form the prairie framework, comprising 50 to 95 percent of the vegetation. The four dominant species in the tallgrass prairie are little bluestem, big bluestem, Indiangrass, and switchgrass. Forbs (broadleaf herbs), an integral part of the prairie, provide most of the species diversity. Most prairie species are perennials that die back in the winter. The wildflowers included in this collection are some of the most common tallgrass prairie species. |
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Scientific Name | Common Name | Duration | Habit | Sun | Water |
Amorpha fruticosa | Indigo Bush, False Indigo Bush, False Indigo, Desert False Indigo | Perennial | Shrub | Sun, Part-shade | Moist |
Anaphalis margaritacea | Western Pearly Everlasting, Pearly-everlasting | Perennial | Herb | Sun, Part-shade | Dry |
Anemone canadensis | Canadian Anemone, Round-leaf Thimbleweed, Canada Anemone, Windflower, Meadow Anemone | Perennial | Herb | Shade, Part-shade | Moist |
Asclepias tuberosa | Butterflyweed, Butterfly Weed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, Chiggerweed | Perennial | Herb | Sun | Moist, Dry |
Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea | Longbract Wild Indigo, Cream False Indigo, Plains Wild Indigo, Cream Wild Indigo, Large-bracted Wild Indigo | Perennial | Herb | Part-shade | Moist |
Castilleja sessiliflora | Downy Painted Cup, Downy Paintbrush, Great Plains Paintbrush, Great Plains Indian-paintbrush | Perennial | Herb | Sun | Dry |
Coreopsis palmata | Stiff Tickseed, Stiff Coreopsis, Finger Coreopsis | Perennial | Herb | Part-shade | |
Delphinium carolinianum ssp. virescens | Carolina Larkspur, Prairie Larkspur, Plains Larkspur | Perennial | Herb | Sun | Moist |
Eryngium yuccifolium | Rattlesnake Master, Button Eryngo, Button Snakeroot, Beargrass, Bear's Grass | Perennial | Herb | Sun | Moist |
Euphorbia marginata | Snow On The Mountain, Snow-on-the-mountain | Annual | Herb | Part-shade | Moist |
Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum | Texas Bluebells, Texas Bluebell, Bluebell, Showy Prairie Gentian, Prairie Gentian | Annual, Biennial, Perennial | Herb | Sun | Moist |
Gaillardia pulchella | Indian Blanket, Firewheel, Girasol Rojo | Annual | Herb | Sun, Part-shade | Dry |
Glandularia canadensis | Rose Vervain, Sweet William, Rose Mock Vervain | Perennial | Herb | Part-shade | Moist |
Helianthus maximiliani | Maximilian Sunflower, Max Sunflower | Perennial | Herb | Sun | Moist, Dry |
Iris versicolor | Harlequin Blueflag, Northern Blue Flag, Large Blue Iris | Perennial | Herb | Sun, Part-shade | Wet, Moist |
Lilium philadelphicum | Wood Lily | Perennial | Herb | Sun, Shade, Part-shade | Dry |
Linum sulcatum | Grooved Flax, Yellow Prairie Flax | Annual | Herb | ||
Lithospermum canescens | Hoary Puccoon | Perennial | Herb | Sun, Shade, Part-shade | Dry |
Monarda fistulosa | Wild Bergamot, Beebalm | Perennial | Herb | Sun, Part-shade | Moist, Dry |
Oenothera biennis | Common Evening-primrose, King's Cure-all, Common Evening Primrose | Biennial | Herb | Sun, Shade, Part-shade | Dry |
Penstemon albidus | White Penstemon, White Beardtongue, Red-line Penstemon, Red-line Beardtongue | Perennial | Herb | Sun | |
Phlox pilosa | Downy Phlox, Prairie Phlox, Fragrant Phlox | Perennial | Herb | Sun, Part-shade | Dry |
Pulsatilla patens | Eastern Pasqueflower, American Pasqueflower | Perennial | Herb | Sun | Dry |
Ratibida pinnata | Grayhead Coneflower, Gray-headed Coneflower, Grayhead Mexican Hat, Gray-headed Mexican Hat, Pinnate Prairie Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower | Perennial | Herb | Sun, Part-shade | Moist, Dry |
Rudbeckia hirta | Black-eyed Susan, Common Black-eyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan, Blackeyed Susan | Annual, Biennial, Perennial | Herb | Sun | Moist, Dry |
Silphium laciniatum | Compassplant, Compass Plant | Perennial | Herb | Sun | Dry |
Sisyrinchium angustifolium | Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass, Narrow-leaf Blue-eyed-grass, Bermuda Blue-eyed Grass, Blue-eyed Grass | Perennial | Herb | Sun, Part-shade | Wet, Moist |
Tradescantia ohiensis | Ohio Spiderwort, Bluejacket | Perennial | Herb | Part-shade | Dry |
Vernonia baldwinii | Western Ironweed, Baldwin's Ironweed, Ironweed | Perennial | Herb | Sun | Moist |
Viola pedatifida | Prairie Violet, Purple Prairie Violet, Larkspur Violet, Crow-foot Violet, Coastal Violet | Perennial | Herb | Sun | Moist |