Missouri Natives

Fringed Sedge is a North American streamside and pond-edge perennial whose large glossy clumps have long anchored wetland soils. Its drooping seed spikes mature from pale green to tan. Caterpillars of the Eyed Brown butterfly and several skippers use sedges like this, and wetland birds forage among the foliage. Grow in wet clay or other consistently moist ground in sun to shade.

Plains Oval Sedge, historically also called Shortbeak Sedge, occurs across North American open ground, from dry disturbed sites to seasonally flooded margins. Golden-brown oval seed spikes stand above a compact mound in fall. Like other native sedges, it contributes seed and cover to birds and habitat for small insects. Its wide moisture tolerance makes it useful in sunny or partly shaded restoration plantings.

Hairy Wood Chess, also known as Hairy Woodland Brome, is a cool-season native grass of North American woodlands; it was once grouped with other Bromus species. Its dark leaves and tall clumps give structure to lightly shaded, moderately moist sites. Wild Turkeys, Ruffed Grouse, and small mammals eat its seeds, while deer and rabbits browse young growth. Plant it where a woodland edge needs a taller native grass.

River Bulrush has long occupied shallow-water margins of North American lakes, rivers, and marshes; older botanical names placed it in Scirpus and Schoenoplectus. Its tall stems and spreading rhizomes make dense cover for wetland invertebrates and waterbirds. This vigorous perennial is suited to large restoration areas rather than a small ornamental bed. Grow it in full sun with consistently wet soil or standing water.

Bearsfoot (Polymnia uvedalia) is a distinctive North American native plant. Bold, lobed leaves and tall yellow-flowered stems lend a lush, naturalized look to woodland edges and moist open ground. It matures at approximately 84 inches tall and flowers from early to mid summer through mid to late summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry-medium through medium-wet conditions, with loamy soil or clay soil. Space plants 24–36 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Wild Kidney Bean (Phaseolus polystachios) is a distinctive North American native plant. Pink flowers develop on climbing vines that benefit from nearby stems, fencing, or another support structure. It matures at approximately 96 inches tall and flowers from early to mid summer through mid to late summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry-medium to medium conditions, with loamy soil or sandy soil. Space plants 18–24 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Wild Four O'Clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) is a distinctive North American native plant. Magenta-purple flowers open later in the day on branching plants, offering nectar to evening-active pollinators. It matures at approximately 48 inches tall and flowers from late spring to early summer through early to mid summer through mid to late summer. Plant it in full sun, in dry to medium conditions, with loamy soil, sandy soil or dry soil. Space plants 24–36 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Round-headed Bush Clover (Lespedeza capitata) is a distinctive North American native plant. Rounded greenish flower clusters mature into seed valued by wild turkey, while deep roots help this native legume handle drought. It matures at approximately 48 inches tall and flowers from mid to late summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry to medium conditions, with loamy soil, sandy soil or dry soil. Space plants 18–24 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum) is a distinctive North American native plant. Broad leaves and large white umbels give this imposing biennial a strong presence in moist meadows and woodland edges. It matures at approximately 96 inches tall and flowers from late spring to early summer through early to mid summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in medium to medium-wet conditions, with loamy soil, clay soil or wet soil. Space plants 24–36 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) is a distinctive North American native plant. Branched stems carry an abundance of small yellow flowers with dark centers, and the short-lived plants readily reseed where conditions suit them. It matures at approximately 60 inches tall and flowers from mid to late summer through early to mid fall. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry-medium through medium-wet conditions, with loamy soil or sandy soil.

Early Figwort (Scrophularia lanceolata) is a native perennial valued for its nectar-rich red and green flowers. Upright plants reach about 5 feet tall and bloom from late spring through midsummer, attracting bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial insects. This adaptable wildflower grows in full sun through shade and tolerates loamy or sandy soils across a broad moisture range. Seed requires 60 days of cold, moist stratification and light for germination.

Spotted Bee Balm (Monarda punctata), also called dotted horsemint, is a North American native perennial with stacked flower whorls, yellow-spotted blooms, and showy pink to lavender bracts. Its aromatic foliage and long midsummer-to-fall display add distinctive color and texture to meadows, pollinator gardens, and cut-flower plantings. Plants thrive in full sun and lean, well-drained soil, becoming drought tolerant once established. Nectar-rich flowers welcome native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects, while deer resistance and low-maintenance growth make this variety an easy habitat-building choice.

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is an eastern North American perennial prized for vivid red flower spikes from midsummer into fall. It grows best in consistently moist soil in full sun to partial light and is well suited to rain gardens, pond edges, and wet meadows. The tubular flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds and also draw butterflies and bees. Mature plants commonly reach 3 to 5 feet tall.

Purple Love Grass grows low to the ground in dense tufts, 8-18" tall. In late summer the fine-textured, stiff inflorescence appears like reddish-purple clouds hovering at ground level. Eventually this inflorescence breaks off and floats around like a tumbleweed.

The Divaricata Phlox is a beautiful blue to lavender colored variety that gives off a wonderful aroma, making it a home garden favorite! This fragrant variety is a showstopper in any garden, container or vase!

The Tall Coreopsis is a super high variety that lives up to its name by growing to be 7 feet high and has even been known to reach 9 feet! This variety blooms beautiful yellow flowers that darken to a purple-red. This flower's leaves are divided into three lobes. The Tall Coreopsis should be grown in larger areas as it can be aggressive in growth.

Early settlers loved the sweet, buttery, oil-rich nuts of Butternut for baking and candy, and their elongated shells hold a richer, milder flavor than black walnut. This hardy native walnut, Juglans cinerea, grows into a broad, open-crowned tree with large compound leaves and light gray, ridged bark. It is very cold hardy and well suited to northern homesteads, woodlots and wildlife plantings where a fast-establishing nut tree is wanted.

Tiered, horizontal branches give this graceful native small tree an elegant, pagoda-like silhouette. Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) bears flat clusters of creamy white flowers in late spring, followed by blue-black berries on showy red stems that birds devour. Its leaves turn reddish-purple in fall. A natural fit for shade gardens and woodland edges, it brings year-round structure to smaller spaces.

Asclepias viridis, commonly known as Spider Milkweed or Green Milkweed, is a native North American species with a long ecological history tied to grasslands and prairies of the central and southern United States. Its distinctive greenish-white flowers arranged in rounded clusters give it a spider-like appearance, attracting a wide array of pollinators, especially butterflies, and serving as an essential host plant for monarch caterpillars.