Native prairie species guide
The prairie grasses and forbs that anchor quality CRP seed mixes. Each profile covers habit, seeding rate, CP practice fit, establishment, and the mixes that feature it.
Native grasses
The signature warm-season grass of the tallgrass prairie; deep-rooted, drought-hardy, and wildlife-friendly.
The most adaptable warm-season grass in North America — nesting cover, biomass, filter strips, and CP2 monocultures.
The signature short-to-mid warm-season grass — drought-hardy, wildlife-friendly, and the aesthetic anchor of most CP25 shortgrass mixes.
The 'third grass' of the tallgrass prairie big-three — deep golden seedheads and reliable mesic-site establishment.
Mid-height bunchgrass that fills the gap between shortgrass and tallgrass on dry sites.
Fine-textured remnant-quality bunchgrass that signals a high-conservation-value planting.
Native cool-season nurse grass that stabilizes a seeding in year one without long-term competition.
Drought-proof shortgrass anchor for High Plains CRP acres.
The workhorse native cool-season grass of the Northern Plains — sod-forming, saline-tolerant, and highly reliable.
The tall, rhizomatous grass of wet prairie and wetland buffers.
Native forbs
The signature summer-bloom forb of pollinator and CP42 mixes — showy, hardy, and a proven monarch nectar source.
The monarch host plant of choice for well-drained upland CP42 pollinator mixes.
Fast-blooming annual legume that fixes nitrogen and feeds quail, bees, and butterflies.
Inexpensive, fast-blooming short-lived perennial that carries a planting through years one and two.
Dependable mid-summer nectar forb and one of the easiest native perennials to establish.
Nitrogen-fixing native legume with high wildlife-value seed.
Premier native legume for pollinators — high nectar value and deep drought tolerance.
Mid-summer nectar powerhouse for bumble bees, hummingbirds, and hawk moths.
Critical late-season nectar for migrating monarchs and fall bumble bee queens.
Well-behaved native goldenrod supplying heavy late-summer nectar and pollen.
Signature mid-summer monarch nectar plant and one of the most recognizable prairie forbs.
Deep-rooted conservative prairie forb and a marker of high-quality reconstruction.
Monarch host plant for wet ground — the wet-site counterpart to butterfly milkweed.
One of the earliest-blooming prairie forbs and a black swallowtail host plant.