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.
Drought-proof shortgrass anchor for High Plains CRP acres.
Sod-forming shortgrass that carpets dry western ground and survives on 12 inches of rain.
Native cool-season nurse grass that stabilizes a seeding in year one without long-term competition.
Native cool-season bunchgrass that greens up early and holds clay soils.
The 'third grass' of the tallgrass prairie big-three — deep golden seedheads and reliable mesic-site establishment.
The signature short-to-mid warm-season grass — drought-hardy, wildlife-friendly, and the aesthetic anchor of most CP25 shortgrass mixes.
Drought-hardy native cool-season bunchgrass for the dry northern and western Plains.
The tall, rhizomatous grass of wet prairie and wetland buffers.
Fine-textured remnant-quality bunchgrass that signals a high-conservation-value planting.
Aggressive rhizomatous sand binder — the first choice for blowout repair.
The tall grass that anchors blowing sand where big bluestem cannot grow.
Fast-establishing sand stabilizer with fine, airy seedheads and high palatability.
Mid-height bunchgrass that fills the gap between shortgrass and tallgrass on dry sites.
Fast-establishing native cool-season nurse grass that tolerates salt and alkali.
The most adaptable warm-season grass in North America — nesting cover, biomass, filter strips, and CP2 monocultures.
The workhorse native cool-season grass of the Northern Plains — sod-forming, saline-tolerant, and highly reliable.
Native forbs
Drought-hardy summer sunflower with heavy pollen output and winter bird seed.
Inexpensive, fast-blooming short-lived perennial that carries a planting through years one and two.
Long-blooming red-and-yellow daisy that establishes fast on dry western ground.
Fast, inexpensive early-season blue bloomer for dry western plantings.
The monarch host plant of choice for well-drained upland CP42 pollinator mixes.
The primary monarch host plant across the Midwest breeding range.
Deep-rooted conservative prairie forb and a marker of high-quality reconstruction.
The dry-plains blazing star — deep taproot, late bloom, monarch fuel.
One of the earliest-blooming prairie forbs and a black swallowtail host plant.
Dependable mid-summer nectar forb and one of the easiest native perennials to establish.
Nitrogen-fixing native legume with high wildlife-value seed.
Tall late-season sunflower that stacks nectar, seed, and winter cover in one plant.
Critical late-season nectar for migrating monarchs and fall bumble bee queens.
Early-summer white bloom for small native bees on northern mesic sites.
Early-summer nectar anchor with drooping pale petals and a long taproot.
Fast-blooming annual legume that fixes nitrogen and feeds quail, bees, and butterflies.
Signature mid-summer monarch nectar plant and one of the most recognizable prairie forbs.
Fast, cheap, long-blooming forb that puts color and nectar in a stand by year two.
Low silvery semi-shrub that holds thin, eroding soils in the dry western Plains.
One of the earliest prairie bloomers, feeding queen bumble bees in April.
The signature summer-bloom forb of pollinator and CP42 mixes — showy, hardy, and a proven monarch nectar source.
Premier native legume for pollinators — high nectar value and deep drought tolerance.
Mid-summer nectar for short-tongued bees and wasps; a distinctive structural forb.
Late-season purple spike that fuels the monarch fall migration on dry ground.
Native nitrogen-fixing legume with high-value winter seed for quail and songbirds.
Woody shrub component providing winter cover and sage-grouse habitat structure.
Final nectar source of the season on dry upland ground.
Well-behaved native goldenrod supplying heavy late-summer nectar and pollen.
Monarch host plant for wet ground — the wet-site counterpart to butterfly milkweed.
Nitrogen-fixing native legume with high-protein forage and strong bee value.
Mid-summer nectar powerhouse for bumble bees, hummingbirds, and hawk moths.