NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/498175
54 NEBRASKAland • MAY 2015 Landscaping with Native Prairie Plants A low-maintenance habitat for butterflies and bees C reate a vibrant atmosphere in your yard by bringing some prairie into it. In addition to native wildflowers' and grasses' decorative appeal, they also provide habitat for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Because native plants are adapted to Nebraska's environmental conditions, they require less maintenance than most ornamentals, no fertilizer and little watering. If you landscape entirely with prairie plants, you won't have to mow. When planning your landscape, choose a variety of species that bloom at different times throughout the season. This will provide pollinators with a consistent food source. Short and mid-height grasses with mainly mid-height wildflowers are a good combination for smaller yards. In backyard prairies, such as the one pictured above, you may want to avoid tallgrasses and aggressive rhizomatous wildflowers such as most goldenrods, sunflowers and meadow anemone, which can spread and dominate. If you want to include some taller species – such as compass-plant or tall grasses such as big bluestem, indiangrass, or switchgrass – you could use them as isolated landscape plants surrounded by mulch or rock. Below is a short list of native species that would do well in a smaller area (most of which are perennials). Become familiar with the plants' preferred soil type and sunlight requirements; prairie plants require a sunny location. You can plant a mix of plants, starting with seeds or seedlings from a greenhouse, as they grow in a prairie. Or, for a more manicured look, you can grow individual plants surrounded by mulch. For backyard prairies, the simplest way to remove the thatch in fall is to obtain a burn permit. Native Plant Sources You can collect your own seeds from wild plants, or you can buy seed of individual plants or seed mixes, which can be a cheaper and less time-consuming option for novices. Some dealers also sell seedlings. If purchasing a seed mix, be cautious of what you're buying and who you're buying it from. Some prairie seed mixes contain cultivars, which have been bred for vigorous growth, or non-native plants – advertised as wildflowers – that may spread to the wild. Ion Exchange Ionxchange.com and Prairie Moon Nursery Prairiemoon.com are two regional seed dealers that sell non-cultivar seed and seedlings. ■ For more information about planting native species, check out Gerry Steinauer's A Guide to Prairie and Wetland Restoration in Eastern Nebraska available at Prairienebraska.org. PHOTOS BY GERRY STEINAUER Prairie dog-toothed violet is one of the first tallgrass prairie wildflowers to bloom in spring. Sullivant's milkweed blooms in early summer and is a great wildflower for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. PHOT PHOT PHOT PHOTOS B OS B OS B OS BY GE Y GE Y GE Y GERRY RRY RRY RRY STEI STEI STEI STEINAUE NAUE NAUE NAUER This backyard prairie in Aurora was planted with a mix of seeds and seedlings. Butterfly milkweed Sullivant's milkweed Common milkweed Purple prairie-clover White prairie-clover Purple coneflower Dotted gayfeather Rough gayfeather Thickspike gayfeather Foxglove penstemon Shell-leaf penstemon Prairie phlox Prairie ragwort (biennial) Missouri goldenrod Buffalo bean Prairie dog-toothed violet Side-oats grama Little bluestem Junegrass Porcupine grass By Callie Rietfors