Digging In: Prairie plants for plots

Prairies and oak savannas -- made up of hundreds of plant species -- once covered about a third of Minnesota. Today, only a tiny fraction of the original prairies remain. But interest in prairies and prairie plants has been growing steadily.

Remnant prairies are being preserved and new prairies are being planted in state and regional parks, commercial landscapes and back yards.

While you may not be able to fit a full-scale prairie restoration in your yard, you still can enjoy a bit of Minnesota's prairie heritage. Quite a few prairie grasses and forbs (non-grass herbaceous plants) make outstanding additions to the garden, even if your style leans toward the formal rather than the free-form.

Although grasses make up the majority of native prairies, gardeners tend to favor the pretty flowers of forbs. But don't overlook grasses. There are several smaller grasses that can complement any garden.

When choosing prairie plants, remember that not all of them thrive in dry, sandy soils. Some prairie plants prefer average soils -- loamy or clayish, slightly moist to slightly dry. And there are prairie plants that are native to wet prairies and prefer loamy soil with an even supply of moisture. So be sure to pick the right plant for your site.

Here are six prairie beauties bound to please any gardener. All prefer full sun.

FORBS

BUTTERFLY WEED

(Asclepias tuberosa)

This long-lived prairie perennial provides months of summer color with its brilliant orange flower clusters. Butterflies love the flowers, and the leaves are a vital food source for monarch caterpillars.

Size: 2 to 3 feet tall

Soil: dry, sandy soil

Related plants: Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is another great garden plant and butterfly magnet. It bears deep pink flower clusters atop its 3- to 5-foot-tall stems from June to August. Unlike butterfly weed, it prefers moist soils.

YELLOW CONEFLOWER

(Ratibida pinnata)

Also known as gray-headed coneflower, this exuberant plant provides loads of bright yellow flowers from mid-summer through early fall. Goldfinches and other birds relish the seeds in fall and winter. Yellow coneflower is amazingly tough and tolerates heat and drought.

Size: 3 to 6 feet tall

Soil: Sand or clay soils

Related plants: Other garden coneflowers come from the Rudbeckia group, including the ever popular black-eyed Susan (R. hirta) and tall, airy brown-eyed Susan (R. trilobata).

LIATRIS OR BLAZING STAR

(Liatris spp.)

The tall, straight flowering stems of liatris make distinctive garden punctuation. These popular perennials all have unusual shaggy purple-pink flowers that are adored by butterflies.

Garden-worthy selections include:

• Prairie blazing star (L. pycnostachya), 3 to 5 feet tall, average to moist soil

• Meadow blazing star (L. ligulistylis), 3 to 5 feet tall, moist to wet soil

• Dense blazing star (L. spicata), 2 to 4 feet tall, average to moist soil

• Dotted blazing star (L. punctata), 1 to 2 feet tall, dry soil

PURPLE CONEFLOWER

(Echinacea purpurea)

This crossover plant has gone from a prairie perennial to mass popularity. Its showy flowers sport pinkish-purple petals (ray flowers) and a spiky orange-brown central cone. Very attractive to butterflies and great as a cut flower.

Size: 2 to 4 feet tall

Soil: Average

Related plants: Pale purple coneflower (E. pallida) is equally lovely if a bit subtler with its narrow, drooping lavender-pink petals. It grows 3 to 5 feet tall and prefers average soil.

GRASSES

Prairie dropseed

(Sporobolus heterolepis)

This beautiful prairie grass forms a fountainlike clump of fine-textured bright green foliage. It sends up airy flowering stems in late summer that produce delicate seedheads. Prairie dropseed makes a great edging plant and also mingles beautifully with flowers.

Size: 2 to 4 feet tall

Soil: Average to dry

LITTLE BLUESTEM

(Schizachyrium scoparium)

The perennial grass is noted for its upright blue-green foliage, which turns lovely shades of red-orange to purple in the fall. Its late summer blooms are followed by small, fluffy, silver-white seedheads.

Size: 2 to 3 feet tall

Soil: Well-drained loam or dry, sandy soils

Nancy Rose is a horticulturist with the University of Minnesota Extension. To ask her a gardening question, call 612-673-9073 and leave a message. She will answer questions in this column only.