for Wet to Medium-Dry Soils and Full to Part Sun
For rainwater runoff detention basins. A selection of species designed to tolerate fluctuating water levels and poor water quality. High diversity allows changes in species composition from the wetter bottom area to the dryer slope. Also, species composition can successfully change with a series of wet or dry years. Although some of the native plants in this seed mix have ranges that extend beyond zones 3-7, the majority will do best in this zone range. For more detailed information please see the RANGE MAP for each species. View the complete species list, including % by weight, under COMPONENTS.

For seed mixes of 1/8 acre or less, we include a temporary cover crop at no additional charge. ReGreen is a sterile, short-lived perennial wheat hybrid that can be planted spring or fall.

Add a Seed Mix Enhancement for that extra splash of color!

Establishing a native plant community from seed can take 3 years or more - learn more.

All mixes are subject to change without notice depending on availability of species.

Detention Basin Seed Mix by Prairie Moon® Nursery 9.57 lbs per acre \| 305 Seeds per sq/ft (FILTER PLANTS IN THIS SEED MIX)
WILDFLOWERS
Botanical Name (Common Name)	% by wt.
Alisma subcordatum (Mud Plantain)	1.31
Allium stellatum (Prairie Onion)	0.98
Ammannia coccinea (Scarlet Toothcup)	0.98
Anemone canadensis (Canada Anemone)	0.65
Angelica atropurpurea (Great Angelica)	3.92
Asclepias incarnata (Rose Milkweed)	2.61
Astragalus canadensis (Canada Milk Vetch)	0.65
Bidens cernua (Nodding Bur Marigold)	0.65
Boltonia asteroides (False Aster)	0.65
Eupatorium perfoliatum (Boneset)	0.49
Eupatorium maculatum (Joe Pye Weed)	0.65
Gentiana andrewsii (Bottle Gentian)	0.36
Gentiana flavida (Cream Gentian)	0.36
Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed)	0.71
Heliopsis helianthoides (Early Sunflower)	1.31
Hibiscus laevis (Rose Mallow)	3.92
Hypericum pyramidatum (Great St. John's Wort)	0.65
Iris virginica var. shrevei (Southern Blue Flag)	2.61
Liatris pycnostachya (Prairie Blazing Star)	3.27
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)	0.33
Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia)	1.31
Lycopus americanus (Water Horehound)	0.65
Mimulus ringens (Monkey Flower)	0.33
Oligoneuron rigidum (Stiff Goldenrod)	0.65
Pedicularis lanceolata (Marsh Betony)	0.65
Persicaria punctata (Smartweed)	0.98
Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)	0.71
Pycnanthemum virginianum (Mountain Mint)	1.31
Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan)	1.96
Rudbeckia subtomentosa (Sweet Black-eyed Susan)	0.36
Rudbeckia triloba (Brown-eyed Susan)	1.31
Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant)	0.65
Silphium perfoliatum (Cup Plant)	0.65
Silphium terebinthinaceum (Prairie Dock)	0.65
Symphyotrichum laeve (Smooth Blue Aster)	1.31
Thalictrum dasycarpum (Purple Meadow Rue)	1.96
Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain)	1.31
Vernonia fasciculata (Common Ironweed)	1.31
Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver's Root)	0.65
Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders)	1.31
Totals of WILDFLOWERS:	47.07 %

GRASSES, SEDGES & RUSHES
Botanical Name (Common Name)	% by wt.
Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem)	6.53
Bromus ciliatus (Fringed Brome)	5.12
Calamagrostis canadensis (Blue Joint Grass)	0.34
Carex bicknellii (Copper-shouldered Oval Sedge)	1.31
Carex frankii (Bristly Cattail Sedge)	1.31
Carex hystericina (Porcupine Sedge)	1.31
Carex vulpinoidea (Brown Fox Sedge)	3.27
Elymus canadensis (Canada Wild Rye)	10.45
Elymus virginicus (Virginia Wild Rye)	10.45
Glyceria grandis (Reed Manna Grass)	1.31
Juncus dudleyi (Dudley's Rush)	0.33
Juncus interior (Inland Rush)	0.28
Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass)	1.31
Scirpus atrovirens (Dark-green Bulrush)	0.71
Scirpus cyperinus (Wool Grass)	0.37
Scirpus validus (Great Bulrush)	0.71
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass)	6.53
Spartina pectinata (Cord Grass)	1.31
Totals of GRASSES, SEDGES & RUSHES:	52.93 %
(FILTER PLANTS IN THIS SEED MIX)
Last updated 11/27/23

5 Questions asked on Detention Basin Seed Mix

Eleni July 4

We have a drainage ditch in the front of our house. Would planting this there disrupt the function of the ditch? (pretty much all the water in our yard runs off there.)

Prairie Moon July 8

Hi Eleni! Sorry for the delay due to the 4th of July holiday. YES! A native seed mix designed for wetter soils like the Detention Basin Seed Mix would disrupt the function of the ditch - and that would be a good thing! There would be no standing water. Because of the deep root system of native plants, they act both as a sponge and a filter. They help water soak down into the soil, fast! They filter out excess nutrients and pollutants, improving water and soil quality.

Keep in mind, sowing seed to mature blooming natives is a 3 year process - minimum. Follow the site prep and follow-up maintenance abbreviated here: Establishing a Native Seed Mix

Jim July 8

does the detention basin seed mix have the usual seeding windows of spring, fall and dormant?

Prairie Moon July 9

Hi Jim, Yes it does! As you may know, there are Pros and Cons to those planting times. We prefer fall/dormant planting so that your grasses and forbs are germinating in the same season.

Anne August 14

I would like to put in a rain garden that receives water from a residential street in MN. The spot I have available is under the canopy of a couple large trees, so the most sun it gets is some in the early morning and late afternoon with some dappled sun in the afternoon. (The tree that shades it in the morning has too dense a canopy to allow much sun through.) Is the best strategy for finding appropriate plants to check the extension basin components for those described as thriving in partial sun? Or to search the site for wet/partial shade plants? Is there a method of filtering where I can get rid of the full sun plants? (I feel like searching for partial shade brings up a lot of plants that actually prefer full sun but can tolerate partial...)

Prairie Moon August 18

Hi Anne, I think the best way to go about it would be to search for shade-tolerant plants that do well in medium-wet to medium-dry soils, and scan that list for suitable options. You may also want to consult outside resources like this one from the University of Wisconsin Extension: Native Plants for Shady Rain Gardens

Ben March 20

Do any of these plants have the ability to raise oxygen levels in water? (a pond?)

Prairie Moon March 21

Good question, Ben! We are not as familiar with pond ecosystem interactions, but it looks like submersed or floating-leaved plants are the better options for oxygenating pond water. The Detention Basin works beautifully for a shoreline buffer, but does not include many species that would fill this role. The Short Sedge Meadow and Tall Sedge Meadow mixes have a higher percentage of such species. Also, check out our Emergent Plant List for more ideas!

Erica November 28

Would this mix be appropriate for a basin designed to hold water, but only for a maximum of 24-36 hours?

Prairie Moon November 29

Hello Erica, This seed mix would be a great fit for intermittent water shed. The Detention basin mix was made with that exact idea in mind, if not to hold more water.

Native plant communities provide the inspiration for our seed-mix designs. All our mixes feature high seeding rates and a diverse balance of native species, which, when mature, will provide blossoms throughout the year. No matter what you want from a seed mix, you will need to make sure it fits the soil-moisture holding capacity and sun conditions of your site.

E stablishment of the diverse native-plant communities represented in our seed mixes can take three to five years. The most critical process before planting is preparing the site by removing unwanted species and working to deplete the soil’s weed seed bank. Find detailed site prep, planting and care instructions for our seed mixes through the following links:

ESTABLISHING A NATIVE SEED MIX - 3 YEAR PLAN

PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR HAND SOWING A NATIVE SEED MIX

*PLEASE NOTE: we are a mail order nursery and have no retail facilities, but you may pick up your order if prior arrangements are made. Pick up orders are subject to **MN Sales Tax.

Shipping & Handling Charges

SEED $100.00 and under: $5.00
Retail SEED orders over $100.00 ship free!

Custom seed mixes or discounted seed sales over $100, add 5% of the total seed cost
(for orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required)

BARE ROOT and POTTED PLANTS $50.00 and under: $9.00
over $50.00: 18% of the total plant cost. (For orders over $1,000 a package signature may be required.)

TOOLS and BOOKS have the shipping fee included in the cost of the product (within the contiguous US).

**We are required to collect state sales tax in certain states. Your state's eligibility and % will be calculated at checkout. MN State Sales Tax of 7.375% is applied for orders picked up at our MN location. Shipping & handling charges are also subject to the sales tax.

Shipping Season

SEED, TOOLS and BOOKS are sent year-round. Most orders ship within 1-3 business days.

BARE ROOT PLANTS are shipped during optimal transplanting time: Spring (April-May) and Fall (Oct). Some ephemeral species are also available for summer shipping. Since our plants are field-grown, Nature sets the schedule each year as to when our season will begin and end. We fill all orders, on a first-come, first-serve basis, to the best of our ability depending on weather conditions beyond our control.

POTTED PLANTS (Trays of 32/38/50 plugs and 3-packs) typically begin shipping early May and go into June; shipping time is heavily dependent on all the species in your order being well-rooted. If winter-spring greenhouse growing conditions are favorable and all species are well-rooted at once, then we ship by order date (first come, first serve). We are a Midwest greenhouse, and due to the challenges of getting all the species in the Mix & Match and Pre-Designed Garden Kits transit-ready at the same time, we typically can't ship before early May. Earlier shipment requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

*We are unable to ship PLANTS (bare root or potted) outside the contiguous US or to CALIFORNIA due to regulations.

Delivery

We ship using USPS, UPS and Spee Dee. UPS and Spee Dee are often used for expediting plant orders; they will not deliver to Post Office Box numbers, so please also include your street address if ordering plants. We send tracking numbers to your email address so please include it when you order.

FOR MORE DETAILED SHIPPING INFORMATION, INCLUDING CANADA SHIPPING RATES (SEED ONLY), PLEASE SEE 'SHIPPING' AT THE FOOTER OF THIS WEBSITE.

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