for Medium-Wet to Medium-Dry Soils & nearly Full Shade

A healthy woodland in springtime transforms into a treasure trove of hidden gems gleaming through the leaf litter after a long winter. Spring ephemerals are little wonders of the forest floor, and their existence relies on moisture from snowmelt and the warm sunlight that gently filters through the still-bare but slowly budding tree branches. Once the trees leaf out and shade closes in, these spring marvels go to seed as quickly as they arrived, conserving their energy and magic for the next year.

Delicate and fleeting as they are, these wildflowers may take 3-5 years (or more) to fully establish, so this mix includes hardier, more competitive species to keep these shy bloomers company. After all, no shady woodland would be complete without a variety of blossoms and berries to attract pollinators, as well as sedges and grasses to keep things lush and lively throughout the seasons.

This mix includes several early spring flowering species, some of which are spread by a small-but-mighty dispersal partner: the ant! Ants seek out a fatty deposit called an elaiosome on the outside of the seed, and they carry the seeds back to their nest, assisting with seed distribution and aiding in germination success. The seeds benefit from the ants' protection, since most critters tend to avoid teeming anthills; the lofy, disturbed soil around an ant nest provides ideal conditions for new sprouts.

We suggest you also enhance this woodland seeding by transplanting species not available in seed such as Ferns, Trilliums, Hepatica, and Trout Lily. View the complete species list, including % by weight, under COMPONENTS. *For woodland restoration projects larger than the 1/8 acre listed here, contact us about custom seed mix design.

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.

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.

Some seeds in this mix are kept under refrigeration (33-38 F) in our warehouse. The days in transit to you in colder or warmer conditions won’t harm the seed, but the bag of refrigerated seed should be removed from the seed mix bag and put back in refrigeration until you are ready to plant.

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.

Shady Woodland Seed Mix by Prairie Moon® Nursery 13.88 lbs per acre \| 127 Seeds per sq/ft (FILTER PLANTS IN THIS SEED MIX)
WILDFLOWERS
Botanical Name (Common Name)	% by wt.
Actaea rubra (Red Baneberry)	0.72
Agastache scrophulariifolia (Purple Giant Hyssop)	0.90
Ageratina altissima (White Snakeroot)	0.23
Allium tricoccum (Wild Leek)	3.60
Aquilegia canadensis (Columbine)	1.80
Aralia racemosa (Spikenard)	0.90
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-Pulpit)	1.35
Blephilia hirsuta (Hairy Wood Mint)	0.45
Campanula americana (Tall Bellflower)	1.80
Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh)	3.60
Cryptotaenia canadensis (Honewort)	0.90
Dasistoma macrophylla (Mullein-foxglove)	0.23
Desmodium glutinosum (Pointed-leaved Tick Trefoil)	1.80
Dodecatheon meadia (Midland Shooting Star)	0.45
Eurybia macrophylla (Big-leaved Aster)	0.45
Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet Joe Pye Weed)	0.45
Geranium maculatum (WIld Geranium)	0.90
Hydrophyllum appendiculatum (Great Waterleaf)	0.90
Impatiens pallida (Yellow Jewelweed)	0.68
Lobelia inflata (Indian Tobacco)	0.23
Lysimachia ciliata (Fringed Loosestrife)	0.23
Maianthemum racemosum (Solomon's Plume)	3.60
Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells)	0.90
Mitella diphylla (Bishop's Cap)	0.45
Osmorhiza claytonii (Sweet Cicely)	2.70
Osmorhiza longistylis (Aniseroot)	0.90
Packera aurea (Golden Ragwort)	0.90
Penstemon hirsutus (Hairy Beardtongue)	1.35
Persicaria virginiana (Woodland Knotweed)	0.90
Phryma leptostachya (Lopseed)	0.90
Polemonium reptans (Jacob's Ladder)	0.90
Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon's Seal)	2.25
Prenanthes alba (Lion's Foot)	0.90
Rudbeckia laciniata (Wild Golden Glow)	0.45
Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)	1.35
Scrophularia marilandica (Late Figwort)	0.90
Smilax lasioneura (Common Carrion Flower)	2.88
Solidago ulmifolia (Elm-leaved Goldenrod)	0.68
Symphyotrichum drummondii (Drummond's Aster)	0.68
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster)	1.35
Symphyotrichum shortii (Short's Aster)	1.35
Taenidia integerrima (Yellow Pimpernel)	1.35
Thalictrum dioicum (Early Meadow Rue)	2.70
Triosteum perfoliatum (Late Horse Gentian)	2.25
Uvularia grandiflora (Bellwort)	1.35
Total of WILDFLOWERS:	56.53 %

GRASSES, SEDGES & RUSHES
Botanical Name (Common Name)	% by wt.
Bromus pubescens (Hairy Wood Chess)	3.60
Carex blanda (Common Wood Sedge)	2.25
Carex davisii (Awned Graceful Sedge)	0.90
Carex grayi (Common Bur Sedge)	0.68
Carex grisea (Wood Gray Sedge)	0.90
Carex sprengelii (Long-beaked Sedge)	1.80
Cinna arundinacea (Wood Reed Grass)	0.45
Diarrhena obovata (Beak Grass)	4.95
Elymus hystrix (Bottlebrush Grass)	5.41
Elymus riparius (Riverbank Wild Rye)	1.80
Elymus villosus (Silky Wild Rye)	3.60
Elymus virginicus (Virginia Wild Rye)	14.41
Festuca subverticillata (Nodding Fescue)	1.80
Glyceria striata (Fowl Manna Grass)	0.90
Totals of GRASSES, SEDGES & RUSHES:	43.47 %

(FILTER PLANTS IN THIS SEED MIX)
Last updated 1/6/24

18 Questions asked on Shady Woodland Seed Mix

David January 15

Would the Shady Woodland Seed Mix work under a ground mounted solar array? The array is about 2 feet above the ground in the front and 9.5 ft in the back.

Prairie Moon January 16

What an exciting location, David! The Shady Woodland Seed Mix is really designed for the rich, loamy, protected conditions of the deep woods. The Shortgrass Woods Edge or Savanna Seed Mix would likely be the better option; these species do prefer a decent amount of soil moisture, so if that site is bone-dry, you may want to look at our other shortgrass seed mixes. The Septic Safe and the Shortgrass Echinacea Prairie seed mixes would acclimate to less sunlight while thriving in dry soil.

Erin February 10

Hi there! We have a well established cedar Forrest with good dappled light, and lots of open ground space (canopy is pretty full). No low branches for the most part. Can this seed mix grow under cedars? Thanks!

Prairie Moon February 11

Hi Erin. The Shady Woodland Seed Mix is really designed to thrive in deciduous forests, although it may do very well in your cedar woods. See if there are similar habitats in your area and take a look at what species are on the site. Or send us pictures of your forest and we can assess if this mix would be a good fit.

Erich February 16

Wondering if a erosion control blanket would be advised to help hold seeds in place on our sloped woodland area. Could there be any adverse effects from using this? I read that you advise using cover crops for erosion control but i have found anything that successfully established itself in or moderate dappled shade. Thank you.

Prairie Moon February 17

Hi Erich. Using erosion control fabric is a great idea for sowing on sloped sites. Use a fabric with a wide weave and heavy-duty qualities like anti-wash geojute. We have found Virginia Wild Rye to be a great cover crop option for shaded areas. The Shady Woodland Seed Mix includes this grass, but the sloped site would likely benefit if you sowed this species even more heavily.

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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