Shortgrass Prairie Seed Mix for Medium Soils and Full Sun

For those with average garden soils but wanting a shorter mix typical of a natural upland prairie. Colorful all season, it includes Black-eyed Susan, Purple Coneflower, Wild Quinine and the classic shortgrass prairie grasses such as Little Bluestem and Side-Oats Grama. These species ultimately do well in medium-moisture soils, but can be challenging and take time to establish.

G.H of Rochester, MN shared this photo of the Shortgrass Prairie Seed Mix for medium soils taken in its 4th year. The site was a strip of lawn between a driveway and a neighbor's retaining wall. It was an isolated strip, receiving full sun, but only moderate moisture - classic disturbed, graded and compacted suburban soil. G.H. states, "In my yard full of gardens and flowers, it is one of my favorites. All I do is pull a few thistles now and then. I delight in the insects attracted to the flowers."

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.

Shortgrass Prairie Seed Mix for Medium Soils by Prairie Moon® Nursery 12.23 lbs per acre \| 183 Seeds per sq/ft (FILTER PLANTS IN THIS SEED MIX)
WILDFLOWERS
Botanical Name (Common Name)	% by wt.
Allium stellatum (Prairie Onion)	2.56
Asclepias incarnata (Rose Milkweed)	4.09
Astragalus canadensis (Canada Milk Vetch)	0.51
Baptisia alba (White Wild Indigo)	1.02
Coreopsis lanceolata (Lance-leaf Coreopsis)	2.04
Dalea candida (White Prairie Clover)	4.09
Dalea purpurea (Purple Prairie Clover)	4.09
Dodecatheon meadia (Midland Shooting Star)	0.89
Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower)	6.13
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)	2.04
Eryngium yuccifolium (Rattlesnake Master)	2.04
Gentiana flavida (Cream Gentian)	1.02
Liatris pycnostachya (Prairie Blazing Star)	6.13
Liatris spicata (Dense Blazing Star)	2.56
Lobelia spicata (Pale Spiked Lobelia)	0.51
Parthenium integrifolium (Wild Quinine)	3.07
Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue)	1.53
Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)	1.02
Pycnanthemum virginianum (Mountain Mint)	1.02
Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan)	3.07
Ruellia humilis (Wild Petunia)	1.53
Solidago speciosa (Showy Goldenrod)	0.51
Symphyotrichum laeve (Smooth Blue Aster)	1.28
Tradescantia ohiensis (Ohio Spiderwort)	3.07
Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders)	2.04
Total of WILDFLOWERS:	57.88 %

GRASSES, SEDGES & RUSHES
Botanical Name (Common Name)	% by wt.
Bouteloua curtipendula (Side-oats Grama)	14.48
Carex brevior (Plains Oval Sedge)	4.09
Carex molesta (Field Oval Sedge)	3.07
Juncus dudleyi (Dudley's Rush)	0.51
Muhlenbergia mexicana (Leafy Satin Grass)	1.53
Schyzachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)	16.36
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed)	2.09
Totals of GRASSES, SEDGES & RUSHES:	42.12 %

(FILTER PLANTS IN THIS SEED MIX)
Last updated 7/21/23

2 Questions asked on Shortgrass Prairie Seed Mix for Medium Soils

Ross Regner July 13

How tall will the short grass prairie plant mix get on a average.

Prairie Moon July 14

Hi Ross.The tallest plants in this mix, when mature, at the height of their bloom season (late-summer) will be 3-4 feet, depending on your soil and sun.

Nathan August 11

Would an established shortgrass prairie such as this hold up well to frequent foot traffic from children and pets?

Prairie Moon August 13

Hi Nathan. No, sorry. "Short grasses" in the prairie world are around 3 feet so when this prairie matures, it wouldn't be something you can easily walk on. You can walk through it though! We suggest keeping a path(s) mowed through a prairie for all to easily enter and enjoy!

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 wholesale 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 a day or two upon receipt.

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.

Shortgrass Prairie Seed Mix for Medium Soils

Seeds Show/hide Seeds purchase items

About

Components

Q&A

Planting

Shipping