Minnehaha Conservation District

ALEXANDER, GOLDEN

A native perennial that will grow 1-3 feet tall. It prefers full to partial shade and moist soil. It has a long blooming period with yellow umbrella-shaped flowers turning purple as they dry out. Attracts Black Swallowtail butterfly, whose caterpillar will use the plant for food.

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ASTER, HEATH

Native perennial grows from stolons and rhizomes and can be 12″-20″ tall and up to 18″ across. The many small white flowers bloom in late summer and can cover the entire plant. Up to 20 flowers on a single bract and several bracts per plant.

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ASTER, NEW ENGLAND

Stout erect perennial with several branches growing 20″-40″ from a single base. Several flowers form on the terminal end of the stems. Flowers are large blue-violet to reddish purple with yellow centers. Found on wet prairie meadows, stream banks, and boggy areas.

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ASTER, SMOOTH BLUE

Native perennial is 1-1/2 to 3 feet tall. Forms a central stem which remains erect during the early to late fall blooming period. Flowering stems produce numerous lavender or light blue-violet daisy-like flowers with yellow centers. Smooth Blue aster have smooth foliage and stems, unlike other asters. Photo credit: Thomas G. Barnes

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BERGAMOT, WILD

Native. Strong plant with square stems has minty-scented foliage. Large pink to lavender flowers are produced mid-summer. Good plant for pollinators and butterflies. Spherical seedheads remain on plant over winter. Mildew may be a problem if not grown with good air circulation. Prefers moderate soil moisture. Grows 2-4 feet tall.

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BLACK-EYED SUSAN

Native in the United States, east of South Dakota. Yellow-orange daisy-like flowers with dark centers cover plants late-summer to fall. Similar to Rudbeckia ‘Goldstrum’ but flowers later. Good cut flower. Seedheads allowed to stand over winter provide bird food. Grows 2 feet tall.

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BLAZING STAR, BUTTON

Native. This upland prairie plant produces spikes of rosy-purple clustered flowers. Attracts butterflies. Goldfinches find the seed delicious! Makes great cut flowers. Prefers average to dry soils. Grows 2-3 feet tall. Photo credit: USDA-NRCS Plants Database

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BLAZING STAR, DOTTED

Native. Produces attractive purple flower spike in late summer. Often seen on dry, sandy, or gravelly soil. Grows on hillsides. Has a deep taproot. Grows 1 foot tall. Photo credit: USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center.

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BLAZING STAR, MEADOW

Native. Monarch butterfly magnet! Produces tall purple flower stalk late summer. Grows in moist meadows, prairie, and road ditches. Good garden, rain garden, and landscape plant. Grows 3-4 feet tall.

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COLUMBINE, AMERICAN

This is a herbaceous perennial that grows 24″ tall and wide. Flower spikes can reach up to 3 feet in height at maturity. Is ideal for naturalizing and woodland gardens. Late spring flowers are red to orange bell-shaped with yellow eyes. Should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer will usually leave columbine alone in favor of tastier treats. Photo credit: Elaine Haug

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COMPASS PLANT

Slow growing, very long-lived native. Sends up tall flower stalk with up to 100 bright yellow flowers that open over a month-long period. The name comes from the orientation of its leaves. The large leaves are held vertically with the tips pointing north or south, and lower surfaces of the blades facing east or west. Vertical leaves facing east-west have higher water use efficiency than horizontal or north-south facing blades. A classic prairie plant. Grows 4-8′ feet tall, 2-3 feet wide.

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CONEFLOWER, NARROWLEAF

Native. Attractive flowers with dark brown spiny center and purple, pink, or sometimes white petals. Occurs in fertile prairies, rocky hillsides, and in coarse-textured soils. Drought tolerant. Roots sometimes used for medicinal purposes. Also called Black Samson. Grows 1-2 feet tall.

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CONEFLOWER, PRAIRIE ‘UPRIGHT YELLOW’

Native. A common prairie plant with drooping yellow petals which surround a vertical central cone. Blooms late summer to early fall. Grows to 4 feet in gardens, but shorter in prairie situations.

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CONEFLOWER, PURPLE

Native in US, east of South Dakota. Produces large quantities of showy pinkish-purple flowers in midsummer. Very popular garden plant. Seedheads provide winter bird food. A favorite of Monarch butterflies. Grows 2-3 feet tall.

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CONEFLOWER, YELLOW

Native in US. Large yellow flowers appear in early- to mid-summer. Petals droop down from central seedhead. Flowers similar to other Echinacea but with yellow petals. Grows 2-4 feet tall.

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CUP PLANT

Robust native with square stems. Opposite leaves join at the base, forming cups that will hold water that is used by birds and insects. Large, yellow, daisy-like flowers. Grows 6-8 feet tall, 3 feet wide.

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GOLDENROD ‘BABY GOLD’

Provides bright yellow-gold color. Use in flower borders and mass plantings. Divide every 2-3 years to maintain plant vigor. Prefers rich, moist, we–drained soil. Grows 18-24 inches tall with a 24 inch spread.

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HYSSOP, ANISE

Native. Grows 2-4 feet with lavender flower spikes at the end of square stalks. A member of the mint family. Leaves and stems are licorice scented, especially when crushed. Can be used to flavor food and beverages. Attracts pollinators, butterflies, and birds. Flowers June-September. Needs half to full sun and average soil moisture. Clip spent flowers to avoid re-seeding. Photo credit: USDA Plant Database

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IRONWEED

Native. Blooms late summer to fall, producing many heads of red-violet flowers. Prefers moist soil. Good plant for rain garden. Good cut flower. Grows 4-5 feet tall.

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JOE PYE WEED

Native perennial that blooms from late summer to late fall. Fuchsia colored flower buds give way to plumes of lightly-scented rose flowers at the ends of the stems. Excellent for cut flowers. Will grow to about 6 feet tall, with a spread of 4 feet. It has a medium growth rate. It does best in full sun to partial shade, preferring average to wet conditions. Cut back in early spring prior to green-up. Photo credit: Wildflower Farms

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LEADPLANT

Native. Compound leaves have gray leaflets covered with dense woolly hair. Beautiful purple flower spikes. Legume. Grows in pastures, rock or sandy hills, and well-drained prairies. Develops semi-woody crown. Is deep rooted and drought tolerant. Grows 1-2 feet tall.

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MEXICAN HAT

Native. Sometimes called ‘Upright Red’. Produces blood-red flowers in late summer and early fall. Drooping petals surround an upright central cone. Very similar to ‘Upright Yellow’ coneflower. Can grow to 4 feet with good moisture and little competition.

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MILKWEED, BUTTERFLY

Native. A hassle-free, drought-tolerant perennial, with three months of tangerine-orange blooms. Attracts scores of butterflies. Excellent long-lasting cut flowers. Breaks dormancy late. Grows to 24″.

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MILKWEED, SWAMP

Native. Food for Monarch butterfly caterpillars. Beautiful pink-red flowers. Milky sap. Riparian plant. Use in gardens, rain gardens, moist sites. After flowering, remove developing seed pods in garden and landscape situations to avoid self-sowing. Grows 3-4 feet tall. Photo credit: Jennifer Anderson at USDA-NRCS Plants Database

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PASQUEFLOWER, NATIVE

Native. South Dakota State Flower. Earliest wildflower to bloom! Delicate cup-shaped lavender flowers appear on hairy stalks as soon as the snow melts. Tolerates dry gravelly soil. Often found growing on grassy hillsides. Grows 6 inches tall.

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PENSTEMON, SHELL LEAF

Native. A bumblebee favorite! Beautiful light pink flowers produced in early summer atop 2-3 foot stalks from a greenish-white rosette of leaves. Grows best on well-drained sandy or gravelly soil. May not be long-lived in the garden, but worth the effort!

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PRAIRIE BLUE-EYED GRASS

Native. Small grass-like plant in the Iris family which produces lavender flowers in spring when few other plants are blooming. Usually grows in fairly moist grasslands. A delight to find in prairie settings! Grows 6″-12″ tall.

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PRAIRIE CLOVER, PURPLE ‘BISMARCK’

Native. NRCS release from Lyman County, South Dakota. Fine-leafed legume with purple flowers at the ends of terminal spikes. Used by native pollinators and butterflies. Good landscape appeal. Needs good drainage. Grows 1-3 feet tall.

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PRAIRIE CLOVER, WHITE ‘ANTELOPE’

Native. Legume, similar to purple prairie clover but with white flowers and larger leaflets. Attracts native pollinators. Grows 1-2 feet tall. Photo credit: SDSU Ag Experiment Station

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PRAIRIE SMOKE

Native. Delightful prairie plant with interesting flower stalks produced in May and June. Nodding reddish flowers produce feathery seedheads which look like smoke. Leaves form a basal rosette which is attractive the rest of the summer. Grows 6″-12″ tall.

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ROSE, PRAIRIE

Native shrub, typically less than 18″ tall. Prickly stems. Flowers are large, 5 petals, mostly pink and very fragrant. The persistent red-orange fruit is called a hip and is used by wildlife. Found in open prairies, bluffs, open woodlands, thickets, and roadsides. It is the state flower of North Dakota and Iowa.

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RUE, PURPLE MEADOW

A native forb, grows 2-4 feet tall with a stout crown and fibrous roots. Small flowers range in color from purplish to greenish or whitish on numerous panicles in June and July. Found in moist prairie and wet meadows in eastern South Dakota, and moist meadows and clearings in the Black Hills. Photo credit: Wasowski

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SAGE, WHITE

Native. Also called Man Sage. This fuzzy silvery-white plant grows strongly from rhizomatous roots and has a strong sage odor. It is drought tolerant and grows in sandy soil but is adaptable to various soil conditions. Used ceremonially and medicinally for various ailments by Native Americans. Can spread rapidly. Use for background in perennial border or landscape. Grows 12″-30″ tall. Photo credit: USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center

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SAGEBRUSH, BIG

This is a stout, highly branched, evergreen, grayish shrub. It can be anywhere from 8″ to 10″ tall, depending on variety. It is native to the extreme western part of South Dakota. Sage grouse and pronghorn are dependent on Big Sagebrush for forage. Photo credit: J.S. Peterson

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SEDGE, NEEDLELEAF

Native. Low-growing, grass-like plant common in dry prairie, rocky hillsides, and sandy areas. Slowly forms a colony. Blends in with grasses when mowed like turf. Readily grazed early in spring when other forage is dormant. Drought tolerant. Grows 6″ -8″ tall. Photo credit: E. G. Hurd

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SNEEZEWEED

Grows 1-4 feet tall on a branched single stem plant. Yellow flowers appear July to September in clusters radiating from the main plant in groups of 10 to 20. Sneezeweed contains a glycoside which can cause death in livestock, especially sheep and horses. It can also cause dermatitis in sensitive people. Helenalin, an ingredient in sneezeweed, may possess significant anti-tumor activity. Photo credit: Jennifer Anderson

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SUNFLOWER, MAXIMILIAN ‘MEDICINE CREEK’

Native. Showy yellow flowers. Prefers moist soil. Grows along streams, sloughs, road ditches, and moist prairies. Large rain garden plant. Leaves fold lengthwise and curve downward. Produces seeds favored by small birds. Grows 3-6 feet tall. Photo credit: USDA-NRCS Plant Database

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SUNFLOWER, STIFF

Native. Yellow flowers in late summer. Rhizomatous roots often form colony. Stems are rough and often tinted red. Tolerates wet to dry soil. Deer browse flowerheads. Grows 1-4 feet tall.

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YUCCA

Native. Spectacular cream-colored flower panicle produced in early summer from clump of lance-shaped leaves. Often grows on dry, sandy, gravelly hillsides, especially in the western half of South Dakota. Grows 2-4 feet tall.