The Ark Native Plants

Prairie Forbs

A small, corner prairie garden out front of our house.

Hairy Beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus

Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figworts)

With a full flower head and spreading nature, Hairy Beardtongue tolerates full or part sun, but likes well-drained soil.

Bergamot Monarda fistulosa

Family: Lamiaceae (Mints)

A unique and attractive violet flower, Bergamot is a good source of nectar for butterflies. Spreading along nearly exposed surface roots, it's easy to divide. Being a mint, it has a wonderful smell- Earl Grey, the tea that it flavours.

Pale Purple Coneflower Echinacea pallida

Family: Asteraceae/Compositae (Asters & Composites)

Pale Purple Coneflower is very similar to Echinacea purpurea of moist meadows, except for its lighter bloom and narrower leaves. It also prefers full sun and well drained soils, perfect for a prairie. The coneflowers are good nectar plants for butterflies, and provide seeds for birds (especially goldfinches) in the fall.

Wild Blue Flax Linum lewisii

Family: Linaceae (Flaxes)

Not to be confused with the annual Eurasian flax or that of Europe's linen crop, the perennial Wild Blue Flax is native to prairies of North America. Though its sky blue flowers last only one day, the plant produces many flowers continuously for a few weeks.

Stiff Goldenrod Solidago rigida

Family: Asteraceae/Compositae (Asters & Composites)

A unique goldenrod because of its large individual flowers and thick stem, Stiff Goldenrod is a great fall-blooming plant for sandy prairies and dry meadows.

Blue False Indigo Baptisia australis

Family: Fabiaceae (Beans & Peas)

With large blue flowers in spring, the Blue False Indigo grows to a waist-high, bushy size every year before dying back. It likes moist to dry prairies, or moist woodland margins.

Wild Lupine Lupinus perennis

Family: Fabiaceae (Beans & Peas)

Lupine grows naturally in pine barrens and sandy prairies, so it thrives in poor soils and summer drought. It is also, therefore, a good plant for xeriscaping. Lupine is extremely important in the butterfly world, because it is the only food for the larvae of the Karner Blue, which is extirpated in Ontario.

Hoary Vervain Verbena stricta

Family: Verbenaceae (Vervains)

Full sun and dry soil are best suited for Hoary Vervain. Their tall blue spikes of flowers make this plant a spectacular part of any prairie or meadow.