Wildflowers

A tall, structural plant with whimsical blooms. Prefers sunny, moist spots; may flop in too much shade; good for wetter rain gardens but it doesn't like to dry out. May be cut back after first bloom for a possible second bloom in the fall.

Birds love the seeds. Can be aggressive.

Attract pollinators to your rain garden in late summer with these beautiful flowers. The long-horned bee Melissodes denticulata specializes on this plant.

Can take quite a bit of shade. Also called Wild Oregano, the minty leaves can be brewed for tea. May produce frost flowers in early winter. Spreads through rhizomes, though not as quickly as other mints.

Great for attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and long-tongued bees in late spring. Best in full sun. Spreads easily but not aggressive.

A magnet for butterflies (especially Monarchs), bumblebees, and other pollinators and even attracts hummingbirds. Tolerates poor soils; flops in rich soil. Browsed by deer, rabbit, and voles.

Forms a wide, almost bush-like, plant with beautiful yellow fall color. Cut back after flowering into desired form. May become floppy and need to be staked in rich, moist soil.

A shorter goldenrod great for your shady garden. May colonize by rhizomes. Goldenrods are great pollen and nectar sources in late fall, and host plants for several moth species. Can spread as wide as tall.

Biennial. Needs disturbed soil to help reseed. Beneficial to many pollinators.

A beautiful onion bulb with deep secondary roots that make it drought tolerant. Not preferred by deer or rabbits. Attracts small pollinators.

Though the flowers aren't showy, we absolutely love the puffball seeds that glow in the winter, especially against bronze grasses like shorter Andropogons or Little bluestem. Deeply rooted plant tolerant of extreme drought.

Despite its name, this plant is not for human consumption. Good early source of nectar. Looks like small tufts of grass when not in bloom.

Biannual. A beautiful native thistle (be careful when you plant it) that blooms the second year. Goldfinch love the seeds and you may even see a hummingbird visit for nectar.

Stunning white flowers. Seed pods also add beauty and texture to the garden. A study in KC showed that Penstemon is one of the plant genera in our area that attracts the largest number of different bee species.