Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

Anise Hyssop enchants gardens with its tall spikes of lavender-blue flowers that smell of black licorice. Blooming from mid-summer to fall, it attracts a diverse array of pollinators, including bumblebees, mining bees, leafcutter bees, sweat bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. Its seeds also provide food for birds like goldfinches in the fall.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 5' tall x 5' wide
Blooms: Spring

This shrub offers year-round visual appeal and ecological benefits. Clusters of white, fragrant flowers in early spring attract butterflies and early bees. In summer, it produces abundant, dark purple berries that provide a sweet treat for both birds and humans. Its finely-toothed, oval leaves are pale to dark green, turning gold in autumn.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 3' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Spring

Ozark Bluestar brings late-Spring charm with clusters of starry, pale-blue flowers. This Missouri native thrives in full sun to partial shade in a wide variety of soil conditions, and its slender, willow-like leaves provide a graceful backdrop to the landscape.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 5' tall x 5' wide
Blooms: Spring

Aronia boasts clusters of white flowers in spring, glossy green leaves that turn red in fall, and dark, antioxidant-rich berries that persist into winter. Its dense growth habit provides shelter and nesting sites for birds such as robins, thrushes, and grosbeaks. The berries, though astringent when ripe, are an important late-season food source for these birds, who tend to leave them alone until late in the fall when they have fermented and shriveled into wrinkled raisins.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

This milkweed is characterized by its narrow, lance-shaped leaves and clusters of greenish-white, starry flowers that bloom in mid-summer. The flowers are arranged in umbels, giving the plant a delicate, airy appearance. Ecologically, it serves as a host plant for monarch butterfly larvae, and its nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, wasps, and beetles. 

Sun: Full
Size: 4' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Summer

Commonly called swamp milkweed, this taller milkweed is often found in moist meadows and wetlands, although it adapts well to soils with average moisture. The flowers are light pink to deeper rose, held high on robust branching stalks that add interest throughout winter. Like all milkweeds, the plant supports a wide diversity of native insect life, including the endangered monarch butterfly.

Sun: Full
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

Showy milkweed thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, often found in dry to moderately moist prairies and grasslands. It has a deep taproot that allows it to survive in drought-prone areas once established, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping. Its large, star-shaped flowers are not only beautiful but also highly fragrant, emitting a sweet, honey-like scent that further entices pollinators.

Sun: Full
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

This milkweed is similar to Common Milkweed but is less aggressive and distinguished by its smoother, leaves, stems, and seed pods. Over time, its deep taproot ensures drought resilience but makes relocation challenging, so planting it in a permanent spot is key. In parts of the northern Midwest, it is listed as a threatened species.

Sun: Full
Size: 2' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

Asclepias tuberosa is known for its vibrant orange, nectar-rich flowers. Thriving in well-drained, sandy or loamy soils and full sun, its deep taproot makes it resilient in dry conditions. Butterfly Milkweed is a larval host plant for monarch butterflies, although it is less preferred since it lack the milky sap of other milkweeds.

Sun: Full
Size: 2' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

Named after its narrow leaves that create a graceful whorled, or spiraled pattern up the stems. In summer, delicate clusters of white or greenish flowers bloom, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. This drought-tolerant perennial thrives in well-drained soils, adding a soft, airy presence to prairies and meadows.

Sun: Full
Size: 1' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Summer

Purple Poppy Mallow, also called Winecups, is a low-growing perennial prized for its vibrant magenta, chalice-shaped flowers and spreading habit. Ideal for sunny sites, it thrives in nutrient-poor soils, including clay, and is highly drought-tolerant thanks to its deep taproot. It is well-suited for cascading over retaining walls or softening slopes, and slowly spreads through the garden.

Sun: Full
Size: 2' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

Beloved for its cheerful golden-yellow, daisy-like blooms, coreopsis brightens landscapes from late spring to early summer (and longer if deadheaded). Thriving in dry, sandy, or nutrient-poor soils, this sun-loving plant is both adaptable and drought-tolerant, making it a resilient choice for challenging sites.

Sun: Full
Size: 4' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

Purple Coneflower stands tall with its radiant purple petals and bold, spiky orange center. Blooming in the heat of summer, this native perennial thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, forming beautiful clumps and drifts if granted the space. As its seeds ripen, it also provides nourishment for birds like goldfinches.

Sun: Full
Size: 4' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

Rattlesnake Master is a distinctive wildflower with yucca-like basal rosettes with sword-shaped, bristly-edged leaves that reach up to 3 feet long. Rising above the foliage are sturdy stems topped with globular, thistle-like flower heads composed of tightly packed greenish-white florets. Serves as a host plant for the Black Swallowtail caterpillar. 

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 5' tall x 4' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

Joe Pye Weed rises tall with clusters of delicate, dusty pink flowers that fill the air with sweet fragrance. Thriving in moist, well-drained soils and partial sun, it attracts a symphony of pollinators, from bees and butterflies to hummingbirds. Its sturdy stems and large, spotted leaves provide shelter for wildlife, while its seeds feed birds like finches. 

Sun: Full
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

Gaillardia aristata  bursts into the landscape with fiery red and yellow petals, resembling a warm, sunlit tapestry. This hardy and long-blooming perennial thrives in dry, well-drained soils and full sun. Its vibrant blooms provide both nectar and shelter, while its seeds nourish birds, making it a colorful and wildlife-friendly addition to prairies and meadows. 

Sun: Full
Size: 1' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

Carolina Cranesbill is a low-growing annual native to Nebraska. It thrives in poor, dry soils with partial to full sun, forming a sprawling mound of dissected foliage. The tiny, pale pink flowers attract long- and short-tongued bees, and its seeds are favored by mourning doves. It has brilliant red autumn foliage and seeds freely around the garden.

Sun: Partial to Shade
Size: 2' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Spring

Wild Cranesbill is a woodland wildflower native to Nebraska and loved for its showy, pinkish-purple saucer-shaped flowers. Thriving in partial to full shade, it can tolerate full sun in moist soils. This species is highly attractive to solitary bees, bumblebees, and butterflies, and serves as a larval host for the White-Marked Tussock Moth.

Sun: Partial
Size: 2' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Spring

Sticky Geranium forms a mound of deeply divided leaves and produces a profusion of magenta, saucer-shaped flowers in early Spring. The plant is covered in distinctive sticky glandular hairs on its leaves and stems. These can dissolve and absorb nitrogen from insects trapped on its surface, classifying the plant as protocarnivorous. 

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 4' tall x 4' wide
Blooms: Summer

A hardy, fast-growing shrub that blooms in midsummer with a golden cascade of star-like flowers. It thrives in all types of soils and is irresistible to bumblebees. Its dense, evergreen leaves offer shelter for small birds, while the seeds sustain species like finches and sparrows. With autumn, its leaves and seedpods take on lovely orange and golden hues.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 12' tall x 6' wide (trellised)
Blooms: Spring to Fall

A fast-growing vine native to the eastern United States, it will naturally twine its way up a trellis or fence. The tubular coral-red flowers are irresistible to hummingbirds, enticing them to your garden all summer. This honeysuckle is also a host plant for the snowberry clearwing moth, which has evolved a unique self-defense strategy mimicking the coloration and buzzing sounds of a bumblebee.

Sun: Full to Part
Size: 2' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Spring to Summer

Sundial Lupine is a striking perennial that blooms abundantly in tall, narrow clusters of blue, pea-like flowers from mid-Spring to mid-Summer. The flowers are rich in nectar and attract a variety of pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds. Its seed pods open explosively, ejecting seeds several feet away, which are then consumed by birds and small mammals.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 5' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

A native prairie grass notable for its tall, slender stems and feathery flower heads that turn golden in late summer. Its seeds feed birds like sparrows and finches in the fall, while its dense foliage provides shelter for small wildlife. Switch Grass is also a host plant for a variety of skipper butterflies and moths. A cornerstone of native landscapes, it brings both ecological value and natural elegance.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

This upright species thrives in full sun to light shade and is notable for its adaptability to clay soils. Its glossy leaves with pointed tips provide a lush base for its floral display. It produces showy panicles of tubular white or pale pink flowers with subtle violet nectar guides, attracting bumblebees, mason bees, hummingbirds, and other long-tongued pollinators. These blooms last for about a month, followed by small seed capsules that persist into winter. 

Sun: Full
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

Also known as Long-headed Coneflower,  this perennial is recognized for its distinctive, sombrero-shaped blooms. Flowering from late spring to fall, the blooms are borne on slender stems above feathery, deeply divided green foliage, creating an airy, delicate appearance. It is highly drought-tolerant due to its deep taproot and suitable for xeriscaping in hot, dry locations.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

Black-Eyed Susan is celebrated for its vibrant, golden-orange flowers with chocolate-brown central cones. The blooms, measuring 3–4 inches across, appear in profusion from midsummer through early fall, nearly concealing the forest-green, raspy foliage. It also serves as a larval host the Wavy-Lined Emerald and Silvery Checkerspot butterflies. 

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 2' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

Prairie Petunia thrives in dry, sandy, or well-drained loamy soils and is particularly valued for its drought tolerance, blooming prolifically during the hottest summer months when other plants may struggle. It forms a dense ground cover with olive-green leaves and self-seeds vigorously, with mature seed capsules ejecting seeds up to 10 feet!

Sun: Full
Size: 4' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

This drought-tolerant plant thrives in poor, well-drained soils and is a great choice for dry sites or naturalized prairie plantings. Azure Sage features tall, slender stems and aromatic, narrow leaves. Its bright, azure-blue flowers bloom profusely from late summer through early fall, creating a striking contrast against the yellows of many other prairie species.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 4' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

Little Bluestem is a warm-season prairie grass with striking blue-green foliage that transitions to vibrant shades of copper, bronze, and crimson in the fall. Its fluffy white seed heads shimmer in the sunlight and persist through winter. This grass serves as a critical habitat for wildlife, offering both overwintering sites for insects and seeds that attract songbirds. It is a larval host for numerous skipper butterflies.

Sun: Full
Size: 2' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

Missouri Goldenrod is an earlier-blooming goldenrod noted for its dense clusters of bright yellow flowers that appear in midsummer and attract bees, beetles, flies, and wasps.While it spreads moderately through rhizomes and seeds, it is less aggressive compared to other goldenrod species, making it suitable for prairie restoration, borders, and pollinator gardens.

Sun: Full
Size: 4' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Fall

The bright yellow, daisy-like flowers of Stiff Goldenrod are larger than those of most other goldenrods, forming dense, flat-topped clusters that bloom from late summer to early autumn. These flowers provide a critical late-season nectar source for pollinators, and despite misconceptions, the sticky pollen of goldenrod is insect-dispersed and does not contribute to hay fever.

Sun: Full
Size: 4' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Fall

Also called Golden Torch goldenrod, plant showcases dense, bottlebrush-shaped flower plumes that bloom from late summer until the first frost. It was originally discovered by nurseryman Steve Bieberich in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma. Resilient in hot, dry, sunny locations, this goldenrod forms a dense, bushy clump. Like all goldenrods, it has a high ecological value and supports many species of insects.

Sun: Full
Size: 5' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Fall

This species forms dense clumps rather than spreading aggressively, as it lacks the rhizomatous growth of some other goldenrods. Its sturdy, reddish stems are adorned with narrow green leaves and topped with striking pyramidal clusters of tiny, bright yellow flowers. These feathery plumes bloom from late summer into fall, attracting a multitude of pollinators, and its seedheads nourish migrating and overwintering birds.

Sun: Full  to Partial
Size: 3' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Fall

Elm-leaved Goldenrod is a rhizomatous perennial native to the dry woods and woodland margins of extreme Eastern Nebraska. Its generally erect stems often arch gracefully at the top, showcasing panicles of small, bright yellow blooms from late summer to early fall. Thriving in dappled shade and well-drained soils, including rocky or sandy substrates, this goldenrod spreads to form dense colonies.

Sun: Full
Size: 2' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Fall

Blooming profusely from late summer into late fall, sometimes into November, Aromatic Aster provides an essential nectar source for butterflies and other pollinators. This compact plant forms a tidy mound with stiff, well-branched, hairy stems with flowers that feature blue-purple petals surrounding golden centers. The aromatic blue-green foliage releases a pleasant scent when crushed.

Sun: Full
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Fall

Non-aggressive and drought-tolerant, Sky Blue Aster features abundant and striking blue flowers with bright yellow center disks. Blooming from late summer into October, it provides a vital nectar and pollen source for beneficial insects. This aster also serves as a host plant for the Pearl Crescent butterfly and Wavy-Lined Emerald moth, contributing significantly to late-season biodiversity.

Sun: Full to Partial
Size: 2' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Fall

Silky Aster, or Western Silver Aster, is a compact clump-forming perennial prized for its silvery-green foliage and vibrant purple blooms. The leaves and young stems are densely covered with fine white hairs, giving the plant its characteristic silken texture and silvery appearance. Blooming begins in late summer and extends into early fall, attracting a variety of pollinators. It thrives in sunny, dry locations with well-drained soils. 

Sun: Full
Size: 4' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer to Fall

Also known as Hoary Vervain, the upright spires of blue-purple flowers on this verbena bloom from late spring to fall. The flowers, arranged in slender, pencil-like terminal panicles, open sequentially from the bottom upwards, creating a prolonged display of vibrant color. Its coarsely-toothed, gray-green leaves are densely covered in fine hairs, giving the plant a silvery appearance and texture. 

Sun: Full
Size: 3' tall x 2' wide
Blooms: Summer

Western Ironweed is notable for its vibrant magenta to purple flower clusters that bloom from mid-summer to late fall. It spreads vigorously by rhizomes, forming dense colonies, which may make it unsuitable for smaller, more controlled garden settings. Ironweed supports many insect species and is also one of the host plants for the painted lady butterfly.

Sun: Full
Size: 4' tall x 3' wide
Blooms: Summer

This yucca is a real showstopper with its rosettes of narrow, stiff, evergreen leaves and tall, dramatic flower spikes reaching up to 3 feet. Although it takes a couple seasons to reach blooming size, its spiky, sword-like foliage forms a bold architectural presence in xeriscapes and prairie gardens, while providing habitat and food for pollinators. Yucca is one of the toughest and hardiest Nebraska natives.