Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie This collection profiles wildflowers of the tallgrass prairie. Stretching over 250 million acres, the tallgrass prairie was once the largest ecosystem in the United States. Its deep rich soils made excellent farmland. By 1860, most of the tallgrass prairies had fallen to the plow. Today, only about one million acres remain, making tallgrass prairie one of the most threatened natural communities. Native grasses form the prairie framework, comprising 50 to 95 percent of the vegetation. The four dominant species in the tallgrass prairie are little bluestem, big bluestem, Indiangrass, and switchgrass. Forbs (broadleaf herbs), an integral part of the prairie, provide most of the species diversity. Most prairie species are perennials that die back in the winter. The wildflowers included in this collection are some of the most common tallgrass prairie species.
Thumb	Species	Characteristics
	Amorpha fruticosa Indigo Bush, False Indigo Bush, False Indigo, Desert False Indigo	Duration: Perennial Habit: Shrub Light: Sun, Part-shade Water: Moist
	Anaphalis margaritacea Western Pearly Everlasting, Pearly-everlasting	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Part-shade Water: Dry
	Anemone canadensis Canadian Anemone, Round-leaf Thimbleweed, Canada Anemone, Windflower, Meadow Anemone	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Shade, Part-shade Water: Moist
	Asclepias tuberosa Butterflyweed, Butterfly Weed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, Chiggerweed	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Moist, Dry
	Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea Longbract Wild Indigo, Cream False Indigo, Plains Wild Indigo, Cream Wild Indigo, Large-bracted Wild Indigo	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Part-shade Water: Moist
	Castilleja sessiliflora Downy Painted Cup, Downy Paintbrush, Great Plains Paintbrush, Great Plains Indian-paintbrush	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Dry
	Coreopsis palmata Stiff Tickseed, Stiff Coreopsis, Finger Coreopsis	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Part-shade Water:
	Delphinium carolinianum ssp. virescens Carolina Larkspur, Prairie Larkspur, Plains Larkspur	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Moist
	Eryngium yuccifolium Rattlesnake Master, Button Eryngo, Button Snakeroot, Beargrass, Bear's Grass	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Moist
	Euphorbia marginata Snow On The Mountain, Snow-on-the-mountain	Duration: Annual Habit: Herb Light: Part-shade Water: Moist
	Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum Texas Bluebells, Texas Bluebell, Bluebell, Showy Prairie Gentian, Prairie Gentian	Duration: Annual, Biennial, Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Moist
	Gaillardia pulchella Indian Blanket, Firewheel, Girasol Rojo	Duration: Annual Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Part-shade Water: Dry
	Glandularia canadensis Rose Vervain, Sweet William, Rose Mock Vervain	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Part-shade Water: Moist
	Helianthus maximiliani Maximilian Sunflower, Max Sunflower	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Moist, Dry
	Iris versicolor Harlequin Blueflag, Northern Blue Flag, Large Blue Iris	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Part-shade Water: Wet, Moist
	Lilium philadelphicum Wood Lily	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade Water: Dry
	Linum sulcatum Grooved Flax, Yellow Prairie Flax	Duration: Annual Habit: Herb Light: Water:
	Lithospermum canescens Hoary Puccoon	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade Water: Dry
	Monarda fistulosa Wild Bergamot, Beebalm	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Part-shade Water: Moist, Dry
	Oenothera biennis Common Evening-primrose, King's Cure-all, Common Evening Primrose	Duration: Biennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade Water: Dry
	Penstemon albidus White Penstemon, White Beardtongue, Red-line Penstemon, Red-line Beardtongue	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water:
	Phlox pilosa Downy Phlox, Prairie Phlox, Fragrant Phlox	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Part-shade Water: Dry
	Pulsatilla patens Eastern Pasqueflower, American Pasqueflower	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Dry
	Ratibida pinnata Grayhead Coneflower, Gray-headed Coneflower, Grayhead Mexican Hat, Gray-headed Mexican Hat, Pinnate Prairie Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Part-shade Water: Moist, Dry
	Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed Susan, Common Black-eyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan, Blackeyed Susan	Duration: Annual, Biennial, Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Moist, Dry
	Silphium laciniatum Compassplant, Compass Plant	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Dry
	Sisyrinchium angustifolium Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass, Narrow-leaf Blue-eyed-grass, Bermuda Blue-eyed Grass, Blue-eyed Grass	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun, Part-shade Water: Wet, Moist
	Tradescantia ohiensis Ohio Spiderwort, Bluejacket	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Part-shade Water: Dry
	Vernonia baldwinii Western Ironweed, Baldwin's Ironweed, Ironweed	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Moist
	Viola pedatifida Prairie Violet, Purple Prairie Violet, Larkspur Violet, Crow-foot Violet, Coastal Violet	Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Light: Sun Water: Moist

Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie