Plant a Prairie Garden in Your Backyard

Help Wildlife by Planting a Prairie Garden

Walters Gardens Inc.

Think Little House on the Prairie—but in your yard. Those who’ve read pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder’s magnum opus can envision the breathtaking beauty of the prairie through her simple yet detailed prose.

In the chapter “Prairie Days,” Wilder writes, “There was only the enormous, empty prairie, with grasses blowing in waves of light and shadow across it, and the great blue sky above it, and the birds flying up from it and singing with joy because the sun was rising.” What a heartwarming homage.

Prairie plant proponents know that they provide picturesque additions to backyard gardens. Better yet, they produce plenty of benefits for birds, bees, pollinators and other local wildlife, and they do so from early spring through late fall.

Understanding the Prairie Ecosystem

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Prairies are substantial tracts of flat grassland that dominate the Midwest. According to the National Park Service, nearly a third of North America was once covered in grassland.

When people hear “prairie,” many may imagine farm fields growing golden wheat. Farming aside, this habitat’s plants evolved to tolerate cold winters, warm summers and environmental disturbances. They’re well-adapted to maximize photosynthesis and minimize water loss.

Prairie soils can vary in composition—clay, sandy or loamy. They can also have very different levels of moisture—dry, moderate (or mesic) and moist. Knowing your soil type will help you identify the perfect prairie garden plants for your yard.

Basic Principals of Prairie Planting

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These plants, including prairie grasses, are important food sources for birds and caterpillars, according to Marlene Pantin, partnership manager for the National Audubon Society’s Plants for Birds program. To combine beauty with benefit, choose native plants.

“They co-evolved with area birds, making both well adapted,” Marlene says. More important, she adds, they “require less water and, over time, less maintenance.”

To receive lasting benefit from this ecosystem’s fantastic flora, find flowers that provide different shapes, colors, nectar and pollen to create a rich ecosystem for wildlife across seasons.

“You look like a rock star if you have something blooming at the end of the year,” says Esther E. McGinnis, horticulturist and associate professor at the North Dakota State University Extension. “It looks good while also being environmentally sustainable.”

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Based on extensive pollinator research, Esther advises prairie gardeners to incorporate blooming plants in blocks. “Pollinators can find them better if we plant en masse. It’s also more worth it for the bees who come in.”

While birds benefit from the seeds, bugs and nest-building material that prairie plants provide, pollinators receive immense help as well. “Have something blooming from earliest spring to the hard frost,” Esther suggests. This provides pollinators with carbohydrates and bees with pollen, plus a protein source for their young.

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Various birds and bugs benefit from water being available year-round, so consider adding a water feature to your prairie space to welcome more visitors. To make water features pollinator friendly, add stones that extend above the water line.

“This allows the bees and butterflies to land at water level and sip. If they landed on the water, they’d break the surface tension and drown,” Esther says.

Leverage Your Local Extension

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All 50 states have land grant universities, in addition to Washington, D.C., and six U.S. territories. These universities have local extension agents who work to support their communities. These professionals translate botanical research, among other information, into practical advice. Contact your local extension for gardening guidance.

Prairie Garden Plants to Grow

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• Little bluestem: Attracts birds, even game birds, and blooms in late summer into early fall.
• Butterfly weed: Monarch butterflies’ host plant and a food source for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Blooms early to late summer.
• Aromatic aster: Attracts pollinators and birds. Blooms late summer to fall and can be aggressive and overwhelm small spaces.
• Joe Pye weed: Attracts pollinators and birds. Blooms summer to fall.
• Switchgrass: Seeds are eaten by songbirds and game birds. Blooms late summer to fall. The species can reseed prolifically and spread, but the cultivars tend to remain more contained.
• False sunflower: Attracts pollinators and birds. Blooms early summer to midfall.
• Purple coneflower: Attracts goldfinches, bees and butterflies. Blooms midsummer to early fall.
• Rosy sedge: No-maintenance ground cover or turf alternative. Host plant for various butterflies and moths, and blooms early to midsummer

Fall in the Prairie Garden

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Fall cleanup is ingrained in gardeners’ minds. However, leaving a less disturbed landscape supports local wildlife. Avoid removing healthy grasses and flowering plants, as well as unraked leaves and fallen branches. This provides birds with foraging and nest-building opportunities—in addition to shelter for other wildlife.

About the Experts

Associate professor Esther E. McGinnis is a master gardener and program director with North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension. Esther has a Ph.D in applied plant sciences from the University of Minnesota.

Marlene Pantin works as the partnerships manager for the National Audubon Society’s Plants for Birds program; previously co-founded the Brooklyn Parks and Open Spaces Coalition, an advocacy and networking organization for parks and open space groups in Brooklyn, New York. Marlene has a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

Sources

• The Wilds, Prairie Habitat Creation
• Little House on the Prairie, Naturalist Article
• Little House on the Prairie, Gardening Archives
• Little House on the Prairie, The Plants That Laura Knew and Grew
• Little House on the Prairie, First Harper Trophy Edition, 1971
• National Geographic, Encyclopedic Entry, Prairie
• National Park Service, Prairies
• Forest Preserve District, Will County, Bug vs. Insect
• USDA, Land Grant Universities
• APLGU, Land-Grant University FAQ