Wisconsin Native
Showing 89–96 of 116 results
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Salvia azurea ‘Grandiflora’ Blue sage, Prairie sage Z 5-9
August – October sky blue flower clusters at a time dominated by russet. One of internationally known garden designer Piet Oudolf’s 100 “MUST HAVE” plants, Gardens Illustrated 94 (2013)
August – October sky blue flower clusters at a time dominated by russet. One of internationally known garden designer Piet Oudolf’s 100 “MUST HAVE” plants, Gardens Illustrated 94 (2013)
Size: 4’ x 24-36”
Care: Sun, moist well-drained soil
Native: Southeastern U.S., Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: Primarily long tongued bees such as Bumble bees visit and pollinate the plants. Host for caterpillars of Hermit Sphinx butterflyNative Americans roasted or popped the seed of Blue sage as a grain. American garden cultivation since 1700’s. William Robinson, father of the mixed perennial border, praised this as “one of the finest (perennials from North America) in its flowers, borne as dense spikes of a beautiful pale blue during September and October.”
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Sambucus canadensis syn. Sambucus nigra var. canadensis. Elderberry, American elderberry Z 3-9
In late spring to mid-summer lavish, fragrant flat-to dome-shaped clusters of flowers bloom above this arching, multi-stemmed shrub. Late summer into fall the multitude of flowers turn into purple-black, edible fruits, up to 2000 per cluster!
In late spring to mid-summer lavish, fragrant flat-to dome-shaped clusters of flowers bloom above this arching, multi-stemmed shrub. Late summer into fall the multitude of flowers turn into purple-black, edible fruits, up to 2000 per cluster!
Size: 5-12’ x spreading quickly by suckers. Best to grow as hedge, along a roadside, fence-line or forest edge.
Care: sun to part shade in moist to well-drained soil
Native: Americas east of Rocky Mountains south to Bolivia. Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: branches and leaves make nesting sites and give cover for birds.. Many birds (including, Pheasant, Bluebird, Cedar waxwing, Cardinal, Mockingbird and others) as well as some mammals eat the sweet, but slightly bitter, fruit. It is a source of pollen for numerous bees and other insects.Collected before 1735. Native Americans made extensive use of this, Cherokee used it topically for boils, burns and infections and internally for rheumatism, fevers, dropsy, as a diuretic, and of course ate the berries. Costanoan made its hollow twigs into pipes, flutes and shafts for arrows. Several Natives infused the flowers and foliage with hot water to make steam baths. And many natives ate it, boiled it, jammed it, and added the fruit to cakes. Today people eat them in jellies, jams, pancakes, pies and wine and make homeopathic medicine from it. Reportedly ripe berries are high in vitamin C and fiber. It’s also an antioxidant.
**LISTED AS OUT OF STOCK BECAUSE WE DO NOT SHIP THIS ITEM. IT IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT OUR RETAIL LOCATION.
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Sanguisorba canadensis Canada burnet, Caribon feed, Indian tobacco, Marsh lily, Greater burnet Z 3-8
White spikes August – October when little else blooms in shady places
OUT OF STOCK
White spikes August – October when little else blooms in shady places
Size: 3-5’ x 3’
Care: part shade to sun in moist well drained soil
Native: Newfoundland, Labrador to Georgia W to Alaska, Wisconsin native.Sanguisorba is Latin meaning to soak up blood, for the plant’s reputed ability to clot blood. Collected in Canada in 1633. Collected in the U.S. by French plant hunter André Michaux.(1746-1802) Grown at America’s 1st botanic garden, Elgin Botanic Garden 1811.
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Schizachyrium scoparium syn. Andropogon scoparium Little bluestem Z 3-9
Wispy, feather-like seedheads atop blue-grey foliage that turns plum-orange-red in fall.
Wispy, feather-like seedheads atop blue-grey foliage that turns plum-orange-red in fall
Size: 18" x 12"
Care: sun in well-drained soil.
Native: all No. America, Wisconsin native.
Wildlife Value: leaves are food for Skipper butterfly caterpillars and seeds food for songbirdsComanche used it to remedy syphilitic sores. Lakota made soft, wispy seedheads into liners for moccasins. Collected by French plant hunter André Michaux (1746-1802) in America’s prairies c. 1790
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Scutellaria incana syn. Scutellaria canescens, Scutellaria villosa Downy skullcap Z 4-9
Flowers of spikes of purple-blue tubes ending in two open lips, the lower lip having a white blotch, blooming for months from July to September, if deadheaded
Flowers of spikes of purple-blue tubes ending in two open lips, the lower lip having a white blotch, blooming for months from July to September, if deadheaded
Size: 2-3’ x 12-18"
Care: sun to part shade in moist well-drained to well-drained soil. Reblooms if deadhead after 1st flush of flowers
Native: NY to WI, Georgia to TX, Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: Deer resistant. Its nectar feeds small butterflies, Bumblebees and Hummingbirds.The name Scuttelaria is from Latin scutella meaning a small dish or saucer referring to the shape of the persistent calyx, a covering at the flower’s base. Incana means grey referring to the tiny hairs on stems and undersides of leaves giving a greyish color. Named by Johann Friedrich Theodor Biehler, German botanist from the plant specimens in Christian Sprengel’s (1750-1816) herbarium in 1807. How did German botanist Sprengel, who never set foot in America, come to have a pressed specimen of this native American plant? Sprengel and German botanist, minister and college president, Carl Ludwig Willdenow (1765-1812) were close collaborators. Another German botanist Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg (1753-1815), living in Lancaster Pennsylvania, sent many American plants specimens to Willedenow. Scutellaria incana is native to and grows in what is now called Muhlenberg Meadow in Lancaster County PA. These connections make it likely that the specimen Biehler saw came from Henry Muhlenberg.
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Senna hebecarpa syn. Cassia hebecarpa Wild senna Z 3-8
Six inch long taxicab yellow flower clusters along the stem in July – August
Six inch long taxicab yellow flower clusters along the stem in July – August
Size: 4’ x 2-6’
Care: full sun in moist well-drained soil
Native: all North America east of Mississippi River from Hudson Bay south to Georgia and Tennessee, Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: attracts bumble bees and wasps. A legume – it adds nitrogen to the soilCollected by 1753.
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Silene regia Royal catchfly Z 5-8
True crimson stars, brighter than a stop light, in July – September, from the prairies.
OUT OF STOCK
True crimson stars, brighter than a stop light, in July – September, from the prairies.
Size: 2-3’ x 1-2’
Care: sun to part shade in moist well-drained soil
Native: from Ohio to Alabama W. to Nebraska, WI native
Wildlife Value: hummingbird favorite.In Greek mythology Silene was a companion of Bacchus who was covered with foam. French plant hunter Andre Michaux may have been the 1st to collect this c. 1800. Grown from seed collected by English planthunter Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859) near St. Louis on the Mississippi River c. 1812.
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Silphium laciniatum Compass plant Z 4-9
Tall, sunflower-like plant with big, deeply lobed, hairy leaves, that move north and south to follow mid-day sun. Two to five inch wide, sunny-yellow daisies grow at intervals along the top half of the stiff, square, sticky stem from mid-summer into fall.
Tall, sunflower-like plant with big, deeply lobed, hairy leaves, that move north and south to follow mid-day sun. Two to five inch wide, sunny-yellow daisies grow at intervals along the top half of the stiff, square, sticky stem from mid-summer into fall.
Size: 6- 12’ x 24”
Care: sun to part shade in moist to well-drained soil with its deep taproot
Native: East and central U.S. as far west as the Great Plains, Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: pollinated by bumblebees, Miner bees, large leaf Cutting and solitary bees, Goldfinches feast on the seeds in fall.
Awards: Missouri Botanic Garden Plant of MeritNatives chewed the plant’s sap like chewing gum. Lakota Sioux made an infusion of the plant to deworm horses and humans and to break up congestion in the lungs. Grew in Bartram’s colonial nursery by 1770’s. Grown at America’s 1st botanic garden, Elgin Botanic Garden 1811.
