POLLINATOR MIXTURE

Birds and Bees Mixture

 

SHARP'S POLLINATOR MIXTURE............$62.00 per pure live lb. of Mix

Prairie Penstemon            15%        White, late spring to early summer blooming, sun but will tolerate some morning or afternoon shade

Golden Alexander            10%        Yellow, late spring to early summer blooming, sun

Purple Prairie Clover       10%        Purple, Legume, late spring to early summer blooming, sun

White Wild Indigo           5%        White, Legume, late spring, early to mid summer blooming, sun

Sweet Coneflower          10%        Yellow, summer blooming, tolerates some afternoon shade

Purple Coneflower          10%        Purple, summer blooming, sun

Partridge Pea                   5%       Yellow, Legume, summer to fall blooming, sun

Wild Bergamot                 5%       Lavender, summer to fall blooming, tolerates some shade

Grayhead Coneflower     10%       Yellow, late summer to fall blooming, sun

Oxeye Sunflower           10%       Yellow, late summer to fall, heavy bloomer, sun

Sky Blue Aster                 5%      Blue,  very late summer, fall to frost  bloomer, sun to some partial shade

Rigid Goldenrod               5%      Yellow, fall to frost bloomer, sun

NOTE:  Conservation guidelines from NRCS give a listing of wildflowers appropriate for pollinator use.    The listing is excellent and gives names, habitat type and general information.   The problem with the list is that many if not most are very limited seed supply or very expensive.     A mixture with a goodly number of species on this list  would be difficult to do.   We have chosen species on the list that are commonly available to us and agriculturally produced for seed so that the very prairie species that help our bees are not decimated.  In fact, just the opposite, acres of agriculturely produced wildflower seed from native origin creates vast amounts of wildflower habitat for bees and other pollinating insects before seeds are harvested.   Below are species that are more commonly available and the pound price range you might find them in by symbol...$ ($15-30);  $$ ($40-110); $$$ ($110-300) $$$$(300-1000).

$:White Prairie Clover, Purple Prairie Clover, Lance Leaf Coreopsis, Blackeyed Susan, Partridge Peas, Illinois Bundleflower, Plains Coreopsis, Upright Yellow Coneflower, Oxeye (False, Smooth) Sunflower, Grayhead Coneflower

$$:Wild Bergamot, Prairie Penstemon, Sweet Coneflower, Cup Plant, Golden Alexander, Rigid Goldenrod, Gray Goldenrod, Roundhead Lespedeza, Missouri Evening Primrose, Rattlesnake Master, Maryland Senna, Blue Vervain, Leadplant, Bidens species.

$$$:  New England Aster, most Asters,  most Blazing Stars (Gayfeathers), Tall Coreopsis, Yellow Coneflower (paradoxa), Prairie Coreopsis (palmata), Obedient Plant, Goat's Rue, most Goldenrods, Pale Purple Coneflower, Rosinweed, Compass Plant, Wild Quinine, Prairie Parsley, New Jersey Tea, Mountain Mints, Ironweed, Pitcher Sage, Ohio Spiderwort, Showy Tick Trefoil , some Sunflowers, Prairie Dock, Butterfly Milkweed and most other Milkweeds.

$$$$:  Indian Paintbrush, Cardinal Flower, Royal Catchfly, Cream Wild Indigo, Prairie Hyacinth, Shooting Star, Lousewort/Wood Betony, Bonesets.  

Make sure the origin of  rare seeds are collected in a manner that does not in any way destroy our native prairie habitats, in other words, 1/3 seed leaving 2/3 in the field.