Maximum Diversity Add-On — Native Prairie Seed Mix

Add 23 species for more seasonal variety. Maximum adds spring flowers, low-growing accents and late-season forage, with taller accents such as Prairie Dock. Plan for sunny, mesic to dry-mesic conditions. Use with a foundation mix or for carefully planned interseeding. Images are representative of seasonal appearance. Actual results vary with site conditions, establishment and management. This listing contains only the 23-species Maximum Diversity Add-On. It is shared by the Mixed-Height and Shorter-Grass families at the same per-acre rates and can be bought initially or later for interseeding. It is a supplement rather than a complete foundation for a bare site. Mixed-Height Native Prairie Seed Mix · Expanded Diversity Add-On Site conditions Light and setting: Plan for an open, sunny prairie site. Evaluate shade, drainage and existing vegetation before choosing the mix. Soil moisture: The recipe brings together plants with different moisture preferences. Match the overall plan to mesic or dry-mesic prairie conditions, and assess wetter or very dry areas separately. Some ingredients favor moister pockets; others favor lean, well-drained ground. Height: A variable canopy with lower layers and taller accents. Neither the Mixed-Height foundation nor the shared add-ons has a fixed height ceiling. Coverage sizes and 1,000 sq ft specifications Choose a 1,000-sq-ft packet, a 1/4-acre package, or one complete package from 0.5 to 5.0 acres in 0.1-acre steps. For example, choose 0.7 acre for a 30,492-sq-ft planting. Match coverage areas when combining components. One acre equals 43,560 sq ft; 1,000 sq ft is approximately 0.02296 acre. The table below shows reference quantities for this component. Request a quote for a larger project. The recipe is scaled by planting area. The 1,000-sq-ft packet covers an area such as 20 by 50 feet at the published rate. The reference sizes below show the PLS quantity for this component only; adding diversity components adds their separate seed quantities. Coverage and calculated PLS allocation Package size Planting area (sq ft) PLS equivalent (lb) Package size1,000 sq ft Planting area (sq ft)1,000 PLS equivalent (lb)0.0149 Package size1/4 Acre Planting area (sq ft)10,890 PLS equivalent (lb)0.1620 Package size0.5 Acre Planting area (sq ft)21,780 PLS equivalent (lb)0.3240 Package size1.0 Acre Planting area (sq ft)43,560 PLS equivalent (lb)0.6480 PLS expresses viable seed content, not gross bag or shipping weight. Actual bulk weight depends on lot purity and germination. Seed counts and PLS weights do not predict mature plant cover. Rounded rows may not add precisely to the stated component total. Blend ingredients 23 species; 0.648 PLS lb/acre; 5.89 seeds/sq ft. Quoted proportions are by PLS weight, not mature cover. View Mix Specifications Flower standouts in Maximum Wood Betony brings fernlike foliage and intriguing yellow spring flowers with curved, twisted-looking hoods. This native root hemiparasite can temper the growth of host grasses through its root connections; effects vary with the site and plant community. Savanna Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa) adds large purple flowerheads and nectar for adult monarchs and other butterflies in the later growing season. Wild Petunia tucks lavender, funnel-shaped summer flowers into a low-growing layer, with blooms visited by long-tongued bees. The flowers resemble garden petunias, and mature seed capsules pop open to fling their seeds. Prairie Dock pairs bold, large basal leaves with tall stalks of yellow flowers. Its mature seeds provide food for goldfinches. Stout Blue-eyed Grass In our restoration experience, blue-eyed grass is an uncommon sight in recreated prairies. Its tiny blue-violet flowers add a distinctive spring accent. Canada Anemone brings bright white flowers above a leafy groundcover. It spreads by rhizomes and can form vigorous colonies, especially in moister areas, so give it room within the planting. Whorled Milkweed adds fine, narrow leaves arranged in whorls and small clusters of white summer flowers. Its foliage feeds monarch caterpillars. Cream Wild Indigo brings distinctive pale, creamy-yellow spring flowers on a low, spreading plant. The pea-shaped blooms provide food for bumblebees, including new queens. Prairie Coreopsis spreads by rhizomes to form colonies with beautiful yellow flowers in early summer. Give the patches room to expand on suitable sites. Midland Shooting Star is a spring standout: gracefully nodding flowers with swept-back petals resemble tiny shooting stars. It is associated with relatively intact prairie and savanna habitats. Old-field Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) adds compact, golden flower plumes on a shorter plant, bringing late-season color and forage for pollinators. Heath Aster creates clouds of small white flowers in fall, adding airy texture and late-season forage for pollinators. References: Canada Anemone · Whorled Milkweed · Cream Wild Indigo · Prairie Coreopsis · Shooting Star flowers · Shooting Star habitat · Wood Betony · Wood Betony experiment · long-term Wood Betony study · Wood Betony field comparison · Savanna Blazing Star · Wild Petunia · Prairie Dock · Stout Blue-eyed Grass · Wild Petunia seed capsules · Old-field Goldenrod · Heath Aster. Why these species belong in the planting Each species contributes a different combination of growth form, season or habitat value. The notes below describe established plants on suitable sites; they do not guarantee germination, abundance or wildlife visits. Maximum Diversity Add-On: every species and its contribution+ Prairie Brome (Bromus kalmii): Adds cool-season growth and fine-textured, knee-high foliage, bringing spring structure before the warm-season grasses reach their full height. Species reference Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis): Adds a spreading, low leafy layer in moister pockets, with white late-spring flowers that offer pollen to small native bees. Species reference Thimbleweed (Anemone cylindrica): Contributes early-summer flowers for pollen-seeking bees and distinctive seedheads that turn cottony in fall and can remain through winter. Species reference Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata): Adds slender, fine-textured foliage and summer nectar for bees, wasps and butterflies, especially in sunny, lean-soil portions of the planting. Species reference Cream Wild Indigo (Baptisia bracteata): Broadens the spring display with a low-growing prairie legume whose creamy flowers provide food for emerging queen bumblebees. Species reference False Boneset (Brickellia eupatorioides): Extends nectar and pollen availability into late summer and early fall, with drought-tolerant plants and fluffy seedheads suited to lean, well-drained ground. Species reference Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata): Creates sunny patches of early-summer yellow flowers with accessible nectar and pollen, adding color before the taller warm-season grasses fill out. Species reference Midland Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia): Brings late-spring color and pollen for buzz-pollinating bees, then enters summer dormancy, adding a different seasonal rhythm to the planting. Species reference Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata): Adds an airy layer of small white blooms visited by bees, wasps and flies, with strong drought tolerance on sunny, well-drained ground. Species reference Grass-leaved Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia): Adds fine foliage and flat clusters of late-summer flowers for diverse pollinators, with a preference for the planting's moister, sunny areas. Species reference Round-headed Bush Clover (Lespedeza capitata): Adds a drought-tolerant native legume with late-season flowers for bees, foliage for skipper caterpillars and seeds eaten by upland birds. Species reference Northern Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa): Adds large, purple flowerheads and upright summer-to-fall accents that offer another feeding stop for bees and butterflies on well-drained sites. Species reference Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum): Included in the updated Maximum Diversity Add-On supplier specification received October 12, 2026, at 0.100 PLS lb/acre. Wood Betony (Pedicularis canadensis): Adds fernlike low foliage and spring flowers for long-tongued bees, plus the distinctive root connections of a native hemiparasitic wildflower. Species reference Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis): Tucks lavender summer flowers into the lower layer of the prairie, offering nectar to long-tongued bees in open, sunny patches. Species reference Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum): Adds bold basal leaves and tall, late-season yellow flower stalks, with bee forage above the grasses and seeds eaten by goldfinches. Species reference Stout Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium): Adds small blue-violet flowers and tidy, grasslike clumps close to the ground, enriching late-spring bloom in average to moist portions of the planting. Species reference Early Goldenrod (Solidago juncea): Starts the goldenrod display in mid- to late summer, adding yellow plumes and food for flower-visiting insects before many other goldenrods bloom. Species reference Gray Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis): Brings compact, late-season golden flowers to dry, lean ground, supplying nectar and pollen where taller, moisture-loving wildflowers may be less suited. Species reference Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa): Adds upright golden plumes from late summer into early fall, increasing the variety of late-season flowers available to bees and other insects. Species reference Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides): Finishes the season with clouds of small white flowers, offering fall forage for many insects and foliage for several butterfly caterpillars. Species reference Sky Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense): Extends the flower palette with airy blue-lavender blooms in late summer and fall, providing nectar and pollen on average to dry sites. Species reference Heartleaf Alexanders (Zizia aptera): Adds yellow spring flower clusters for small bees and flies, with foliage that can host black swallowtail caterpillars in average to drier prairie ground. Species reference Informed by established ecological restoration practice Research supports starting with a diverse, site-appropriate native seed mix to help build lasting diversity. You can also enrich an existing planting over time with diversity add-ons and targeted management. Research on starting diversity: Larson et al. (2017) · Barak et al. (2023). Look beyond summer flowers when planning a prairie. Shooting Star and the other spring-blooming species in Maximum add an earlier seasonal layer, while its other ingredients broaden the planting's structure and bloom sequence. Later additions can help fill observed gaps when site conditions, competition and management allow establishment. Make your restoration budget go further Approved Stewardship Circle participants receive 25% off retail native plants and seed. Conservation professionals, volunteers, and members or supporters of qualifying conservation organizations can apply. There is no program membership fee. Already supporting a land trust or conservation organization? Your involvement may qualify you. If you are considering joining an organization, check eligibility and submit proof with your application. This connects support for conservation with savings on your own planting. Approval is required; organization membership does not automatically activate the discount. Apply for the Stewardship Circle Planting and establishment Prepare suitable seed-to-soil contact and address competing vegetation before sowing. Review our native seed establishment guide and stratification guidance. For established plantings, assess openings and competition before adding seed; broadcasting alone does not assure establishment. Restoration changes with the seasons, and questions come with it. Book an Introductory Stewardship Consultation for practical guidance on site preparation, installation, species selection and maintenance during years 1–3. You’ll receive written notes and a summary of the discussion to refer back to. Sessions are approximately one hour, virtual and audio-only. The $25 booking fee returns as $25 Natural Communities store credit after payment is confirmed, which you can use toward native plants and seed. Explore our planning tools as you prepare. When new challenges arise, you can return for additional consultation; each additional session is booked separately for $25. Ordering details Shipping charges are calculated at checkout. Seed ships all year and typically ships within a week of an order being placed. The add-ons are additional seed only and are shared across the two prairie families. Availability changes with the crop and season. Species substitutions are reviewed at order time. Regional native suitability does not establish local seed origin: verify lot provenance if your project requires it. For a truly Short Prairie blend, ask about the separate custom option with a minimum half-acre order. Mix specifications Maximum Diversity Add-On: 23 quoted species Common name Scientific name PLS weight % Seeds/ft² PLS lb/acre Prairie Brome Bromus kalmii 12.961% 0.25 0.084 Canada Anemone Anemone canadensis 1.157% 0.02 0.008 Thimbleweed Anemone cylindrica 0.771% 0.05 0.005 Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata 0.771% 0.02 0.005 Cream Wild Indigo Baptisia bracteata 2.700% 0.01 0.018 False Boneset Brickellia eupatorioides 1.543% 0.12 0.010 Prairie Coreopsis Coreopsis palmata 1.543% 0.04 0.010 Midland Shooting Star Dodecatheon meadia 1.157% 0.17 0.008 Flowering Spurge Euphorbia corollata 1.543% 0.03 0.010 Grass-leaved Goldenrod Euthamia graminifolia 0.463% 0.39 0.003 Round-headed Bush Clover Lespedeza capitata 4.629% 0.09 0.030 Northern Blazing Star Liatris scariosa 2.469% 0.06 0.016 Solomon's Seal Polygonatum biflorum 15.430% 0.03 0.100 Wood Betony Pedicularis canadensis 4.115% 0.32 0.027 Wild Petunia Ruellia humilis 3.086% 0.04 0.020 Prairie Dock Silphium terebinthinaceum 3.857% 0.01 0.025 Stout Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium 10.801% 0.77 0.070 Early Goldenrod Solidago juncea 0.771% 0.53 0.005 Gray Goldenrod Solidago nemoralis 0.771% 0.55 0.005 Showy Goldenrod Solidago speciosa 2.314% 0.52 0.015 Heath Aster Symphyotrichum ericoides 1.157% 0.55 0.008 Sky Blue Aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense 3.615% 0.69 0.023 Heartleaf Alexanders Zizia aptera 22.373% 0.64 0.145 Source: Mix N - Maximum Diversity.pdf, received October 12, 2026. The supplier-reported total is 0.648 PLS lb/acre; displayed species weights sum to 0.650 because the rows are rounded.