Desmodium canadense
This is tall perennial, reaching 3-4 feet in height. The 5 parted pea-like pink flowers are very showy (often two-toned). The flower clusters are arranged in branched racemes which makes this native quite showy.
A native of wetter prairies or along riparian edges. It produces seed pods that have many small hairs allowing them to be dispersed by animals.
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Rattlesnake Master has yucca-like leaves that are silvery in color with edges that have small pines. The plant sends up long flower stalks up to 4 feet in height with round white flower clusters.
In our yard, it's a favorite of many types of bee and wasp species. It's habitat includes both dry and moist locations in prairies. It performs well in our yard in both a dry, sunny hillside and a more mesic location.
Wild Petunia
Ruellia humilis
We planted Wild Petunia last year as part of a Cost Share Grant project. It's in sandy soil in full to part sun along the edge of a rock retaining wall
It's a very attractive, low growing (1-2 feet high) native with light blue to purple blooms that are 1-2 inches in width. The blooms last just one day, but are abundant on the plant.
Spotted Beebalm
Monarda punctata
If there was one native I would recommend for a hot dry location this would be it. This is a really interesting plant, with its pinkish white bracts and hooded spotted yellow flowers.
It attract the most diverse array of insects, many wasps, bugs, bees and flies.
Partridge Pea
Chamaechrista fasciculata
This is probably the only annual native we have in our yard. It reseeds itself in same general vicinity and we've kept a nice amount of it on our sunny, dry hillside.
The bees love to pollinate the yellow flowers that emerge below the foliage on the flower stem. The bright red stamens make this flower quite unique looking and the foliage with its many tiny leaflets is also very interesting.
