Expanded Diversity Add-On — Native Prairie Seed Mix

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 21-species Expanded 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 · Maximum 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 size 1,000 sq ft Planting area (sq ft) 1,000 PLS equivalent (lb) 0.0310 Package size 1/4 Acre Planting area (sq ft) 10,890 PLS equivalent (lb) 0.3380 Package size 0.5 Acre Planting area (sq ft) 21,780 PLS equivalent (lb) 0.6760 Package size 1.0 Acre Planting area (sq ft) 43,560 PLS equivalent (lb) 1.3520 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 21 species; 1.352 PLS lb/acre; 21.83 seeds/sq ft. Quoted proportions are by PLS weight, not mature cover. View Mix Specifications Fine-textured grasses and a spring-active sedge layer June Grass forms fine-leaved tufts with slender, early seedheads. This cool-season grass starts growing in spring and flowers before many warm-season prairie grasses. Prairie Dropseed forms rounded mounds of arching, fine-textured leaves. This warm-season grass adds airy summer seedheads above the foliage. Bicknell's Sedge , Plains Oval Sedge and Troublesome Sedge add a spring-active ground layer, leafy tufts and distinctive seedheads. Sedge seeds provide food for birds, and sedges in the Carex group also support caterpillars. References: June Grass · Prairie Dropseed · Bicknell's Sedge · Plains Oval Sedge · Troublesome Sedge and Carex wildlife associations . Flower standouts in Expanded Lead Plant brings silvery-gray, finely divided foliage and purple flower spikes with bright yellow anthers. A characteristic plant of high-quality prairie, it offers flowers for native bees and develops slowly into a small, woody shrub. White Wild Indigo adds upright white flower spires in early summer, pollinated by bumblebees, and seedpods that ripen to black. Give this perennial time to establish its bold, shrub-like form. Rough Blazing Star adds rounded, fluffy purple flowerheads in late summer, with nectar for adult monarchs and other butterflies. Prairie Blazing Star brings dense purple flower spikes and a strong vertical accent, offering another nectar source for adult monarchs. Wild Quinine brings long-lasting, pearly-white summer flowers and a fascinating history: it was historically used in attempts to treat fevers and malaria. Compass Plant pairs deeply lobed basal leaves with tall, sunflower-like yellow blooms. In full sun, upright leaves tend to align their edges north–south, with their broad faces east–west, giving the plant its name. Goldfinches feed on its seeds. Smooth Blue Aster adds striking blue-violet flowers from late summer into early fall, with nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies. References: Lead Plant form and flowers · Lead Plant habitat and native bees · White Wild Indigo · blazing stars and monarch nectar · Wild Quinine · 1881 histo