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Pollinator Conservation Resources: Great Lakes Region

Pollinator Conservation Resources: Great Lakes Region

Bright purple flowers bloom on a tall stalk in the foreground of this long hedgerow in an agricultural setting. There are also many bright yellow, daisy-like flowers in the hedgerow, which recedes into the distance. Parallel to the hedgerow are rows of green crops, and beyond, a layer of trees.
(Photo: Xerces Society / Karin Jokela)

Welcome to our Pollinator Conservation Resources for the Great Lakes Region! Here you'll find region-specific collections of publications, native seed vendors, and other resources to aid in planning, establishing, restoring, and maintaining pollinator habitat—as well as materials to help you learn about the species of invertebrates and native plants you might encounter. 

For more resources, see our Publications Library or learn about our Pollinator Conservation Program.

Click to return to the Pollinator Conservation Resource Center home page.

 

Habitat Assessment

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Beneficial Insects: Farms and Agricultural Landscapes: 

This Xerces Society beneficial insect habitat assessment guide is designed for a single site on a farm or agricultural landscape.

 

Habitat Assessment Guide for Pollinators in Yards, Gardens, and Parks: 

The goal of this Xerces Society tool is to evaluate pollinator habitat at a given site, and identify areas for improvement. This process will also help you prioritize the most essential next steps to take for pollinators at the site.

 

Natural Areas and Rangelands: 

This Xerces Society pollinator habitat assessment guide is designed for natural areas and rangelands.

 

Pollinator Habitat Management Log: 

This form was designed to monitor wildflower diversity and longevity on a single site over time when used in conjunction with Maintaining Diverse Stands of Wildflowers Planted for Pollinators.

 

Pollinator Habitat Evaluation Form:

This form was designed to monitor wildflower diversity and longevity on a single site over time when used in conjunction with Maintaining Diverse Stands of Wildflowers Planted for Pollinators.

 

Pollinator Habitat Monitoring Form: 

This form was designed to monitor wildflower diversity and longevity on a single site over time when used in conjunction with Maintaining Diverse Stands of Wildflowers Planted for Pollinators.

 

Pollinators: Farms and Agricultural Landscapes: 

This Xerces Society pollinator habitat assessment guide is designed for a single site on a farm or agricultural landscape.

 

Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Habitat Assessment Form & Guide for Natural Areas on Private/Public Lands: 

This Xerces Society rusty patched bumble bee habitat assessment guide is designed for natural areas on public and private lands.

 

Habitat Installation

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Upper Midwest Wildflower Meadow Planting:

Specific to Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, this Xerces Society conservation guide provides detailed instructions for installing and maintaining pollinator habitat in the form of wildflower meadows or prairie, complete with recommended native plant lists, example seed mixes, and a Job Sheet for planning, implementing, and completing the project.

 

Pennsylvania Conservation Cover (327):

Specific to Pennsylvania, this Xerces and USDA-NRCS guide provides detailed instructions for installing and maintaining pollinator habitat in the form of conservation cover according to NRCS Conservation Practice 327, complete with recommended native plant lists, example seed mixes, and a Job Sheet for planning, implementing, and completing the project.

 

Pennsylvania Hedgerow Planting (422): 

Specific to Pennsylvania, this Xerces and USDA-NRCS guide provides detailed instructions for installing and maintaining pollinator habitat in the form of hedgerows according to NRCS Conservation Practice 422, complete with recommended native plant lists and a Job Sheet for planning, implementing, and completing the project.

 

Xerces Society Pollinator Habitat Installation Guides: 

These Xerces Society regional guidelines provide in-depth practical guidance on how to install nectar and pollen habitat for bees in the form of wildflower meadow plantings or linear rows of native flowering shrubs.

 

Pollinator Habitat Planting: 

This Michigan USDA-NRCS document outlines the technical specifications required to establish pollinator habitat through the Conservation Reserve State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (CRP-SAFE) Program. Included in the document is information about site preparation, planting, and long-term land management recommendations.

 

Pennsylvania Conservation Cover (327):

Specific to Pennsylvania, this Xerces and USDA-NRCS joint publication provides detailed instructions for installing and maintaining pollinator habitat in the form of conservation cover according to NRCS Conservation Practice 327, complete with recommended native plant lists, example seed mixes, and a Job Sheet for planning, implementing, and completing the project.

 

Upper Midwest Wildflower Meadow Planting:

Specific to Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, this Xerces Society guide provides detailed instructions for installing and maintaining pollinator habitat in the form of wildflower meadows or prairie, complete with recommended native plant lists, example seed mixes, and a Job Sheet for planning, implementing, and completing the project.

 

Pennsylvania Hedgerow Planting (422): 

Specific to Pennsylvania, this Xerces and USDA-NRCS joint publication provides detailed instructions for installing and maintaining pollinator habitat in the form of hedgerows according to NRCS Conservation Practice 422, complete with recommended native plant lists and a Job Sheet for planning, implementing, and completing the project.

 

Plant Lists

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Pollinator Plants: Great Lakes Region: 

Recommended native plants for the Great Lakes Region that are highly attractive to pollinators such as native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, and are well-suited for small-scale plantings in gardens, on business and school campuses, in urban greenspaces, and in farm field borders.

 

Pollinator Plants: Midwest Region:

Recommended native plants for Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana that are highly attractive to pollinators such as native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, and are well-suited for small-scale plantings in gardens, on business and school campuses, in urban greenspaces, and in farm field borders.

 

Native Plant Profiles and Lists:

The Xerces Society has collaborated with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to create plant lists that are attractive to native bees, bumble bees, honey bees, and other beneficial insects, as well as plant lists with value as nesting materials for native bees. These lists can be narrowed down with additional criteria such as state, soil moisture, bloom time, and sunlight requirements.

 

Regional Milkweed Guides:

A series of regional guides to the native milkweeds of North America, developed in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

 

Monarch Nectar Plant Guides: 

While native milkweed is critical to support of monarch breeding, these regional guides were created to address a need for evidence-based, monarch-specific nectar plants throughout the U.S. These guides were developed in partnership with the Monarch Joint Venture and National Wildlife Federation and are geared toward gardeners and landscape designers but are also be useful for land managers who are implementing large-scale monarch restoration projects.

 

Enhancing Beneficial Insects with Native Plants:

An extensive website by Michigan State University's Extension that includes lists of native and naturalized plant species for attracting pollinators and other beneficial insects, based upon extensive field testing.

 

Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Flowering Plants:

A companion fact sheet to MSU’s native plants for attracting beneficial insects website.

 

Native Milkweeds: Pollinator Plants of the Central United States:

This Xerces and USDA-NRCS joint publication profiles milkweed species of the lower Midwest and central United States, describes their wildlife value, and provides guidance on how to include milkweeds in habitat restoration plantings that benefit monarch butterflies, native bees, and other beneficial insects.

 

Habitat Management

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Maintaining Diverse Stands of Wildflowers Planted for Pollinators:

High quality pollinator meadows sometimes experience a decline in wildflower diversity or abundance as they age. This Xerces Society guide provides recommendations on how to bring declining meadows back into a high quality condition.

 

CRP-SAFE for Karner Blue Butterflies: Recommendations for Wisconsin Landowners and Conservationists:

This Xerces and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire fact sheet is a supplement to contract documents provided to participants of the Wisconsin Shortgrass SAFE by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in order to help landowners and NRCS staff manage CRP-SAFE acres in the most effective way possible for restoring Karner blue populations in addition to other Conservation Reserve Program objectives and benefits.

 

Pollinator Conservation in Minnesota and Wisconsin: A Regional Stakeholders Report:

This Xerces Society report summarizes the findings of an August 2010 meeting of regional stakeholders (farm organizations, universities, nonprofit conservation organization, and state and federal agencies) held at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. It identifies the primary threats to the region’s pollinator and offers conservation recommendations.

 

Pollinator Biology and Habitat: 

An in-depth guide to native bee ecology and conservation for natural areas and farms in Michigan, created by the Michigan USDA-NRCS.

 

Conserving Native Bees on Farmland:

An overview of Michigan’s native bees and the plants that support them, as well as strategies for their conservation on farms. Created by Michigan State University.

 

Factors Affecting Butterfly Use of Filter Strips in Southwestern Minnesota:

A summary of how native grass farm buffer strips affect the populations of several butterfly species in intensively farmed landscapes, created by Iowa and Minnesota USDA-NRCS.

 

Cranberry Pollination and Bumblebees:

This document provides an assessment of wild bumble bee pollination for Wisconsin cranberry production. Includes a short list of plant species that support bumble bees before and after crop bloom. Created by Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association.

 

Bumble Bee Conservation In and Around Cranberry Marshes: 

This document summarizes research conducted by the University of Wisconsin about which plant species and plant community types around cranberry farms are most valuable for bumblebee forage in northern Wisconsin. Created by the University of Wisconsin.

 

Conserving Pollinators: A Primer for Gardeners:

An introduction to pollinator conservation in urban gardens including information on pesticides reduction, flower selection for pollinators, native bee nests, and backyard beekeeping, by the University of Minnesota Extension Service.

 

Wild Pollinators of Eastern Apple Orchards (Second Edition): 

Produced by Cornell University, Penn State University, The Xerces Society, Northeastern IPM Center, USDA Department of Agriculture, and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This book includes a photo guide to bees most important to apple production in the East, steps to conserving wild bee populations, plant recommendations to enhance habitat, summary of bee toxicities for commonly used orchard pesticides, and links to additional information.

 

Pesticide Protection

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These resources provide valuable information that is applicable throughout the United States and Canada. Newest documents are listed first.

 

IPI Database: 

The IPI database contains summaries of research articles on pesticides, their effects on invertebrates, and pesticide movement in the environment. Articles have been reviewed and summarized to highlight key findings by Xerces Society staff.

 

Supporting Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management: Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides: 

This Xerces Society fact sheet provides a brief overview of mosquito management methods that protect both people and pollinators, plus two case studies in effective mosquito management.

 

Smarter Pest Management: Pollinator Protection for Cities and Campuses:

This Xerces Society fact sheet introduces to city and campus land managers the concept of integrated pest management (IPM), a system that emphasizes prevention first and seeks to eliminate the underlying causes of plant diseases, weeds, and insect problems rather than relying on routine use of pesticides.

 

Organic Pesticides: Minimizing Risks to Pollinators and Beneficial Insects:

These Xerces Society guidelines provide a brief overview of how to select and apply pesticides for organic farm operations while minimizing pollinator mortality. Many of the practices outlined here for protecting pollinators also can help to protect beneficial insects such as parasitoid wasps and flies; predaceous wasps, flies, and beetles; ambush and assassin bugs; lacewings; and others. The presence of these insects can further reduce pest pressure and the need for chemical treatments.

 

Common Organic-Allowed Pesticides: A Comparative Overview:

Intended as a companion document to Organic Pesticides: Minimizing Risks to Pollinators and Beneficial Insects, this fact sheet is intended to be a quick reference to help you select and use organically-approved pesticides with the least impact on bees and other beneficial insects.

 

Smarter Pest Management: Protecting Pollinators at Home:

Most of North America’s native bee species only forage over a distance of a few hundred yards, so with a little planning, your yard can provide a safe space for bees and other pollinators to thrive. All you need to give them are flowering plants throughout the growing season, undisturbed places to nest, and protection from pesticides. This Xerces Society guide will help you with the last item, managing yard pests in a pollinator-friendly way.

 

Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides: Fungicide Impacts on Pollinators: 

From large farms to small backyard gardens, many people use fungicides to control plant pathogens. While insecticides have long been recognized as a threat to bees and other beneficial insects, fungicides have generally been assumed to be relatively harmless. Though most fungicide exposures won’t kill a bee immediately, a growing body of research suggests that some fungicides can cause subtle yet significant harm. This Xerces Society fact sheet delves into how these impacts on pollinators occur, and offers mitigation measures and alternative pest management strategies.

 

Potential Risks of Releasing Native Lady Beetles: 

Releasing lady beetles for biological control may seem beneficial, however this practice harms native lady beetles at collection sites, may harm local populations at release sites, and has been shown to not be effective at helping control local pest species.

 

Neonicotinoids in Your Garden: 

This article from the Fall 2012 issue of the Xerces Society's biannual publication, Wings Magazine: Essays on Invertebrate Conservation, explores the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides in gardens.

 

How Neonicotinoids Can Kill Bees: The Science Behind the Role These Insecticides Play in Harming Bees:

In this Xerces Society report, we present an overview of research that clearly documents neonicotinoid impacts on bees. The report also covers what can be inferred from existing research, and identifies knowledge gaps that will need to be filled to allow for better-informed decisions about the future use and regulation of these chemicals.

 

Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Agriculturally Important Beneficial Insects: 

This Xerces Society report details potential negative impacts of neonicotinoid insecticides on important beneficial insects. It also makes recommendations on how we can better protect important beneficials like beetles and wasps.

 

How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides: 

This detailed guide, produced jointly by the extension services of Oregon State University, Washington State University, and the University of Idaho, offers guidance on how to select and apply insecticides. Extensive tables list the toxicity to bees of dozens of chemicals and how long after application they remain hazardous to bees in the field.

 

Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management in Wetlands: 

This Xerces Society report reviews current mosquito control practices in the United States, describes risks and benefits associated with different types of mosquito control—including direct and indirect impacts of chemical and biological controls on nontarget organisms—and provides recommendations on how to develop effective practices to manage mosquito populations while reducing pesticide use and conserving wetlands.

 

Insects and Roadless Forests: A Scientific Review of Causes, Consequences, and Management Alternatives: 

This report outlines key aspects of bark beetle outbreaks, their relationship to fire risk, and presents alternatives to large scale logging practices. Additionally, it suggests that government efforts to stem the infestation of insects in forests across the American West may be ineffective and are unlikely to mitigate future infestation or decrease wildfire risk.

 

Logging to Control Insects: The Science and Myths Behind Managing Forest Insect “Pests": 

This 88-page report demonstrates that industrial logging is not the solution to combating outbreaks of bark beetles or defoliators, such as tussock moth or spruce budworm. This includes a review of relevant studies on the importance of insects to forest function and the effectiveness of methods used to control forest “pest” insects, and a compilation of summaries of over 150 scientific papers and Forest Service documents.

 

Managing Milkweed Crop Pests: A Native Seed Industry Guide: 

Increasing the availability of milkweeds is critical to monarch conservation, but seed production can be difficult. While monarchs are the most well-known milkweed specialists, other specialist milkweed-feeding insects can cause damage to valuable milkweed crops. Our guide provides management strategies for dealing with common milkweed pests including aphids, milkweed bugs, and milkweed beetles.

 

How to Help Your Community Create an Effective Mosquito Management Plan: 

This guide will help you learn more about mosquitoes and the diverse wetland communities in which they play an important part, and give you the resources and information you need to work for the adoption of safe, effective methods of mosquito management in the places where you live and play.

 

Estimated Costs to Establish Wildflower Plantings Using Chemical Fallow: 

This Xerces Society fact sheet provides a quick overview of the estimated costs of establishing wildflower habitat for pollinators on conventional farms.

 

Protecting Bees from Neonicotinoids in Your Garden: 

Neonicotinoids are a group of insecticides that are used widely on farms, as well as around our homes, schools, and city landscapes. This Xerces Society brochure explains why they are a risk to bees, gives examples of neonicotinoid garden products, and gives some simple tips for protecting bees from these insecticides.

 

Farming with Native Beneficial Insects: Ecological Pest Control Solutions:

Lady beetles, syrphid flies, lacewings, and other beneficial insects prey upon crop pests, reducing or eliminating the need for pesticides. This comprehensive Xerces Society guide describes how to recognize these insects and their habitat, and how to evaluate, design, and improve habitat for them.

 

Guidance to Protect Habitat from Pesticide Contamination: Creating and Maintaining Healthy Pollinator Habitat: 

This Xerces Society guidance document was designed to help growers, land managers, and others safeguard pollinator habitat from harmful pesticide contamination. It includes information on selecting habitat sites, as well as ways to maintain clean habitat by limiting and carefully managing pesticide use.

 

Recommendations for Designing State Pollinator Protection Plans: 

In these recommendations, the Xerces Society seeks to share information about native pollinators and their needs in order for state plans to address the diverse concerns that managed and native pollinators face. Specific regional information to support plan development is available through the Xerces Society website and other resources.

 

Wings 38(2): Fall 2015 (Rethinking Pesticides): 

Our Fall 2015 issue of Wings Magazine: Essays on Invertebrate Conservation is devoted to the subject of pesticides, their impact on invertebrates, and consideration of alternative in controlling insect "pests."

 

Preventing or Mitigating Potential Negative Impacts of Pesticides on Pollinators Using Integrated Pest Management and Other Conservation Practices:

Agronomy Technical Note No. 9.

 

Wings 35(2): Fall 2012 (Happy Birthday, Silent Spring): 

Our Fall 2012 issue of Wings Magazine looks back at the impact of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and includes articles on fireflies, dragonflies and damselflies, neonicotinoids, and more.

 

Identification & Monitoring Resources

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Bumble Bees of the Eastern United States:

This US Forest Service guide provides information to identify 21 bumble bee species found east of the Mississippi River.

 

Upper Midwest Citizen Scientist Pollinator Monitoring Guide: Native Bees: 

Developed for community scientists (sometimes referred to as "citizen scientists") to document how native bee communities change through time in pollinator habitats. It includes an introduction to bee identification, an overview of biology, tools for identifying different groups of bees, and observation datasheets.

 

Yellow-Banded Bumble Bee Pocket Identification Guide:

A full color print-and-fold guide to the yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola), a formerly common species believed to be in decline. Includes images of similar-looking species.

 

Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee Pocket Identification Guide:

A full color print-and-fold guide to the rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), a formerly common species that is now endangered. Includes images of similar looking species.

 

Bee Spotter:

Bee Spotter is an initiative to document the abundance and distribution of bumble bees within Illinois. Site visitors can submit their own photos for identification assistance, and observational reports are recorded in a database showing the geographic locations of each species.

 

Pennsylvania Citizen Scientist Bee Monitoring Guide:

An instructional handbook for native bee survey efforts, used by the Penn State Master Gardener Program. The handbook assists users in identifying native bees to broad morphological categories for assessing general pollinator abundance and diversity. Developed in collaboration with the Xerces Society, this guide is useful in identifying broad groups of bees throughout the Northeastern U.S.

 

Pennsylvania Citizen Scientist Bee Monitoring Pocket Guide:

A pocket-sized printable field version of the taxonomic native bee groups described in the Penn-State Citizen-Scientist Bee Monitoring Guide.

 

Minnesota Bumble Bee Survey: 

Visit this page to learn more about Minnesota’s 18 species of bumble bees, and how to volunteer for multi-year sampling of bumble bee populations in targeted parks in Minnesota.

 

Spring Wild Bees of Wisconsin: 

This online guide will help you identify wild bees common in Wisconsin in the spring and early summer.

 

Ohio Bee Identification Guide: 

A pocket guide to the groups of bees common in Ohio from the Ohio State University-OARDC.

 

Native Seed & Plant Vendors

Vendors

The Xerces Society works with leading wildflower seed producers in multiple regions of the U.S. to develop custom native seed mixes that feature the best pollen and nectar plants available. Local ecotype, source-identified seed that is not treated with pesticides is used wherever possible. Large volume mixes are available at wholesale pricing to help offset the costs of native plant restoration.

 

Agrecol, Madison, WI:

Agrecol provides a diverse selection of native wildflower and grass seed, as well as live native plants, to the Upper Midwest.

 

Allendan Seed, Winterset, IA:

Allendan Seed offers over 250 species of Iowa grown native wildflower and prairie seed.

 

Amanda's Garden, Springwater, NY:

Amanda's Garden offers nursery propagated perennials native to the Northeast.

 

Blazing Star Nursery, Woodstock, IL:

Blazing Star sells prairie, woodland and wetland seeds and small numbers of plants from the northeastern Illinois region.

 

Bluestem Farm, Baraboo, WI:

Bluestem offers nursery-propagated prairie, savanna, and woodland potted plants native to southern Wisconsin.

 

Broadview Wildflower Seed, Grinnell, WI:

Broadview Wildflower Seed offers native wildflower seed mixes for bees, butterflies, and birds.

 

Cardno Native Plant Nursery, Walkerton, IN:

Cardno Native Plant Nursery provides plant materials and seeds of Midwest native grasses, wildflowers, trees and shrubs.

 

Country Road Greenhouses, Inc., Rochelle, IL:

Country Road Greenhouses, Inc. specializes in prairie forb, grass and sedge transplants.

 

Ernst Conservation Seed, Meadville, PA:

Offers Xerces-reviewed seed mixes for pollinator conservation projects. 

Ernst sells a diversity of Eastern ecotype native wildflower and grass seeds, as well as planting material of trees and shrubs.

 

Earthskin Nursery, Mason City, IL:

Earthskin Nursery specializes in central Illinois ecotype seed of prairie forbs and grasses.

 

Everwilde Farms, Inc., Bloomer, WI:

Everwilde offers a selection of wildflower seeds, including species native to the Midwest.

 

Envirotech Nursery, Somerset, OH:

Envirotech is a wholesale and retail native plant nursery that sells wetland, sedge meadow, wet prairie and tallgrass prairie plants.

 

Feder Prairie Seed, Blue Earth, MN:

Feder’s specializes in local ecotype south central Minnesota native prairie forb and grass seeds.

 

Glacial Ridge Growers, Glenwood, MN:

Glacial Ridge Growers offers over 250 species of live plants, propagated and grown using sustainable non-chemical production techniques.

 

Heartland Restoration Services, Inc., Fort Wayne, IN:

Heartland\'s native seed nursery provides seed of Midwestern wildflowers, grasses and sedges, and will also contract grow native plant materials.

 

Hidden Savanna Nursery, Kalamazoo, MI:

Hidden Savanna provides Michigan native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs sold in containers and plugs, with a focus on SW Michigan ecotypes.

 

Hild & Associates, River Falls, WI:

Hild & Associates provides of plant material of native prairie and wetland species of the Midwest.

 

Hoksey Native Seeds, Lynnville, IA:

Hoksey provides Iowa ecotype natvie grasses and wildflower seeds, as well as CRP or custom seed mixes.

 

Ion Exchange Native Wildflower Seed and Nursery, Harpers Ferry, IA:

Ion Exchange sells native prairie wildflower and grass seed and plant materials to locations in the Midwest.

 

J & J Transplant Aquatic Nursery Inc., Wild Rose, WI:

J & J offers plugs, seeds and bare root material of prairie and aquatic Midwest species.

 

Keystone Flora , Cincinnati, OH:

Keystone Flora offers Ohio-sourced native plant material, including forbs, grasses, vines, shrubs and trees.

 

Landscape Alternatives, Inc., Shafer, MN:

Prairie flowers and grasses and Midwest woodland flowering plants can all be found at Landscape Alternatives plant nursery.

 

Michigan Wildflower Farm, Portland, MI:

Michigan Wildflower Farm is a producer of local ecotype native Michigan wildflower and grass seed.

 

Minnesota Native Landscapes, Otsego, MN:

Minnesota Native Landscapes offers native Minnesota plant community seed mixes, as well as trees and shrubs, and can custom grow requested native plants.

 

Morning Sky Greenery, Morris, MN:

Morning Sky sells seeds and plant materials of a wide range of native plants found in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.

 

Native Connections, Three Rivers, MI:

Native Connections provides Michigan ecotype grass and wildflower seed.

 

The Native Plant Nursery, LLC, Ann Arbor, MI:

The Native Plant Nursery, Inc. offers Michigan sourced native plants and seeds, as well as custom seed mixes.

 

Natural Communities Native Plants, Batavia, IL:

Natural Communities Native Plants carries many varieties of native milkweed plants to the Chicago region

 

The Natural Garden, Inc., St. Charles, IL:

The Natural Garden, Inc. sells herbaceous perennial plants native to the Chicago region, as well as seeds of some species.

 

Natural Shore Technologies, Inc., Maple Plain, MN:

Natural Shore's nursery specializes in moisture-loving prairie plants as well as Minnesota native shore and wetland plant stock.

 

Naturally Native Nursery, South Bend, IN:

Naturally Native Nursery is an organic native plant nursery with tens of thousands of Upper Midwest native plants, including seven milkweed species.

 

Naturally WILD, Minneapolis, MN:

Naturally Wild provides native Minnesota wildflowers, grasses and other garden plants that are grown using only natural, sustainable, nonchemical methods.

 

Nodding Onion Gardens, Columbia Station, OH:

Nodding Onion Gardens strives to offer native wildflower plants that are attractive to native pollinators as well as offering plants listed as endangered or threatened.

 

Oakland Wildflower Farm, Ortonville, MI:

Oakland Wildflower Farm sells transplants of native forbs and grasses, and specializes in Southeast Michigan ecotypes.

 

Ohio Prairie Nursery, Hiram, OH:

Ohio Prairie Nursery provides Ohio regional seed mixes as well as species of wildflower, grass and sedge seeds, and a limited amount of plant material.

 

Osenbaugh's Prairie Seed Farms, Lucas, IA:

This seed producer provides prairie wildflower and grass seeds of Iowa ecotypes.

 

Out Back Nursery, Inc., Hastings, MN:

Out Back sells plant materials from Minnesota woodland, floodplain, savanna, wetland, shoreline, and prairie species.

 

The Plantsmen Nursery, LLC, Groton, NY:

This nursery provides grasses, shrubs, trees, perennial wildflowers and wetland plants native to New York.

 

Possibility Place Nursery, Monee, IL:

Possibility Place Nursery offers plants of Illinois native shrubs, trees and perennials. The Prairie Flower, Spencer, IA: The Prairie Flower provides northwest Iowa ecotype native prairie and wetland plants and seeds.

 

Prairie Nursery, Westfield, WI:

Prairie Nursery provides native wildflower and grass seed, seed mixes, and plants to the Midwest region.

 

Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN:

Prairie Moon has a high diversity of species native to the Upper Midwest for prairie, savanna, woodland and wetland, and sells seed and bare-root plants.

 

Prairie Restorations, Inc., Princeton, MN:

Prairie Restorations provides Minnesota ecotype seeds and plants of prairie, savanna, wetland, woodland and shoreline species.

 

St. Williams Nursery, St. Williams, ON, Canada:

St. Williams Nursery is the largest source-identified native seed and plant nursery in the province of Ontario.

 

Shooting Star Native Seeds, Spring Grove, MN:

Shooting Star Native Seeds specializes in local ecotype prairie and wetland seed, as well as seed mixes appropriate for the Upper Midwest.

 

Simply Native Nursery, Alexis, IL:

We offer nursery propagated prairie, woodland and wetland forbs and grasses native to Western IL/Eastern IA.

 

Southern Tier Consulting and Nursery, Inc., West Clarksville, NY:

This nursery sells live plant material of wetland, wildflower and grasses native to the NE U. S., in addition to some seed.

 

Spence Restoration Nursery, Inc., Muncie, IN:

Spence provides native seeds and plants of eastern Midwest ecotypes, including wetland, prairie, and woodland species.

 

Spring Lake Restoration Nurseries, Prior Lake, MN:

Spring Lake sells plants and seeds of ecotypes of east-central Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.

 

Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, De Pere, WI:

Stone Silo provides native flowers and grasses, available online or by mail.

 

Taylor Creek Restoration Nurseries, Brodhead, WI:

Taylor Creek offers native seeds and plants of prairie grasses and wildflowers, shrubs and trees of the Midwest.

 

Wetland Supply Company, Apollo, PA:

Wetland Supply sells native wetland, prairie and woodland plants, both containerized and bare root stock.

 

Wildtype Native Plant Nursery, Mason, MI:

Wildtype provides Michigan ecotype plant material of woody plants, forbs and grass species.

 

Wilson Seed Farms, Inc., Tiskilwa, IL:

Wilson Seed Farms, Inc. sells native wildflower and grass seed, and can provide specific seed mixes to comply with conservation program requirements or will create custom Illinois seed mixes.

 

Winterhaven Wildflowers, West Point, IN:

Winterhaven offers wholesale, retail or contact growing of Indiana native wildflowers and grasses, and specializes in monarch habitat plants, including ten species of milkweed.

 

Woods' Edge Farm, Muscoda, WI:

Woods Edge Farm provides Wisconsin ecotype perennials and shrubs native to the woodlands and savannas of the upper Midwest.

 

Seed Mixes

 

Central Great Lakes and Midwest Native Seed Mix:

Produced by Cardno JF New Nursery, this mix includes high quality native perennial wildflowers that are highly attractive to pollinators, and appropriate for habitat restoration in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio. The mix also includes one or more species of native bunch grass that provide nesting habitat for bumble bees and other beneficial insects.

 

Eastern Great Lakes Native Seed Mix:

This regionally adapted mix from Ohio Prairie Nursery includes diverse native wildflower species that provide high quality sources of pollen and/or nectar to pollinators, and several species of native bunch grass that provide nesting habitat for bumble bees and other beneficial insects. This mix is suitable for planting in Ohio, Indiana, western New York, and western Pennsylvania.

 

Pennsylvania Native Seed Mix:

This mix produced by Ernst Conservation Seeds includes high quality native perennial wildflowers that are highly attractive to pollinators, and a native bunch grass that provides nesting habitat for bumble bees and other beneficial insects. This mix is suitable for habitat restoration in Pennsylvania.

 

Upper Midwest Native Seed Mix:

This mix developed by Minnesota Native Landscapes includes high quality native perennial wildflowers that are highly attractive to pollinators, and one or more species of native bunch grass that provide nesting habitat for bumble bees and other beneficial insects. This mix is appropriate for habitat restoration in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. This mix is sold as “pure live seed” as opposed to “bulk seed” and is calculated at a robust seeding rate of 40 seeds per square foot, per acre.

 

Western Great Lakes Native Seed Mixes:

These mixes from Prairie Nursery include high quality annual and perennial wildflowers that provide pollinators with season-long sources of pollen and/or nectar. To provide nesting habitat for bumble bees and other beneficial insects, several species of bunch grass are also included. These mixes are appropriate for habitat restoration in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Separate mixes are available for sites with dry versus mesic soils.

 

Further Reading

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