Prairie Garden

Prairies provide a place for many diverse plants that support a wide range of birds, butterflies and other native wildlife. Without suitable prairie habitat, many birds, insects and butterflies are reduced in number and are in danger of becoming threatened and extinct.  

Homeowners can plant prairie gardens in an urban or suburban area that can be part of a larger ecosystem that will provide suitable habitat for many native plants, insects and birds. Even though prairies were not native landscapes in all of Minnesota, a prairie garden or restored prairie can be grown in most areas of the state.

Over the years, a prairie might save landowners time and money with reduced use of irrigation, pesticides, fertilizers and mowing.

For more information about selecting and preparing a site for a prairie at your home, visit this page of the UMN Extension service website.

Plant list

Grasses
big bluestem – andropogon gerardii
little bluestem – schizachyrium scoparium
blue grama – bouteloua gracilis
side-oats grass – bouteloua curtipendula
indian grass – sorghastrum nutans

Forb (herbaceous) plants
yarrow – achillea milleforium
fragrant giant hyssop – agastache foeniculum
common milkweed – asclepias syriaca
rough blazing star – liatrus aspera
golden alexanders – zizia aurea
heart-leaved alexander – zizia aptera
black-eyed Susan – rudbeckia hirta
stiff goldenrod – solidago rigida
showy goldenrod – solidago speciosa
azure aster – symphyotrichum oolentangiense
smooth aster – symphyotrichum laeve
heath aster – symphyotrichum
wild strawberry – fragaria virginiana

Prairie Garden – introduced in the summer of 2023

Prairies are always changing and therefore difficult to map or label.  Please enjoy the variety and see the Natives segment for examples of specific plants. Images of each plant is included along with the plant name.

Photo gallery

There is no irrigation in this segment so it will reflect the environment a true prairie would.   The plants were hand watered when they were planted in 2023 to get them established and continual work was done to remove Canadian thistle that is so prevalent in the fairgrounds.  

Plants were obtained from Prairie Restoration and are included in a Restoration Bundle.

2024 is the first year of natural growth.