Annual Native Seeds Mix
Planting a new pollinator garden full of native perennials? This seed mix is designed to provide quick-growing annuals to fill in the empty spots while the slower-growing perennials are getting established.
If you plant your native perennials according to their mature size, you’ll have wide gaps between your transplants for the first year or two, as the perennials slowly grow into their potential. Annuals have less than a year to sprout, grow, flower, and propagate themselves by going to seed and dying; no time to waste! While we encourage you to emphasize perennials in your pollinator garden, we find that native annuals are a valuable complement and can maximize the benefits a garden offers to our pollinator friends.
We’ve created a mix of 7 native annuals that are easy to grow, provide lots of visual appeal, attract a wide variety of pollinators, and are native to central Oklahoma. Covers 25 to 50 square feet, full sun. We recommend seeding in April or May.
Be a citizen scientist with us! This is our first year to offer this mix, and we’re eager for your feedback on what works well and what could be improved. We’re offering a free seed packet to anyone who emails their comments to us. Thank you!
HOW TO PLANT
Temporarily remove any mulch, straw, or wood chips from your garden bed. If the soil is very dry, give it a deep soak before seeding. Scatter this seed mix between your perennials; let the seeds sit on top of the soil. Sprinkle a very light layer of mulch or straw over the seeded area. Water gently with a watering can or a hose equipped with a soft shower-type nozzle. Water deeply and gently. Keep the area moist until the seeds start to sprout. Then, water only as needed to prevent the seedlings’ root zone from drying out completely.
As the seedlings grow, you can add more mulch around the plants to hold moisture in the soil and reduce the need for watering. All these plants develop some drought tolerance once they are established.
If too many seeds germinate, thin them out a bit. Aim for 3 to 5 plants per square foot initially; you can thin them more as they get bigger. In the fall or early spring, if you need to cut them back, consider the chop-and-drop method. Seedheads will provide valuable food for birds, and stems provide overwintering habitat for insects. Next spring, you may find that many of these plants have self-seeded. Remove or prune as needed to prevent overcrowding or to give your perennial plants more room.
More information: Okies for Monarchs, Homegrown National Park, ONPN
eliawoods.com eliawoodsgarden@att.net
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Golden Crownbeard
(Verbesina enceloides)
Prolific blooms of yellow daisy-like flowers all through the heat and drought of summer and on into fall. Although it’s a rather ordinary-looking flower, I’ve seen more species of butterflies on this plant than on any other flower in my pollinator garden! During summers of extreme heat and drought, this humble gem is one of the few plants tough enough to keep flowering. Self-seeds enthusiastically. Full sun, medium to dry soil, grows 1-3’ tall. AKA Cowpen Daisy.
Larval host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly.
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Partridge Pea
(Chamaecrista fasciculata)
Cheerful yellow flowers attract butterflies & bees. Seed pods are enjoyed by overwintering songbirds. Partridge Pea is an annual legume and helps fix soil nitrogen. Self-seeds, grows 2-4’ high, full sun, dry to medium soil. Larval host plant to the Cloudless Sulfur Butterfly.
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Redwhisker Clammyweed
(Polanisia dodecandra)
The name sounds like a character from a Dr. Seuss book, but it’s actually a lovely flower native to Oklahoma and most of the U.S. Clammyweed is closely related to spiderflowers (Cleome), with airy flowers sporting long reddish-pink stamens. A pollinator favorite! Full sun, medium-dry soil. 2-3’ height, often self-seeds.
Larval host plant to Checkered White and Great Southern White butterflies.
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Soft Goldenaster
(Bradburia pilosa)
Yellow daisy-like flowers, often found in rocky dry prairies and on roadsides. This sweet little flower is listed by the National Wildlife Federation as a Top 30 Native Host Plant for Specialist Bees. Foliage has a strong camphor scent when crushed. Native to south-central U.S. Sun to part-shade, up to 2’ tall, blooms summer to fall. 50 pollen specialist bee species in our Ecoregion rely on Goldenaster.
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Plains Coreopsis
(Coreopsis tinctoria)
A prodigious summer bloomer with finely cut leaves and vibrant yellow flowers sporting maroon centers. Self-seeds and naturalizes well, excellent in large plantings. Full sun to part shade, 2-4’ tall.
27 pollen specialist bee species in our Ecoregion rely on Coreopsis.
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Lemon Bee Balm
(Monarda citriodora)
Fragrant, lavender-pink flowers are stacked one on top of the other on tall stems. Rub the leaves for a lemony aroma; they also make a tasty tea! Full sun to part shade, 2-3’ tall, drought tolerant. AKA Lemon Mint, Horsemint, Lemon Bergamot.
Attracts bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
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Indian Blanket
(Gaillardia pulchella)
AKA Blanketflower. The state wildflower of Oklahoma! This is the native, annual variety, featuring showy red flowers with yellow tips. Easy to grow and will happily reseed itself every year; just be sure to let the seeds fully mature before trimming back the stems. Prefers full sun and lean, dry soil conditions. Drought tolerant once established, grows 1-2’ tall.
Larval host plant for the Gaillardia Flower Moth and the Painted Schinia butterfly. 18 pollen specialist bee species in our ecoregion rely on Gaillardia.
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