Meadow plants
Plants suited to a meadow planting scheme.
A meadow border captures the loose, naturalistic drift of a wildflower field: grasses woven through perennials in informal sweeps, plants allowed to mingle and self-seed, with the eye carried across the planting rather than stopped at neat blocks. The crucial and most-missed point is fertility, as meadow plants need lean soil; on rich ground the grasses and thugs swamp the flowers, so do not feed or improve it. Plant in interlocking groups rather than clumps, mixing flower and grass, and cut back once in late winter to leave seed heads and structure standing. These plants are chosen for that prairie-meadow effect, combining airy grasses with long-flowering perennials that knit into a self-sustaining tapestry.
Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 224 plants below and it works them into a full plan: how many of each, where they go, and how the bed reads through the seasons.
224 plants for this
- Allegheny MonkeyflowerMimulus ringens
- American SpikenardAralia racemosa
- Anise HyssopAgastache foeniculum
- Aromatic AsterSymphyotrichum oblongifolium
- Beardtongue 'Dark Towers'Penstemon 'Dark Towers'
- Bee Balm 'Jacob Cline'Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline'
- BetonyStachys officinalis
- Big BluestemAndropogon gerardii
- Big MuhlyMuhlenbergia lindheimeri
- Bird's-foot TrefoilLotus corniculatus
- Black-Eyed SusanRudbeckia hirta
- Blanket Flower 'Arizona Sun'Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Arizona Sun'
- BlanketflowerGaillardia aristata
- Blue Flag IrisIris versicolor
- Blue Grama 'Blonde Ambition'Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition'
- Blue MistflowerConoclinium coelestinum
- Blue SageSalvia azurea
- Blue VervainVerbena hastata
- Blue-Eyed GrassSisyrinchium angustifolium
- BonesetEupatorium perfoliatum
- Bottle GentianGentiana andrewsii
- Bottlebrush GrassElymus hystrix
- Brown-Eyed SusanRudbeckia triloba
- BunchberryCornus canadensis
- Burnet 'Tanna'Sanguisorba officinalis 'Tanna'
- Butterfly WeedAsclepias tuberosa
- California PoppyEschscholzia californica
- Canada AnemoneAnemone canadensis
- Canada LilyLilium canadense
- Canada MayflowerMaianthemum canadense
- Canada MilkvetchAstragalus canadensis
- Canada Wild RyeElymus canadensis
- Cardinal FlowerLobelia cardinalis
- ChokecherryPrunus virginiana 'Schubert'
- Common Blue VioletViola sororia
- Common KnapweedCentaurea nigra
- Common MilkweedAsclepias syriaca
- Common poppyPapaver rhoeas
- Common SneezeweedHelenium autumnale
- Common YarrowAchillea millefolium
- Compass PlantSilphium laciniatum
- Coneflower 'Cheyenne Spirit'Echinacea purpurea 'Cheyenne Spirit'
- Coneflower 'Green Jewel'Echinacea purpurea 'Green Jewel'
- Coneflower 'Magnus'Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'
- Coneflower 'Pow Wow Wild Berry'Echinacea purpurea 'Pow Wow Wild Berry'
- Coneflower 'Sombrero Salsa Red'Echinacea 'Sombrero Salsa Red'
- Copper IrisIris fulva
- CosmosCosmos bipinnatus
- CowslipPrimula veris
- Crested Dog's-tailCynosurus cristatus
- Culver's RootVeronicastrum virginicum
- Cup PlantSilphium perfoliatum
- Devil's-bit scabiousSuccisa pratensis
- Dotted Blazing StarLiatris punctata
- Downy Wood MintBlephilia ciliata
- Eastern Bee BalmMonarda bradburiana
- Eastern BluestarAmsonia tabernaemontana
- False AsterBoltonia asteroides
- False Indigo 'Carolina Moonlight'Baptisia 'Carolina Moonlight'
- False Indigo 'Lemon Meringue'Baptisia 'Lemon Meringue'
- False Indigo 'Pink Lemonade'Baptisia 'Pink Lemonade'
- False Indigo BushAmorpha fruticosa
- False SunflowerHeliopsis helianthoides
- False Sunflower 'Summer Sun'Heliopsis helianthoides 'Summer Sun'
- Field scabiousKnautia arvensis
- Florida TickseedCoreopsis leavenworthii
- Fox SedgeCarex vulpinoidea
- Fox-and-cubsPilosella aurantiaca
- Foxglove Beardtongue 'Husker Red'Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'
- Garden Phlox 'Robert Poore'Phlox paniculata 'Robert Poore'
- GauraOenothera lindheimeri
- Giant ConeflowerRudbeckia maxima
- Giant IronweedVernonia gigantea
- Glaucous sedgeCarex flacca
- GlobeflowerTrollius europaeus
- Golden AlexandersZizia aurea
- Golden RagwortPackera aurea
- Golden-eyed GrassSisyrinchium californicum
- Goldenrod 'Fireworks'Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'
- Gray GoldenrodSolidago nemoralis
- Great Blue LobeliaLobelia siphilitica
- Greater KnapweedCentaurea scabiosa
- Hairy BeardtonguePenstemon hirsutus
- HarebellCampanula rotundifolia
- Heath Aster 'Snow Flurry'Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry'
- Hemp AgrimonyEupatorium cannabinum
- Hoary Mountain MintPycnanthemum incanum
- Hoary VervainVerbena stricta
- Hummingbird Mint 'Blue Boa'Agastache 'Blue Boa'
- Idaho Blue-eyed GrassSisyrinchium idahoense
- Indian GrassSorghastrum nutans
- Indian Grass 'Sioux Blue'Sorghastrum nutans 'Sioux Blue'
- Ironweed 'Iron Butterfly'Vernonia lettermannii 'Iron Butterfly'
- Joe Pye Weed 'Gateway'Eutrochium purpureum 'Gateway'
- Korean Feather Reed GrassCalamagrostis brachytricha
- Lanceleaf CoreopsisCoreopsis lanceolata
- Large BeardtonguePenstemon grandiflorus
- Leopard LilyLilium pardalinum
- Little BluestemSchizachyrium scoparium
- Little Bluestem 'Standing Ovation'Schizachyrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation'
- Little Bluestem 'The Blues'Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues'
- Long-headed poppyPapaver dubium
- Maiden pinkDianthus deltoides
- Maximilian SunflowerHelianthus maximiliani
- Meadow Blazing StarLiatris ligulistylis
- Meadow buttercupRanunculus acris
- Meadow CranesbillGeranium pratense
- Mexican Grass TreeDasylirion longissimum
- Mexican HatRatibida columnifera
- Mexican SunflowerTithonia rotundifolia
- Moss PhloxPhlox subulata
- Mountain MintPycnanthemum muticum
- Musk mallowMalva moschata
- Narrow-leaf ConeflowerEchinacea angustifolia
- Narrowleaf Mountain MintPycnanthemum tenuifolium
- New England Aster 'Alma Potschke'Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Andenken an Alma Potschke'
- New England Aster 'September Ruby'Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'September Ruby'
- New York IronweedVernonia noveboracensis
- Nodding OnionAllium cernuum
- Obedient Plant 'Vivid'Physostegia virginiana 'Vivid'
- Ohio SpiderwortTradescantia ohiensis
- Ox-eye DaisyLeucanthemum vulgare
- Pale Purple ConeflowerEchinacea pallida
- Palm SedgeCarex muskingumensis
- Partridge PeaChamaecrista fasciculata
- Pasque FlowerPulsatilla patens (Anemone p.)
- Pennsylvania SedgeCarex pensylvanica
- Prairie Blazing StarLiatris pycnostachya
- Prairie Blue-eyed GrassSisyrinchium campestre
- Prairie CoreopsisCoreopsis palmata
- Prairie DockSilphium terebinthinaceum
- Prairie DropseedSporobolus heterolepis
- Prairie Golden BannerThermopsis rhombifolia
- Prairie OnionAllium stellatum
- Prairie PhloxPhlox pilosa
- Prairie SmokeGeum triflorum
- Prairie Wild RoseRosa arkansana
- Purple Love GrassEragrostis spectabilis
- Purple Moor GrassMolinia caerulea 'Moorhexe'
- Purple Prairie CloverDalea purpurea
- Purplehead SneezeweedHelenium flexuosum
- PussytoesAntennaria plantaginifolia
- Quaking GrassBriza media
- Ragged RobinSilene flos-cuculi
- Rain LilyZephyranthes candida
- Rattlesnake MasterEryngium yuccifolium
- Red CloverTrifolium pratense
- Red ColumbineAquilegia canadensis
- Rough Blazing StarLiatris aspera
- Roundhead Bush CloverLespedeza capitata
- Russet BuffaloberryShepherdia canadensis
- Scaly Blazing StarLiatris squarrosa
- Scarlet Rose MallowHibiscus coccineus
- Seaside GoldenrodSolidago sempervirens
- Seep MuhlyMuhlenbergia reverchonii
- SelfhealPrunella vulgaris
- Shasta Daisy 'Becky'Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky'
- Sheep's fescueFestuca ovina
- Sheep's-bitJasione montana
- Shooting StarPrimula meadia
- Short's AsterSymphyotrichum shortii
- Showy GoldenrodSolidago speciosa
- Showy MilkweedAsclepias speciosa
- Showy Tick TrefoilDesmodium canadense
- Shrubby Cinquefoil (native)Dasiphora fruticosa
- Sideoats GramaBouteloua curtipendula
- SilkgrassPityopsis graminifolia
- Silky AsterSymphyotrichum sericeum
- Sky Blue AsterSymphyotrichum oolentangiense
- Small ScabiousScabiosa columbaria
- Smooth Aster 'Bluebird'Symphyotrichum laeve 'Bluebird'
- Snake's Head FritillaryFritillaria meleagris
- Sneezeweed 'Mardi Gras'Helenium 'Mardi Gras'
- Soft RushJuncus effusus
- Southern Blue FlagIris virginica
- Speedwell 'Georgia Blue'Veronica peduncularis 'Georgia Blue'
- Spider FlowerCleome hassleriana
- Star TickseedCoreopsis pubescens
- SteeplebushSpiraea tomentosa
- Stiff GoldenrodOligoneuron rigidum
- Stokes' AsterStokesia laevis
- SundropsOenothera fruticosa
- Swamp MilkweedAsclepias incarnata
- Swamp Sunflower 'First Light'Helianthus angustifolius 'First Light'
- Sweet Coneflower 'Henry Eilers'Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers'
- Sweet Vernal GrassAnthoxanthum odoratum
- SweetfernComptonia peregrina
- Switchgrass 'Cape Breeze'Panicum virgatum 'Cape Breeze'
- Switchgrass 'Cloud Nine'Panicum virgatum 'Cloud Nine'
- Switchgrass 'Dallas Blues'Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues'
- Switchgrass 'Northwind'Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'
- Switchgrass 'Shenandoah'Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'
- Tall AnemoneAnemone virginiana
- Tall Purple Moor Grass 'Skyracer'Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Skyracer'
- Tall TickseedCoreopsis tripteris
- ThimbleweedAnemone cylindrica
- Threadleaf BluestarAmsonia hubrichtii
- Tufted Hair Grass 'Goldtau'Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau'
- Turk's Cap LilyLilium superbum
- Turtlehead 'Hot Lips'Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips'
- Tussock SedgeCarex stricta
- Virginia Mountain MintPycnanthemum virginianum
- Virginia StrawberryFragaria virginiana
- West Texas Grass SageSalvia reptans
- Western SunflowerHelianthus occidentalis
- White MeadowsweetSpiraea alba
- White TurtleheadChelone glabra
- White Wild IndigoBaptisia alba
- Whorled MilkweedAsclepias verticillata
- Wild BergamotMonarda fistulosa
- Wild CarrotDaucus carota
- Wild DaffodilNarcissus pseudonarcissus
- Wild GarlicAllium canadense
- Wild GeraniumGeranium maculatum
- Wild HyacinthCamassia scilloides
- Wild LupineLupinus perennis
- Wild MarjoramOriganum vulgare
- Wild PetuniaRuellia humilis
- Wild QuinineParthenium integrifolium
- Wood CranesbillGeranium sylvaticum
- Woodland PhloxPhlox divaricata
- Yellow ConeflowerRatibida pinnata
- Yellow Wild IndigoBaptisia tinctoria
- Zinnia 'Benary's Giant'Zinnia elegans 'Benary's Giant'
Related collections
Cottage garden plantsWildlife garden plantsNative plantsWoodland plantsModern plantsFoundation planting plants