Featured Seed

Silphium terebinthinaceum, more commonly known as prairie dock, is a flowering plant that can be found in most of Illinois, along with select areas of Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Some refer to it as prairie rosinweed, a name derived from the sweet-smelling resin it produces when cut. When fully grown, prairie dock can reach heights of 10 feet. Small, yellow flowers bloom at the tips of its stems, while […]

Silphium lacinatum is known by a number of names: pilotweed, gum weed, turpentine plant, and more. Its most popular name, however, is compass plant. Compass plant is a flowering plant native to eastern and central US and can often be found alongside big bluestem.   Like most plants in the Silphium genus, compass plant flowers have vibrant yellow petals that spread out from its center like sunrays.

Sorghastrum nutans, more commonly referred to as Indiangrass, is a native, warm season perennial grass (NWSG) commonly used in CRP establishments. It can be found through central and eastern United States, especially along the Great Plains.  Part of the reason for its prevalence is its ability to grow in a range of soil types, from heavy

Need a good food source for wildlife to implement into your CRP seed mix? Illinois bundleflower is a great choice for contract holders across the Midwest and south-central states. Also known as prickleweed and prairie mimosa, this warm season perennial legume has good drought tolerance and can grow in most soils.  When fully grown, Illinois bundleflower can stand anywhere from 1-4 feet tall. Leaves grow in

Black-eyed Susan is a popular North American flower known for its bright yellow pedals and a dark, dome-shaped center from which its name is derived. The official name for black-eyed Susan is Rudbeckia hirta (though other flowers in the rudbeckia family are sometimes colloquially referred to as black-eyed Susan)      In addition to being the state flower of Maryland, black-eyed Susan served as

Once upon a time, the Midwest was covered in a variety of thick, native grasses. These grasses protected and enriched soil while providing habitat for local wildlife. Today, those native grasses are used for the same purposes through programs such as CRP.   One of the most prevalent types of native grass then and now is panicum