FAQ's & How To's

Interseeding flowers back into an existing prairie can work, but it is one of the harder prairie jobs to get right. The biggest thing to understand is that you are not planting into a clean, open seedbed. You are trying to sneak new seedlings into an established plant community where the existing grasses and forbs already have the advantage. That means seed choice matters, but prep matters more. Before you interseed, you need to create room for seed-to-soil contact and sunlight. If the prairie is thick, grass-heavy, or has a heavy thatch layer, simply throwing seed over the top is usually disappointing. A burn, close mowing, haying, grazing, or light disturbance can help open the canopy. In many cases, the best results come from interseeding after a fall burn, early spring burn, or other disturbance that knocks back the existing vegetation long enough for new seedlings to get a start. If problem weeds or aggressive cool-season grasses are present, deal with those first. Interseeding flowers into a stand that is dominated by brome, reed canary grass, or thick thatch is usually asking a lot from the seed. For species, lean toward tough prairie forbs that can handle competition once they get going. Good candidates include Black-eyed Susan, Wild Bergamot, Partridge Pea, Purple Prairie Clover, White Prairie Clover, Illinois Bundleflower, Leadplant, Rattlesnake Master, pale purple coneflower, Gray-headed Coneflower, blazing stars, Golden Alexanders, asters, goldenrods, and milkweeds. The exact list should change with your region, soil moisture, sunlight, and the prairie you already have. The honest caveat is that interseeding is never perfect. Even with good prep, some species will hit and some will not. Think of it as nudging the prairie in the right direction, not repainting the whole canvas in one season. If you want a practical starting point, we carry an Interseeding Mix in our Native Mixes Store designed for this exact situation.