MEADOW FLOWERS

Key: A = acid soil; N = neutral soil; C = calcareous (alkaline) soil

D = drought-tolerant; W = prefers or tolerates wet conditions

Alexander (Zizia aptera and Z. aurea) WD
Aster (Aster spp.) WD
Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) C
Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.) D
Bee Balm/Bergamot (Monarda spp.) DW
Bird’s-foot Violet (Viola pedata)  
Bishop’s Weed (Ammi majus)  
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) D
Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda chinensis)  
Blackfoot Daisy (Melanpodium leucanthum) N
Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)  
Blazing-star/Gayfeather (Liatris spp.) WD
Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium spp.)  
Bouncing Bet (Saponaria officinalis)  
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) AD
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica and other spp.)
Camass (Camassia spp.) W
Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans)  
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum) W
Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata and other spp.) CD
Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) W
Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)  
Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata) C
Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)  
Evening Primrose (Oenothera spp.) D
False Chamomile (Boltonia asteroides)  
False Indigo (Baptisia spp.) AW
False Lupine (Thermopsis montana) W
Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) WD
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) D
Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) W
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) W
Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) D
Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja spp.)
Ironweed (Vernonia spp.) W
Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum) W
Johnny-jump-up / Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)  
Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber)  
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens) D
Meadow Rue (Thalictrum polygamum)  
Mexican Hat (Ratibida columnifera)  
Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca and other spp.) W
Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)  
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) D
Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) WDA
Obedient Plant (Physiostega virginiana)  
Oxeye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) A
Partridge Pea (Cassia fasciculata)  
Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)  
Perovskia/Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) C
Prairie Clover (Dalea/Petalostemon spp.) WD
Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) CD
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)  
Queen-of-the-prairie (Filipendula rubra) W
Rattlesnake-master (Eryngium yuccifolium) C
Sage (Salvia spp.) CDW
Shooting-star (Dodecatheon spp.)  
Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) W
Spiderwort (Tradescentia virginiana)  
Sulfur Flower (Eriogonum umbellatum) D
Sunflower (Helianthus spp.)  
Tawny (or Orange) Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)  
Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)  
Turk’s-cap Lily (Lilium superbum) WA
Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) W
Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare) C
Western Blue Flag (Iris missouriensis) WC
Wild Blue (or Prairie) Flax (Linum perenne var. lewisii) W
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) W
Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis) A
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)  
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium and other spp.) D
Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) NDW
MEADOW GRASSES
Alkali Dropseed (Sporobolus airoides) WD
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) D
Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) D
Blue Fescue (Festuca ovina var. glauca)  
Blue Moor Grass (Sesleria caerulea/S. autumnalis) C
Blue Wild Rye (Elymus glaucus)  
Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus)  
Buffalo Grass (Buchloe dactyloides) D
Bulbous Oat Grass (Arrhenatherum elatius var. bulbosum)
Bushy Bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus) W
California Fescue (Festuca californica)  
California Meadow Sedge (Carex pansa)  
Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis) D
Cotton Grass (Eriophorum vaginatum) AW
Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens) D
Feather Reedgrass (Calamagrostis acutifolia var. stricta) W
Fine-Leaved Fescue (Festuca tenuifolia)  
Foothill Sedge (Carex tumulicola) WD
Foxtail Barley (Hordeum jubatum)  
Indian Rice Grass (Oryzopsis hymenoides) D
Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) D
Junegrass (Koeleria cristata) D
Leafy Reed Grass (Calamagrostis foliosa)  
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) D
Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis)  
Needle-and-thread Grass (Stipa comata)  
Northern (Prairie) Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) D
Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata)  
Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata) W
Purple Lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) D
Purple Top (Tridens flavus)  
Red Fescue (Festuca rubra)  
Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) D
Silver Beardgrass (Andropogon ternarius) D
Sweet Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum) AW
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) WD
Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia caespitosa) D
Velvet Grass (Holcus lanatus)  
Western Wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii)  
Wild Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) W
Wiregrass (Aristida stricta) D
TREES & SHRUBS

Strong preferences as regards soil types are given below.

American Beech (Fagus grandiflora)  
American Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana) A
American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)  
American Wild Plum (Prunus americana)  
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) W
Birch (Betula spp.)  
Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra) W
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)  
Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) A
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) A
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)  
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)  
Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)  
Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas)  
Crabapple (Malus spp.)  
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) C
Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus spp., inc. Russian and autumn olive) D
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)  
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)  
Feltleaf Ceanothus (Ceanothus arboreus) D
Franklin Tree (Franklinia alatamaha) A
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)  
Hazelnut (Corylus spp.)  
Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)  
Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa)  
Ironwood (Olneya tesota) D
Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum) A
Mulberry (Morus spp.)  
New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) A
Oregon Grape-Holly (Mahonia aquifolium) C
Pasture Rose (Rosa carolina)  
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)  
Pine (Pinus spp.) A
Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)  
Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)  
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)  
Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)  
Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)  
Shellbark Hickory (Carya laciniosa) A
Silver Maple (Acer saccharium) D
Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) A
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)  
Sumac (Rhus spp.)  
Valley Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)  
Viburnum (Viburnum spp., inc. American highbush cranberry)  
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)  
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) W
MEADOW BUTTERFLIES

together with the food plants preferred by their caterpillars.

American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) Everlasting
Baltimore (Euphydras phaeton) Turtlehead
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) Umbellifers
Blazing-Star Skipper (Hesperia leonardus) Grass
Buckeye (Junonia coenia) Plantain
Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis) Mallow
Checkered White (Pieris protodice) Crucifers
Comma (Polygonia comma) Nettle/Hops
Common Sooty Wing (Pholisora catullus) Amaranth
Common Sulphur (Colias philodice) Clover/Vetch
Eastern Tailed Blue (Everas comyntas) Clover/Vetch
European Skipperling (Thymelicus lineola) Grass
Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) Grass
Fire-Rim Tortoise-shell (Nymphalis milberti) Nettle
Gray Skipper (Lerodea eufala) Grass
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) Clover/Vetch/Mallow
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Violet
Greenish Clover Blue (Plebejus saepiolus) Clover
Holarctic Grass Skipper (Hesperia comma) Grass
Long Dash (Polites mystic) Grass
Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) Violet
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Milkweed
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) Clover/Vetch
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) Thistle/Knapweed
Peak White (Pieris callidice) Crucifers
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) Aster
Prairie Skipper (Hesperia ottoe) Grass
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) Nettle
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) Nettle
Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) Grass
Sachem (Atalopedes campestris) Grass
Silver Meadow Fritillary (Boloria selene) Violet
Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) Legumes
Small White (Pieris rapae) Crucifers
Spring Azure (Celestrina ladon) Dogwood
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) Willow
Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) Grass