Native Wildflower Seeds

Prairie Moon’s seeds come from their ever-expanding production fields and from a network of more than 70 seed producers located throughout the Midwest. All of the seeds we offer at Heyden’s Gardens are for plants native to the state of Wisconsin.

Each seed packet lists a common name, a botanical name, and includes a germination code. Not all seeds germinate the same, but you will be given a comprehensive full-color seeding guide with seed purchases. It illustrates thorough instructions for achieving the best germination for each species. You will find in our garden center native wildflower seed packets with the following germination categories:

• No pre-treatment necessary
  • Sow seeds directly out of the packet
• Hot water treatment
  • Pour hot water over the seeds and allow them to soak overnight before sowing
• Stratification
  • Cool, moist pre-treatment to stimulate germination. Wrap the seeds in a moist paper towel or coffee filter, then store it in a refrigerator for the indicated number of days. These seeds can also be sown using the Winter Sowing method.
• Scarification
  • Large seeds with hard coating may require weakening or opening the coat of a seed to encourage germination. Prairie Moon seeds that require scarification have been pre-scarified for you.
• Surface Sow
  • Seeds are very small and need light to break dormancy and germinate.
• Hulls need to be removed
  • All species that need seed hull removal have been dehulled. This increases the amount of seed you receive per ounce and increases germination.
• Legume Inoculum
  • Leguminous plants (such as False Indigo, Wild Senna, Leadplant, and Lupine) harbor beneficial bacteria called rhizobia on their roots. Rhizobium bacteria are microscopic beneficial organisms that form a symbiotic relationship with legume plants, assisting the plant roots with better accessing nitrogen in the soil. In return, the legume carries out photosynthetic on behalf of the bacteria. Inoculum is naturally-occurring in most soils and an additional amendment is usually not needed. However, in low fertility soils, it may be helpful. Genus-specific strains are available directly from prairiemoon.com/inoculum