Wisconsin (Usually) Wet Meadow - Pollinator Garden

The Wisconsin (Usually) Moist Meadow plant community is composed of plants native to Wisconsin that thrive in moist soils. Plant them in a rain garden, a depression or at the bottom of a hill. Soil doesn’t need to be wet as much as evenly moist through most of the growing season, much like a vegetable garden. Density of planting is one - two plants every square foot, allowing plants to blend and fill in over the first two years of the planting.  

• Fox Sedge Carex vulpinoidea
• Virginia Wild Rye Elymus virginicus
• Blue Vervain Verbena hostata
• New England Aster Symphyotrichyum novae-angliae
• Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
• Grass-leaved Goldenrod Euthamia graminifolia
• Rose Milkweed Aslcepias incarnata
• Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana
• Ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
• Bergamot Monarda fistulosa
• Yellow Coneflower Ratibida pinnata
• Panicled Aster Liatris pycnostachya
• Queen of the Prairie Filipendula rubra
• Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
• Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
• Meadowsweet Spiraea alba
• Prairie Blazing Star Liatris pycnostachya

Small Bundles will have at least 7 of the above species; Medium will have at least 9 of the above species; Large will have at least 13 of the above species. See distribution chart below for more specifics. Substitutions of species not on this list but appropriate for the plant community may be made. 

Sun: Direct Sun. At least 6 hours a day. 

Soil: Moist soil to wet soil. Should be at least as moist as a vegetable garden. 

The Wisconsin (Usually) Moist Meadow is great for planting throughout Wisconsin. 

2 oz. Seed Mix add on, $12: includes Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Rose milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), and Virginia Wild Rye (Elymus virginicus), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), and Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Plant Distribution

*These distribution numbers are meant to give an idea of what you can expect in each bundle. Numbers and species may vary based on availability and the health of the plants in the spring. We only want to give you the best!

Root Care Instructions

• open box immediately upon arrival and inspect the plants
• plants must be kept in a cool, dark space prior to planting
• until planted, care must be taken to prevent roots from drying out while still allowing air circulation
• plant the roots within 7 days of receiving

Why Bare-Root Plants? 

• Bare root plants allow for you to jumpstart your native pollinator garden as the roots have one year of stored energy and will grow more quickly and more robustly than a seedling plant. 
• Bare root plants can more easily outcompete weeds, especially in the first years. 
• Bare root plants make weeding easier as they are larger and more robust than seedling weeds. 
• Bare root plants are less bulky and expensive compared with potted plants. 

How To Install Your Wisconsin (Usually) Moist Meadow Garden

1. Pick a site on your property that is the first to get wet and last to get dry. Some light mulch and daytime shade can help this plant community thrive by preventing it from drying out completely. Full sun to partial shade, with at least 6 hours of sunlight. If you want to keep all weeds out of the planting, avoid sites with persistent, perennial weeds.
2. Remove existing vegetation in the intended planting site. If lawn sod, rototilling once or twice prior to planting should be sufficient. 
3. Design the plant layout of your garden, considering plant type, flower color, and bloom time. Use authoritative online resources such as Flora of Wisconsin https://wisflora.herbarium.wisc.edu/
4. Plant bare root plants so that no part of the root is left above the soil. Growing buds should be slightly (one quarter inch or so) below soil level. Most plants will have dried vegetation remaining, and this can be used to determine the planting depth for the plant. Light mulch is recommended for this plant community if soils are not naturally moist throughout the year.