Native Wildflower Grazing Seed Mix

This carefully curated seed mix blends native wildflowers and legumes with excellent forage species, perfect for silvopasture, food forests, and orchards. The combination of nitrogen-fixing plants like Illinois Bundleflower and Sweet Clover improves soil health, while species like Purple Prairie Clover and White Prairie Clover enhance nutrient cycling. These plants provide abundant, high-quality forage for livestock, offering a diverse and palatable diet rich in essential nutrients. In addition, vibrant flowers such as Blackeyed Susan and Maximilian Sunflower support pollinators and beneficial insects, ensuring a thriving ecosystem. This mix excels in regenerative agriculture systems, improving biodiversity, soil fertility, and grazing capacity.

Key Characteristics

• Highly Palatable for Livestock: Species like Illinois Bundleflower, Sweet Clover, and Partridge Pea offer nutrient-dense forage for cattle, sheep, and other livestock, supporting healthy weight gain and overall vitality.

• Nitrogen Fixation for Soil Health: Sweet Clover, Purple Prairie Clover, and White Prairie Clover fix atmospheric nitrogen, enriching soils and boosting long-term fertility for sustainable grazing systems.

• Native Wildflowers for Pollinator Support: Bright blooms from Blackeyed Susan, Maximilian Sunflower, and Purple Coneflower attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, creating a balanced, self-sustaining ecosystem.

• Soil Improvement and Erosion Control: Deep-rooted species like Plains Coreopsis and Lanceleaf Coreopsis improve soil structure, reduce compaction, and help prevent erosion, making them valuable for stabilizing degraded land.

• Ideal for Silvopasture and Food Forests: This mix integrates well into permaculture designs, providing grazing opportunities beneath trees and within orchard systems, enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem function.

When and How to Sow:

For best results, sow this mix in early spring or late fall, depending on your local climate. Fall planting is often preferred, as it allows the seeds to undergo natural cold stratification over winter, which enhances germination in the spring. Prepare the soil by clearing any weeds or existing vegetation and lightly raking the surface to create good seed-to-soil contact. Broadcast the seeds evenly and press them into the soil, ensuring they are no deeper than 1/8 inch. Water gently after planting and monitor moisture levels, particularly in dry periods. Native species tend to establish slowly, so be patient as this diverse mix takes root and builds long-term ecological benefits.

Product Details:

• Native Range: Central and Eastern United States
• Plant Life Cycle: Mix of annuals and perennials
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Requirements: Well-drained soils; adaptable to various soil types
• Mature Height: 1 to 6 feet, depending on species
• Bloom Time: Spring to late summer
• Bloom Color: Yellow, purple, red, and white
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9

This seed mix includes a diverse array of native species such as Illinois Bundleflower, Sweet Clover, Blackeyed Susan, Partridge Pea, Plains Coreopsis, Purple Prairie Clover, Clasping Coneflower, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Purple Coneflower, Awnless Bushsunflower, Common Annual Sunflower, Indian Blanket, Maximilian Sunflower, and White Prairie Clover. Together, these species provide a balanced combination of nitrogen-fixing plants, highly palatable forage for livestock, and vibrant wildflowers to support pollinators and improve soil health.