Nebraska Native Plants, State Flower & State Bird

Hello native plant enthusiasts! In the list below, you will find popular native plants and wildflower seeds, available from American Meadows, that have a native distribution in your state. You’ll also find information about your state bird, state flower, and state wildflower!

• The links will take you to a single plant or seed selection for the plant listed -- but in many cases, we offer multiple cultivars for each plant, and we may offer both seeds and potted plants to grow the plant on your list. This list is a work in progress as we expand our native plant educational resources. 
• The list for your state is a great place for getting started with native plants - but it is by no means a comprehensive listing of the hundreds of native plants growing in each state. 

Grow our Native Midwest Wildflower Seed Mix

Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Perennial Lupine (Lupinus perennis)

Black Eyed Susan or Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)

Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)

Yellow Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)

Gray Headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Long Beaked Sedge (Carex sprengelii)

White Tinged Sedge (Carex albicans)

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

Red Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)

Meadow Anemone (Anemone canadensis)

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Yellow Prairie Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Sky Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)

Common White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Helenium (Helenium autumnale)

Heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)

Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Western Meadowlark ~ Sturnella neglecta
After leaving the nest, the young Western Meadowlarks spend about two weeks with their parents, learning to hunt beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets. In winter the birds subsist on seeds and waste grain. Not only has the Meadowlark befriended all America by cheering people with his flute-like, liquid songs, but he is also a helpful ally in beating back the encroachment of weeds and insects. Meadowlarks live mainly in monogamy, but a male may have several females.

Goldenrod ~ Solidago gigantea
Each yellow spray on the Goldenrod is made up of hundreds of individual flowers. The erect, strong stalk is branched, and each branch bears on its upper side a number of small flower heads about one-third of an inch in height. Each head is, in turn, made up of very tiny florets packed tightly in a green cup. These miniature florets either have a banner petal to attract insects of are tube-shaped and produce the pollen and nectar prized by the visitors. Both types of florets produce seeds. As the floret fades, the fuzzy tuft growing near its base develops and floats the ripe seed away on gentle puffs of wind.

From The Wildflowers of the 50 States U.S. stamps issued July 24, 1992:

• Native plants are essential for healthy ecosystems and habitat. They have evolved over time with local wildlife and climate conditions. Many pollinators have special relationships with native plants that they rely on for survival. For instance, some bees are specialists and require nectar and pollen from specific native plants to survive; and butterflies and moths often have specific host plants needed to nourish their caterpillars. For example, Asclepias (Milkweed or Butterfly Weed) is the host plant required for Monarch caterpillars to survive and grow into Monarch Butterflies!
• It’s OK to grow native plants in your yard that may not be native to your state or region. Remember – just because a plant is not native, does not necessarily mean that it is invasive or harmful. In fact, growing well-behaved introduced plants that are suited to your growing conditions can still provide many benefits to your yard (especially when compared to a traditional turf lawn).  
• Know before you grow – It's always a good idea to learn what plants are native, well-behaved, and invasive or aggressive in your region before digging in.
• Learn More: All About Native Plants

Explore our full selection of native plants and seeds