Kansas 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

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Black Eyed Susan or Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

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)

White Tinged Sedge (Carex albicans)

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

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)

Lacy Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)

Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)

Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

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) State Flower!

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
A Kansas naturalist had this to say about the Western Meadowlark: "Kansas is primarily a prairie state, and the Meadowlark is a prairie bird, typical of Kansas. So many of our birds range only in parts of the state, while the Meadowlark is extremely abundant in every county. Those traveling the state by car or train could scarcely fail to encounter these birds in every mile of the journey, since they have the habit of perching along the fence lines in the open. It is a strikingly beautiful bird, and every child is familiar with its rich liquid songs." The Western Meadowlark is truly a part of Kansas in all seasons, through drought and blizzard, sunshine and rain.

Sunflower ~ Helianthus annuus
One of nature's largest flowers, the Sunflower is a sunburst of radiant yellow. Its golden banners are made up of a circle of ray flowers that attract insects to the hundreds of little brown seed-bearing disk flowers in the centers. Each disk floret is a five-pointed tube. In this are five stamens which have their tips joined. The pistil, growing from the seed container, pushes against these tips and forces them out of the tube, making the pollen burst out like a yellow star.

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