{"product_id":"illinois-native-wildflower-seed-mix","title":"Illinois Native Wildflower Seed Mix","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eIllinois Native Wildflower Seed Mix\u003c\/strong\u003e is a thoughtfully assembled collection of wildflowers chosen specifically for nativity, performance, and ecological value in Illinois's climate and soils, from the glacial lake plains and Grand Prairie of the north to the rolling hills and river bottoms of the Shawnee Hills in the south. The base mix brings together ten proven native performers, including Purple Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, Bee Balm, Swamp Milkweed, Eastern Red Columbine, New England Aster, Spotted Joe Pye Weed, Stiff Goldenrod, and Common Evening Primrose, delivering \u003cstrong\u003econtinuous color from spring through hard frost\u003c\/strong\u003e and genuine \u003cstrong\u003efood and habitat value\u003c\/strong\u003e for Illinois's pollinators and wildlife.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSized by square footage rather than weight\u003c\/strong\u003e, it takes the guesswork out of planning, whether you are covering a small garden bed or transforming a larger open area. Each size contains a different quantity of base mix scaled to your coverage area, but every order includes the same\u003cstrong\u003e five bonus seed packets\u003c\/strong\u003e regardless of size. Because these rare species are small-seeded, expensive to source, and impossible to guarantee at a consistent rate when blended into a bulk mix, they are included as individual packets so that every single customer receives a full, generous quantity of each one!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery species in this mix was \u003cstrong\u003ehand-selected for its performance in Illinois conditions\u003c\/strong\u003e, its value to the local food web, and its contribution to a planting that stays interesting from spring through hard frost. The five bonus packets are where this mix goes above and beyond: each one features a rare, unusual, or ecologically exceptional Illinois native that you are unlikely to find anywhere else, packaged individually so you can place each species exactly where it will do its best work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's included in your five bonus packets:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlazing Star Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eLiatris spicata\u003c\/em\u003e) — A reliable and low-maintenance native, Blazing Star draws bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and seed-eating songbirds across a long display season, and doubles as a striking cut flower. Tall, densely packed purple bottlebrush spikes open from the top down in midsummer for a dramatic, long-lasting display that is hard to match in the late-season garden. A fixture of Illinois's native prairies and wet meadows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEarly Sunflower Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eHeliopsis helianthoides\u003c\/em\u003e) — One of the longest-blooming natives in the Illinois flora, Early Sunflower produces cheerful, golden-yellow daisy-like blooms from early summer well into fall, outlasting most other native composites by weeks. A confirmed larval host for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly, it provides nectar for bees and butterflies across an exceptionally long season and feeds Goldfinches and other seed-eating birds from its seedheads in fall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrey Headed Coneflower Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eRatibida pinnata\u003c\/em\u003e) — A tall, airy native prairie perennial with long, drooping yellow ray petals surrounding a distinctive grayish-brown cone that releases an anise scent when bruised. Blooms from midsummer through fall, carries a special value designation for native bees from the Xerces Society, is a confirmed larval host for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly, and feeds Goldfinches and other songbirds from its seedheads well into winter. A quintessential Illinois prairie species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLemon Mint Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eMonarda citriodora\u003c\/em\u003e) — A cheerful, fragrant annual native to Illinois prairies and meadows, Lemon Mint produces tiered whorls of lavender-pink flowers on upright, square stems from late spring through summer. The lemon-scented foliage is a pleasure in the garden and useful in the kitchen as an herb or tea. It carries special value designations for both native bees and bumblebees from the Xerces Society, draws butterflies and hummingbirds in numbers, reseeds reliably, and makes an excellent and unusual cut flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSky Blue Aster Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eSymphyotrichum oolentangiense\u003c\/em\u003e) — Among the most drought-tolerant of the native asters, Sky Blue Aster produces abundant clusters of pale blue to lavender-blue daisy-like flowers with yellow centers from late summer through October. Carries a special value designation for native bees from the Xerces Society, serves as a larval host for the Silvery Checkerspot and Pearl Crescent butterflies, and feeds Wild Turkeys, Ruffed Grouse, and Tree Sparrows from its seedheads into winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e*Your base mix and bonus packets can be planted together in the fall. If planting in spring, cold stratify the bonus packets, then incorporate them into the mix and sow.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"American Meadows","offers":[{"title":"100-200 sq ft","offer_id":47005543629039,"sku":"AM024531","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250-500 sq ft","offer_id":47005543661807,"sku":"AM024532","price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500-1000 sq ft","offer_id":47005543694575,"sku":"AM024533","price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000-2000 sq ft","offer_id":47005543727343,"sku":"AM024534","price":74.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/IllinoisNative_PDP.jpg?v=1781537526","url":"https:\/\/www.americanmeadows.com\/products\/illinois-native-wildflower-seed-mix","provider":"American Meadows","version":"1.0","type":"link"}