Better Wetlands

Planting native wildflowers will add color to the wetland's surroundings, as well as habitat for songbirds, mammals, butterflies and other insects.

Native Wildflowers

The showcase of color that native wildflowers provide each year from early spring through fall may well be an added benefit of restored wetland areas.

Planting wildflowers will attract a broad host of pollinators as well as numerous other species of birds, insects and mammals.

Black-eyed susan, blazing star, butterfly milkweed, compass plant, gayfeather, coneflowers, goldenrod, partridge pea, shooting star, bellflower, asters, and wild bergamot are among the many native wildflowers that can light up an open area with color in mid and late fall.

Most prairie wildflowers like full sun. For successful plantings, the seeds need a firm seedbed.

The wildflower area will be excellent for songbirds, bees, bats and butterflies, and will encourage a wider range of species of wildlife to make use of the area.

In most cases, native wildflower seeds can be mixed with native grass seed and planted together. Seedbed preparation will vary from site to site by soil type and other factors.

Continue > Songbird or Bat Houses

Contact Information

You may send comments regarding this Web site to:

State Biologist

Mike Townsend
Syracuse, New York
Telephone: 315-477-6537

• Additional NRCS New York contacts

If you encounter any problems with files provided on this page, have questions, suggestions, or find a broken link, please contact Gary Vandawalker at 315-477-6546.

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