Designed specifically for sandy and coarse-textured soils of Eastern Colorado, this native pollinator mix delivers reliable establishment, long-lasting structure, and season-long bloom where many standard mixes struggle.
What this mix does well
- Establishes reliably on sandy plains, dunes, and blow-out prone sites
- Provides early, mid, and late-season bloom for pollinators
- Creates open, accessible structure ideal for insect movement
- Maintains standability and persistence under low rainfall conditions
- Balances wildlife value with erosion control
Mix Highlights
- Sand bluestem, prairie sandreed, little bluestem, and indiangrass provide durable native grass structure and soil anchoring
- Prairie clovers and Rocky Mountain beeplant fuel pollinators and nitrogen cycling
- Annual sunflower, prairie coneflower, and blanketflower analogs deliver bright summer color and seed production
- Scarlet globemallow adds drought tolerance and early nectar value
Bluestem, Sand (VNS) (0.6), Sandreed, Prairie (Goshen) (0.35), Beeplant, Rocky Mountain (0.2), Prairie Clover, White (0.25), Prairie Clover, Purple (0.25), Sunflower, Annual (0.4), Coneflower, Prairie (Long-headed) (0.12), Bluestem, Litte (Cimmaron) (0.45), Indiangrass (Cheyenne) (0.25), Globemallow, scarlet (0.2). Updated January 2026.
Ideal Uses
- NRCS pollinator plantings on sandy soils
- CRP and EQIP projects requiring pollinator emphasis
- Field corners, buffers, and large grassland restorations
- Landowners targeting pollinators without excessive grass density
This mix is designed to align well with:
- NRCS 327 – Pollinator Habitat
- NRCS 420 – Wildlife Habitat Planting
- CRP and EQIP practices on sandy ecological sites
Local NRCS approval may vary by contract, but species selection and structure are consistent with Eastern Plains pollinator guidance.
The sandy variation replaces ALL of the following existing mixes:
Eastern EQIP / Pollinator / General
- CO PF Eastern EQIP Pollinator Mix – Sandy Soils
- CO PF CRP CP42 Preferred Pollinator (Sandy Soils)
CRP / CP Programs
- CO PF CP2 Sandy Soils
- CO PF CRP CP33 Sandy Soils Mix
- CO PF CRP CP4D Sandy Soils Mix
If you would like any of these previous mixes, please contact Brooke Morgan at bmorgan@pheasantsforever.org
