Region: Eastern NM Prairie – Canadian River Belt & Great Plains edge
Best For:
- Pollinators
- Monarchs
- Quail brood structure
- Songbird seed forage
Target Site-Types:
- 10–14″ precipitation
- Plains grassland flats, loamy upland soils, light sandy loams
- CRP-style restoration, field corners, fencelines, farm buffers
- Areas needing bloom-through-season AND cost-control
This mix was built specifically for eastern New Mexico landscapes where budgets matter — but habitat still needs to perform. It delivers:
- Early–mid–late bloom sequence to carry bees & monarchs
- Quail brood structure — open understory + buggy foraging zone
- Seedheads for songbirds (fall-winter)
- Designed around realistic establishment in low to moderate rainfall
- Reduced-cost species selection
Grass–Forb Balance
- Component Function
- Forbs-Forward (≈ 70%) Pollinator nectar, monarch host, soft-stem brood structure
- Native Grasses (≈ 30%) Cheatgrass suppression, seasonal cover, soil-armor
Includes (#s/ac): Onion, Nodding Wild (Pink) (0.03), Milkweed, Showy (0.1), Sideoats grama (local, vns) (0.8), Buffalograss (0.5), Grama, Blue (0.5), Prairie Clover, White (0.25), Prairie Clover, Purple (0.25), Indian blanket (0.35), Flax, Lewis (0.25), Lupine, Silvery (0.3), Primrose, Common Evening (0.15), Primrose, Tufted Evening (0.1), Coneflower, Prairie (Long-headed) (0.25), Golden Glow, Wild (0.04), Bluestem, Little (VNS) (0.8), Globemallow, scarlet (0.03), Dropseed, Sand (0.2), Aster, Smooth Blue (0.1). Updated January 2026.
Compatible for planners specifying:
- NRCS 327 – Conservation Cover
- NRCS 420 – Wildlife Habitat Planting
- CP-42 Pollinator Habitat (adapted)
- Field Border / Filter Strip wildlife conversions
Installer Notes
Seeding Timing
- Fall dormant (Nov–Feb)
- Spring (Mar–Apr)
Drill Depth:
- ¼″ depth max
- Broadcast + cultipack acceptable for small acres
Weed Prep:
- 1–2 flushes & kill cycles strongly recommended (glyphosate or mechanical)
- Avoid planting into annual cheatgrass or kochia without prep
