The mix emphasizes nectar-rich wildflowers and legumes for bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects, paired with low-aggression native grasses that provide structure without suppressing forbs. Species such as wild bergamot, sneezeweed, Joe-Pye weed, asters, and goldenrods ensure continuous bloom from spring through fall, while legumes like partridge pea, tick-trefoil, bush-clover, and senna support soil health and insect production.
Grasses including Virginia wildrye, purpletop, and bluestem are intentionally included at low rates to stabilize soils, add vertical structure, and improve nesting cover—without overwhelming flowering species. The result is a visually diverse, wildlife-friendly planting that establishes well and persists under typical Pennsylvania management.
Includes (#s/ac): Bluestem, Big (VNS) (0.037), Milkweed, Common, PA Ecotype (0.212), Aromatic Aster, PA Ecotype (0.021), Partridge Pea (0.439), Coreopsis, Lanceleaf (sand) (0.066), Tick-trefoil, Showy (Canada) (1.27), Aster, Flat-topped (Parasol Whitetop) (0.01), Wildrye, Virginia (0.24), Joe Pye Weed, Sweetscented (0.01), Sneezeweed (0.01), Sunflower, False (Oxeye) (1.024), Lespedeza, Roundhead (Bushclover) (0.698), Bergamot, Wild (Prairie Beebalm) (0.01), Beardtongue, Foxglove (Smooth penstemon) (0.01), Susan, Black-eyed (0.01), American senna (0.672), Goldenrod, Gray (Field) (Old Field) (0.01), Tridens, Purple Top (1.263). Created January 2026
This mix performs exceptionally well for pollinator habitat, upland wildlife cover, and multi-purpose conservation plantings on mesic soils across the state.
Why Choose This Mix:
- High wildflower diversity with strong pollinator value
- Balanced grass component that won’t crowd out forbs
- Excellent mid- and late-season bloom coverage
- Designed specifically for mesic Pennsylvania soils
- Compatible with interseeding or full establishment
This mix aligns well with common Pennsylvania NRCS conservation practices, including:
- 327 – Conservation Cover (Pollinator Habitat)
- 645 – Upland Wildlife Habitat Management
- 643 – Wetland Edge / Transition Areas (non-flooded zones)
- Early successional and wildlife enhancement plantings
Always confirm final species approval with your local NRCS planner.
Recommended Great Plains Drill Setup
PA biologists were spoken to during the creation of these mixes and recommended separating small vs. fluffy/large seed to avoid poor seeding ratios when using a Great Plains conservation drill.
Native (Fluffy) Seed Box
Use this box for: grasses + large-seeded / chaffy legumes & forbs
BOX 1 — Native / Fluffy Seed Box
- Desmodium canadense — 1.380
- Heliopsis helianthoides (Smooth oxeye) — 1.073
- Senna hebecarpa (American senna) — 0.724
- Lespedeza capitata — 0.679
- Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge pea) — 0.416
- Elymus virginicus (Virginia wildrye) — 0.407
- Asclepias syriaca (Common milkweed) — 0.384 (fluffy seed—preferred here)
- Andropogon gerardii — 0.066 (chaffy grass—preferred here)
- Tridens flavus (Purpletop) — 0.109
Native/Fluffy box subtotal: 5.237 PLS lbs/ac
Great Plains notes (Native/Fluffy box)
- Picker wheels ON
- Agitator slow-to-medium
- Avoid high fan speed (can damage/fragment milkweed & legumes)
- Target depth: ⅛–¼ inch
Small Seed Box
Use this box for: fine-seeded wildflowers/forbs (surface set)
BOX 2 — Small Seed Box
- Coreopsis lanceolata (Lanceleaf tickseed) — 0.339 (small box preferred)
- Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot) — 0.074
- Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet-scented Joe-Pye weed) — 0.081
- Aster oblongifolius (Aromatic aster) — 0.082
- Doellingeria umbellata (Flat-topped white aster) — 0.045
- Helenium autumnale — 0.045
- Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan) — 0.037 (can go either way; small box preferred)
- Penstemon digitalis (Tall white beardtongue) — 0.034 (can go either way; small box preferred)
- Solidago nemoralis (Gray goldenrod) — 0.026
Small seed box subtotal: 0.763 PLS lbs/ac
Great Plains notes (Small Seed Box)
- Use small-seed cups (not grass flutes)
Calibration + carrier: For best flow and uniform distribution, mix Small Seed Box seed with a carrier (pelletized lime, rice hulls, cracked corn, or clean sand) at 1:3 seed-to-carrier by volume. Close depth bands, drop seed on the surface, and firm with press wheels or a roller.
Planting order
- Option A — One-pass (preferred): Run both boxes simultaneously if calibration allows.
- Option B — Two-pass (safest for forb establishment): Native/Fluffy box first (⅛–¼"), Small Seed box second (surface-set + pack).
If you would like to separate your seeds or order rice hulls, please contact Brooke at bmorgan@pheasantsforever.org
Note: All of our mixes can be customized to meet your needs.
