Built with shade-tolerant grasses and high-value native forbs, this mix supports strong pollinator activity, insect production, and wildlife use while maintaining an open structure that won’t become overly dense or rank. Bloom timing spans from early summer through fall, providing consistent nectar and pollen resources alongside seed and cover value for wildlife.
Includes (#s/ac): Bluestem, Big (VNS) (0.1855), Partridge Pea (0.5788), Mistflower, Blue (0.01), Coreopsis, Plains (0.0883), Tick-trefoil, Showy (Canada) (1.6579), Wildrye, Virginia (1.0588), Bergamot, Wild (Prairie Beebalm) (0.0846), Panicum, Fall (0.2608), Beardtongue, Foxglove (Smooth penstemon) (0.2605), Mint, Narrowleaf Mountain (Slender) (0.01), Aster, Calico (0.01), Aster, Frost (hairy white oldfield) (hairy) (0.0509), Alexander, Golden, PA Ecotype (0.7438). Created January 2026.
This mix is well suited for conservation plantings, habitat enhancements, and NRCS projects where reduced height, diversity, and persistence under partial shade are key objectives.
Best Uses
- Woodland edges and savanna restorations
- Shady to partially shaded mesic fields
- Wildlife corridors and conservation buffers
- Pollinator habitat where full sun is limited
NRCS Practice Fit
- 327 – Conservation Cover
- 645 – Upland Wildlife Habitat Management
Planting Notes
- Designed for 30 seeds per square foot
- Total seeding rate: 5.0 PLS lbs per acre
- Performs best on firm, well-prepared seedbeds
- Compatible with Great Plains drills using proper seed box separation
Why choose this mix
- Performs where full-sun mixes fail
- Balanced structure for pollinators and wildlife
- Shade-tolerant native species selection
- NRCS-ready and installer-friendly design
Recommended Great Plains Drill Setup
PA biologists were consulted during the development of these mixes and recommended separating small vs. fluffy/large seed components to avoid poor seeding ratios when using a Great Plains conservation drill—especially important for high-diversity mixes with a wide range of seed sizes.
Native / Fluffy Seed Box
(Grass box – larger, chaffy, bulky seed)
Use this box for native grasses and larger-seeded legumes/forbs that meter more consistently together.
BOX 1 — Native / Fluffy Seed Box
- Andropogon gerardii — 0.186
- Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge pea) — 0.579
- Desmodium canadense (Showy tick-trefoil) — 1.658
- Elymus virginicus (Virginia wildrye) — 1.059
- Panicum anceps (Beaked panicgrass) — 0.261
- Zizia aurea (PA ecotype, Golden Alexanders) — 0.744
Native / Fluffy box subtotal: 4.49 PLS lbs/ac
Great Plains notes (Native / Fluffy box)
- Picker wheels ON
- Agitator slow-to-medium
- Avoid excessive fan speed (can damage legumes and chaffy grass seed)
- Target planting depth: ⅛–¼ inch
Small Seed Box
(Fine seed / forb box – surface set)
Use this box for fine-seeded wildflowers and forbs that should be planted on or very near the soil surface.
BOX 2 — Small Seed Box
- Conoclinium coelestinum (Mistflower) — 0.010
- Coreopsis tinctoria (Golden tickseed) — 0.088
- Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot) — 0.085
- Penstemon digitalis (Tall white beardtongue) — 0.261
- Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (Narrow-leaf mountain mint) — 0.010
- Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico aster) — 0.010
- Symphyotrichum pilosum (White oldfield aster) — 0.051
Small Seed box subtotal: 0.51 PLS lbs/ac
Calibration + Carrier Note
For best flow and uniform distribution, mix Small Seed Box seed with a carrier such as pelletized lime, rice hulls, cracked corn, or clean sand at a 1:3 seed-to-carrier ratio by volume. Close depth bands, drop seed on the soil surface, and firm seed-to-soil contact 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 inch)
- 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.
