Native Plant

All Native Plant Content

Beneficial Flowers for Organic Vegetable Production Systems

Learn about a wide variety of flowers that can be planted in guard rows among vegetables to attract beneficial insects and reduce pest pressure in organic vegetable gardens.

Four common, native milkweed plants: butterfly weed, swamp milkweed, common milkweed and whorled milkweed.

Garden-friendly Milkweeds to Plant in South Dakota

Are you looking to add native plants to your home garden this season? Consider expanding your garden palette with milkweed species that are native to South Dakota.

An identification guide to Native Pollinator Plants of South Dakota for Managed Landscapes

A guide of Native Pollinator Plants in South Dakota.

Bright yellow insects present on the stem of a milkweed plant.

Are Aphids on Milkweed Really a Bad Thing?

This year, we’ve noticed large populations of aphids on swamp milkweed plants and we’ve identified them as the oleander aphid (Aphis nerii), which is sometimes referred to as the milkweed aphid.

A lush, blooming garden with a variety of colorful plants

Creating a Sensory Garden

A sensory garden is a garden that has a collection of plants that are appealing to one or more of the five senses; sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. Sensory gardens should be accessible for all people to enjoy - disabled and non-disabled. Sensory gardens are typically geared towards young children, but are enjoyed by people of all ages.

A Red Colummbine branch with several, bell-shaped pink flowers hanging from the end.

Wild Columbine

Red columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, is this week’s native perennial to know. Also known as wild columbine, this plant has striking red flowers that droop from the ends of tall stalks.

A bushy green plant with pink flowers throughout.

Phlox

This week’s native perennials are both phloxes: Phlox divaricata (Wild Blue Phlox, or Sweet William) and Phlox pilosa (Downy or Prairie Phlox)

Penstemon

Penstemon grandiflorus and Penstemon augustfolius are both native to South Dakota.

Viola pedatifida

An early blooming native perennial, Viola pedatifida – commonly known as prairie or larkspur violet, is a low-profile addition to your garden.

Backyard Biodiversity: Nest boxes for native bees

Many of our native bee species are solitary. In order to ensure that these kinds of bees spend more time in our yards and gardens, it is important to make sure we include places for them to nest.