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PRAIRIE BLOOM Bedding plant field research trials
A Collection of Perennial Flowers, K-State Research Proven For Our Prairie Climate
Prairie Bloom perennial flowers are those varieties that are best adapted to our ever-changing, never-boring, always-challenging prairie climate. Planting varieties in the Prairie Bloom Collection is the best way to assure the “wow, look at those flowers” appearance we all hope for. They are the perennial flower varieties that have exhibited superior performance for three to five years or more in the Kansas State University bedding plant research trials. The Prairie Bloom Collection consists of high performance perennial flowers of great vigor and spectacular bloom. Prairie Bloom perennials are the best of the best, flowers that grow like crazy and bloom like crazy even under lazy gardener care.
The Kansas State University landscape flowering plant research program is headquartered at the K-State Horticulture Research & Extension Center in Olathe with other flower trial sites in Wichita, Hays and Colby. The research trial sites encompass two USDA cold hardiness zones (5, 6) and two American Horticulture Society heat tolerance zones (7, 8). All varieties on the list grow well across the state, east to west and north to south.
Plants are rated for vigor: how fast and how strong do they grow, how much substance do they have. They are also rated on floriferousness, the total overall visual impact of the flower display. Large numbers of large size flowers are important. Also important is how the flowers are borne on the plant. Flowers that hang down where you look at their backside are not as pretty as those you see in profile. The most floriferous flowers are those borne on the plant so that they look up and smile at you. Ratings for floriferousness are a combination of the number of flowers, the size of the flowers and how the flowers are borne on the plant. Both vigor and floriferousness are rated on a scale of one to seven. 1 = almost dead or no flowers; 4 = acceptable, not so good as to make us happy, but not so bad to make us unhappy; 7=excellent, so good that nothing should have the right to be that good. All plants on the list have scored a 6 or higher for both vigor and floriferousness combined at all trial sites. Plant height and width are of a mature plant measured in mid August.
Flowering plant varieties in the research trials are submitted by or collected from plant breeders and distributors from around the world. All varieties on the list are available from retail garden centers or mail order plant companies. Due to the vulgarities of the commercial world, no greenhouse, garden center nor nursery should be expected to carry all varieties on the list. They will grow and offer for sale the varieties their seed or cutting suppliers have in their product mix. The list is not a commercial brand or product line. Gardeners will need to look for the specific variety on the list, i.e. not the generic daisy but the specific daisy variety ‘Becky’. Not all daisies have great vigor and floriferousness when planted here in our soils and prairie climate. The specific varieties on the list are truly superior. Plants at the garden center may or may not be labeled as Prairie Bloom so take the list and use it to shop for the specific varieties.
All perennial flowering plants on the Prairie Bloom list have been proven by Kansas State University research to grow well here in our soils and transitional prairie climate. Many perennial flowers have yet to be tested in the research trials. Therefore, there are some excellent plants that will grow well but because they have not yet been trialed they cannot be placed on the list. The perennial flower research program continues. As trials are completed more plants will be added to the Prairie Bloom Collection. We only provide research-based information.
The most recent up to date Prairie Bloom perennial list and full color pictures of each flower can be found on the internet at www.prairiestarflowers.com The website also contains the Prairie Star list of K-State research proven annual flowers.
Alan Stevens is a research & extension specialist for floriculture and leader of the K-State landscape flowering plant research program.
Check out our new items highlighted in (purple).
Common Name Genus & Species Cultivar Height Width Height to top of flower Week of 1st bloom Sun Exposure (inches) Aster Aster dumosus Professor Kippenburg 15 16 21 37 sun Aster Aster dumosus Wood's Blue 20 17 26 37 sum Aster Aster dumosus Wood's Pink 21 19 26 37 sun Aster Aster novae-angliae Hella Lacy 36 24 32 38 sun Aster Aster novae-angliae September Ruby 18 11 14 36 sun Aster Aster oblongifolius Raydon's Favorite 33 28 36 38 sun Aster Boltonia asteroides Pink Beauty 32 32 38 33 sun Aster Boltonia asteroides Snowbank 40 33 46 37 sun Aster Blue Sapphire sun Beebalm Monarda didyma Croftway Pink 26 16 32 23-30 sun Beebalm Monarda didyma Marshall's Delight 28 17 34 23-30 sun Beebalm Momarda didyma Violet Queen 24 16 30 22-32 sun Bellflower Campanula takesimana Kent Belle 28 18 28 24 sun Black Eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida Goldstrum 20 16 29 26-37 sun Blanket Flower Gaillardia x grandiflora Goblin 10 12 12 25 sun Carnation Dianthus caryophyllus King of the Blacks 18 13 20 23 sun Carnation Dianthus caryophyllus Little Jock 5 8 6 21 sun Catnip Nepeta x faassenii Blue Wonder 12 15 15 22 sun Cheddar Pinks Dianthus gratianopolitanus Bath's Pink 6 8 7 21 sun Cheddar Pinks Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch 6 8 7 21&39 sun Coneflower Echinacea purpurea Magnus' 32 19 38 28 sun Coral Bells Heuchera City Lights 18 19 26 18 shade Coral Bells Heuchera Jade Gloss 12 14 18 24 shade Coral Bells Heuchera Raspberry Ice 15 16 21 17-29 shade Coral Bells Heuchera Stormy Seas 18 17 27 21 shade Daylily Hemerocallis Happy Returns 18 16 26 25-36 sun Daylily Hemerocallis Stella de Oro 18 18 26 25-36 sun Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata David 36 20 42 26 sun Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata Laura 34 20 39 26 sun Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata Robert Poore 42 24 50 27 sun Globe Thistle Echinops bannaticus Blue Glow 34 18 38 30 sun Hardy Ice Plant Delosperma cooperi Pink 6 12 7 13-39 sun Hen and Chicks Sedum sempervivum Carmen 5 7 8 21 sun Lamb's Ear Stachys byzantina Cotton Ball 6 12 9 25 sun Lavender Lavandula angustifolia Dilly Dily 15 20 25 26 sun Lavender Lacandula angustifolia Provence 21 20 30 26 sun Lavender Lavandula angustifolia Twickle Purple 18 20 28 26 sun Meadow Sage Salvia nemorosa Amethyst 18 17 26 22 sun Meadow Sage Salvia nemorosa Blue Hill 16 16 25 23 sun Meadow Sage Salvia nemorosa May Night 16 16 23 20 sun Meadow Sage Salvia nemorosa Plumosa 14 16 21 23 sun Meadow Sage Salvia nemorosa Viola Klose 15 15 21 21 sun Mexican Hat Ratibida columnfera Red 28 18 38 25 sun Mullein Verbascum olympicum Yellow 44 28 50 25 sun Mullein Verbascum phoenicium Violetta 40 25 46 25 sun Oriental Poppy Papaver orientale Brilliant 21 16 30 21 sun Ornamental Grass Calamagrostis acutiflora Karl Forester 40 20 56 27 sun Ornamental Grass Calamagrostis acutiflora Overdam 16 26 43 26 sun Ornamental Grass Eragrostis Elliotii Wind Dancer 40 30 26 sun Peony Paeonia Duchesse de Orleans 34 35 38 19 sun Peony Paeonia Festiva Maxima 34 35 38 20 sun Peony Paeonia Karl Rosenfield 35 34 38 19 sun Peony Paeonia Sarah Bernhardt 37 38 40 20 sun Peony Paeonia Shawnee Chief 34 34 38 18 sun Perennial Hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos Anne Arundel 54 56 24 sun Perennial Hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos Candy Stripe 54 56 24 sun Perennial Hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos Fireball 54 58 24 sun Perennial Hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos Lady Baltimore 54 59 25 sun Perennial Hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos Lasiocarpos 74 64 25 sun Perennial Hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos Hardy Hibiscus 62 56 24 sun Perennial Hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos Pink Cloud 58 56 25 sun Perennial Hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos Sweet Caroline 64 60 24 sun Pinks Dianthus x allwoodii Oakington 5 8 6 18 sun Pinks Dianthus x allwoodii Pink 11 9 13 21 sun Pinks Dianthus plumarius Kinsey Blue 8 10 10 20 sun Plantain Lily Hosta Gold Drop 7 12 15 24 shade Plantain Lily Hosta Golden Tiara 15 24 26 25 shade Plantain Lily Hosta Halcyon 18 35 35 25 shade Plantain Lily Hosta Krossa Regal 28 32 54 25 shade Plantain Lily Hosta Lemon Lime 12 18 26 25 shade Plantain Lily Hosta Pacific Blue Edger 12 26 26 24 shade Plantain Lily Hosta Parky's Prize 18 28 33 26 shade Plantain Lily Hosta Samuel Blue 18 20 31 22 shade Plantain Lily Hosta Striptease 20 30 33 25 shade Plantain Lily Hosta Sun and Substance 30 52 48 26 shade Poppy Mallow Callirhoe involucrata Wine-purple 8 26 10 21 sun Russian Sage Perovskia Filagrin 38 24 44 26-32 sun Russian Sage Perovskia Longin 39 24 45 26-32 sun Sea Holly Erygium agavifolium Sapphire Blue 25 18 28 26 sun Sea Pink Armeria pseudarmeria Joy Stick Red 6 5 12 18 sun Sea Pink Armeria pseudarmeria Rubra 18 8 15 19 sun Shasta Daisy Leucanthemum Becky 34 16 40 23-39 sun Shasta Daisy Leucanthemum supermum Thomas Killen 30 16 36 24-34 sun Sheffield Mum Dendranthhema morifolium Hillside Pink 28 18 32 35-41 sun Spotted Dead Nettle Lamium Orchid Frost 5 16 8 17-39 shade Spurge Euphorbia cyparissias Fens Ruby 8 12 10 19 sun Spurge Euphorbia seguieriana sp niciciana 10 9 11 25 sun Tall Sedum Sedum spectabile Autumn Fire 18 15 24 35 sun Tickseed Coreopsis auriculata Early Sunrise 16 14 19 22 sun Tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora Baby Sun 16 13 18 24 sun Tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora Little Red Hen 16 18 30 22 sun Tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora Sterntaler 20 18 30 22 sun Tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora Sunburst 15 20 27 22 sun Wandflower Gaura lindheimeri Karalee Petite Pink 18 15 26 22-35 sun Wandflower Gaura lindheimeri Karalee White 19 15 26 22-35 sun Wandflower Gaura lindheimeri Stratosphere Pink Picotee 19 16 27 22-35 sun Wormwood Artemisia ludoviciana Silver King 30 31 37 33 sun Wormwood Artemisia schmidtiana Silver Mound 10 24 15 23 sun Yarrow Achillea filipendula x Coronation Gold 24 22 29 23 sun Yarrow Achillea filipendula x Schwellenberg 19 21 28 23 sun Yarrow Achillea millefolium Terra Cotta 27 20 32 23 sun Yarrow Achillea taygeta Moonshine 22 17 30 23 sun
Prairie Star Collection 2008
Prairie Bloom Collection 2008
2006 Bedding Plant Trial Research Report
2007 Bedding Plant Trial Research Report
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The Prairie Bloom flower collection is different from the Prairie Star flowers in that their bloom period is of shorter duration (perennials) or of less intensity (annuals). Prairie Blooms are the special flowers that add depth and breadth to our gardening palate. The ten days to two weeks of spectacular bloom that perennials provide make them more than worthy of planting in our gardens. The variety of flower form, texture, and color within the Prairie Blooms Collection provide great interest and diversity in the landscape. Inclusion in the Prairie Blooms Collection is based on multiple year (3 to 5 yr.) performance in Dr. Stevens, K-State bedding plant field research trials. Prairie Bloom flowers are those plants best adapted to our never-boring, always-changing, ever-challenging prairie climate.
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This page was published by Kansas State University to promote floricultural research. If you have questions, comments or find a link that does not work properly please contact us.
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