In Appreciation
Friends of Wilderness Park expresses its deep appreciation to
the following:
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum for pr oviding the
site for our plant pick up. Please watch for their future
events.
Roland Gaster for pr oviding the r aw, wildflower
honey.
FRIENDS OF WILDERNESS PARK
NATIVE PLANT SALE
2015 CATALOG
Featuring Native Plant Species Which Grow
in Wilderness Park
Kay Young for giving essential advice.
Mary Sawicki for cr eating the beautiful dr awings
used in this catalog and on our T-shirts and shopping
bags.
Mark and Sarah Fairchild of Black Star Pr ess
for designing and editing this catalog.
Bob Henrickson for facilitating our plant nur ser y
orders and providing other services.
Peg Fletcher, Rob Klein, Tim Knott, Roxanne
Mares, Mary Roseberry-Brown, Anne Hintz, Benjamin Vogt, Amber Reinkordt and other s for contr ibutions of knowledge and service.
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
Wild Columbine
places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and give strength
to body and soul.
John Muir
Plant a Bit of Wilderness Park in Your Yard
Orders Must Be Received by Friday, March 27
Pick Up on Saturday, May 9, 9 A.M-12 P.M.
Plant a Bit of Wilderness Park in Your Yard
Planting Suggestions
Full Sun & Dry Soil
Partial Sun & Dry Soil
#13. Big Blue Stem
#47. Prairie Petunia
About Our Plants. Our plants ar e all native species, most of which
grow in Wilderness Park. Most are low water usage plants--a wise choice
in our drought-prone climate. These young, vigorous plants come directly
from a Nebraska nursery and are much more likely to survive than dime
store and grocery store plants.
#14. Prairie Dropseed
#44. Wild Bergamot
Why Native Plants? Many of our native cr eatur es, such as bir ds and
butterflies, are closely tied to specific plants for food and habitat. By
planting these plants we are helping to protect those species. Also:
#44. Wild Bergamot
Native plants are adapted to our environment.
Native plants are part of our history. Native Americans and pioneers
used native plants in their daily living.
 Native plants in our yard serve to remind us of environmentally
important places, such as Wilderness Park.
Who Are We? Fr iends of Wilder ness Par k is an all-volunteer, 501(c)
(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of Wilderness Park
and other environmentally significant places. All of the proceeds from
this sale will go directly to the above purpose.
How Our Sale Works. After br owsing the beautiful selections, fill out
and send in the order form with payment by Friday, March 27 to Friends
of Wilderness Park, P.O. Box 81171, Lincoln, NE 68501-1171.
New Pick up Site. Plants and other items will then be available for
pick up on Saturday, May 9, from 9 A.M.– 12 P.M. in the parking lot of
the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum on UNL East Campus, 3835 Merrill
Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. Turn south onto 38th from Huntington, then
turn east at the stop sign.
Please return the form as soon as possible. For those who are unable to
pick up plants at that time, please call the below number to make other
arrangements.
Questions? Call (402) 477-8282
#46. Compass Plant
#47. Prairie Petunia
#2. Purple Prairie Clover
#1. Shell leaf Penstemon
Full Sun & Slightly Moist Soil
Partial Sun & Slightly Moist Soil
#46. Compass Plant
#13. Woodland Phlox
# 59. Lavender Hyssop
#44. Bergamot
#9. Purple Poppy Mallow (sandy soil)
#59. Lavender Hyssop
#38. Swamp Milkweed
#58. Virginia Mountain Mint
#58. Virginia Mountain Mint
#44. Wild Bergamot
Full Sun & Moist Soil
Partial Sun & Moist Soil
#9. Purple Poppy Mallow (sandy soil)
#13. Woodland Phlox
#38. Swamp Milkweed
#26. Jack-in-the-Pulpit
#58. Virginia Mountain Mint
#29. Wild Columbine
Full Shade & Average to Moist Soil
#13. Woodland Phlox
Honey
Local Wildflower Honey. This r aw, unfilter ed honey is
from hives adjacent to Wilderness Park. Delicious tasting,
with many health benefits. Limited quantity available: Order limited to 2 pints per customer. Order early before
we run out. Pr ice: $5.00 per pint. Cat. #3
“Gathering nectar
Bees sing in close harmony
Flower to flower.”
 Alves Holmes
Wilderness Park T-Shirts
Beautiful "Protect Wilderness Park" T-shirts featuring a
charming line drawing by Mary Sawicki. Sizes S M L XL
and XXL. Price: $10.00. Cat. # 22
Wilderness Park Shopping Bags
Sturdy, 100% recycled cotton canvas shopping bag featuring
the same charming “Protect Wilderness Park” line drawing
by Mary Sawicki that is on our T-shirts. 13 x 15 ½ x 7 in.
Reinforced sewing; made to last. $9.00. Cat. #62
“Wilderness is not a luxury but
a necessity of the human spirit.”
 Edward Abbey
Your Order form must be received by Friday, March 27
in order for your order to be filled.
All plants will be in 3 inch pots.
Prices
Most plants
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Wildflower Honey (1 pt.)
T-shirts
Shopping Bags
$ 3.25
$ 5.00
$ 5.00
$10.00
$ 9.00
Native Perennial
Shell-leaf Penstemon (Penstemon grandiflorus). Also called Large Flowered Beardtongue, this large showy plant has blue-green
waxy leaves. The large lavender to bluish snapdragon-like flowers form in May and early June.
The plant will reach 2-3 ft. in height. Full sun.
Medium to low water usage. Drought tolerant.
Needs well-drained soil. Do not overwater. Prairie Garden. Cat. #1
Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea). This 1-2 ft. plant of the eastern tallgrass
prairie has finely divided leaves are light gray
and contrast nicely with prairie grasses. The
sweet smelling leaves can be eaten or used in tea.
In late June, gray thimble-like flower heads form
at the ends of each stem. Bright pinkish red to
rosy purple flowers form first at the bottom of the
spike and then circle upward along the spike as
new ones bloom and old ones fade. Attracts butterflies and bees. Drought tolerant. Likes sun and welldrained soil. Prairie Garden, Butterfly Garden, or Rock Garden. Cat. #2
Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata). Sometimes called wine cup,
this low growing, sprawling plant has
lobed leaves and intense reddish purple
flowers. The flowers look like small
hollyhocks. The stem of the plant arises
from a deep, edible, carrot-like root
branching out to weave horizontally
between grasses and other plants. The
plant blooms in late May and June and grows to about 1 ft.
tall. The flowers are also edible and would add striking color
to a salad. Full sun. Low water usage. Prairie Garden or General Garden. Cat. #9
“The butterfly is a flying flower,
The flower a tethered butterfly.”


Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun
Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata).
Woodland or blue phlox is a delicate
wildflower found in the shady, moist
woodlands, including Wilderness Park.
Its slender unbranched stems support
loose clusters of tubular, five-petaled,
rose-lavender or violet-blue flowers. The
plant blooms in late April and May and
reaches a height of 9-12." Spectacular
planted in large drifts, but also beautiful
planted in smaller numbers. Medium water use. Needs little or no maintenance, but will go dormant
in drought conditions. Attracts butterflies. Rock Garden or
Woodland Garden. Cat. #12
“The red of the grass made all the great prairie the color
of wine-stains. . . . And there was so much motion in it;
the whole country seemed, somehow to be running.”

 Willa Cather, My Antonia
Native Perennial Grasses
Big Bluestem Grass (A ndropogon gerardii).
Also called turkey feet because of the shape of
the seed heads, this iconic prairie grass is the
tallest of the native prairie grasses. The tall,
slender stems are blue-green in the summer
when the plant produces a 3- to 4-foot fountain of green leaves (often with reddish tips).
In late summer the stems shoot 5 to 7 feet
high. The leaves and stems turn a characteristic wine-red color as they mature and turn
bronze in the fall. Makes beautiful winter texture for your
garden. Prefers moist, well-drained soil but its deep roots
make it drought resistant. To promote vigorous plant growth
in the spring, leave 8 inches of stubble before frost. Full sun
or partial shade. Prairie or wildflower Garden. Cat. #13
Prairie Dropseed Grass (Sporobolus heterolepis).
Prairie dropseed, when grown by itself, has an attractive airy, fuzzy appearance because its narrow
leaves curve gracefully outward into tufts. The tiny, fragrant pink flowers are followed by fine
seed bearing stems that form in late summer,
giving the plant an almost smoky appearance. It
turns golden in the fall and remains a focal
point in your yard all winter. This native grass
reaches a maximum height of about 3 ft. Full sun;
dry soil. Prairie garden. Cat. #14
Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnantheumum virginianum). The wonderful fragrance of Virginia
Mountain Mint, combined with the showy clusters
of delicate, white flowers, will make this one of
your most treasured plants. This plant is uncommon in Nebraska, scattered in low meadows and
wet native prairies in the Eastern Platte Valley and
in the sandhills. It grows from 1½- 3 ft. tall, and
blooms June-August. The aromatic leaves can
be used for seasoning or to add a wonderful scent to your
garden or to potpourri. This variety is a favorite of naturalist Kay Young, who says it makes a very refreshing cold
tea. Will grow in moist or dry soil, sun or partial shade. Very
hardy, easy to grow, and non-invasive. Butterfly, W oodland, or
Moist Prairie Garden. Cat. #58
"I go to nature to be soothed and healed,
and to have my senses put in order."
 John Burroughs
Lavender Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum.) Also called anise hyssop, this member of the mint
family perfumes the garden with licorice or
fennel scent during still summer nights. Daylight reveals long, slender spikes of blue to lavender flowers standing out above heart-shaped
leaves. This plant is highly attractive to bees,
butterflies, and hummingbirds, and is planted
by beekeepers for anise-scented honey. The
edible flowers may be crumbled into salads and the leaves
can be used for seasoning or tea. Plant in sun or light shade
with moderate moisture. W oodland Garden, Butterfly/
Hummingbird Garden, or moist, sunny site. Cat. #59
“Garden fairies come at dawn. Bless the
flowers then they're gone.”
 Anonymous
Wild Columbine (A quilegia canadensis).
Although this woodland plant, a member of
the buttercup family, is quite common, it is
one of the most beautiful of all wildflowers.
The 1- to 3-ft. branched flowering stalks with
compound leaves grow rapidly each spring
from a crown of leaves near the ground. The
complex, drooping flowers have an outer layer of bright red sepals covering an inner layer
of yellow petals. Together the five petal and
sepal units extend upward in curved spurs that
look something like the necks of five red and
yellow doves sitting around a dish (The name columba is
Latin for dove). Columbine benefits from partial shade and
adequate moisture. It blooms May-June or longer and attracts hummingbirds. W oodland Garden or Butterfly/
Hummingbird Garden. Cat. #29
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (A risaema triphyllum).
Jack-in-the-pulpit has an exotic structure,
with two large, independent leaves arising
from an underground corm. Its flower has an
unusual green-and-maroon-striped flowering
stalk enclosing small simple flowers. Large
clusters of vivid red berries attract birds in the
fall. Jack -in-the-pulpit needs shade, rich soil, and constant
moisture. Plant in low, shaded areas and use plenty of mulch.
Grows from 8 in. to 2 ft. tall. W oodland Garden. Price:
$5.00. Cat. #26
In the fall, large pods form break open to reveal
seeds that will float away in the wind on delicate silk threads.
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum). Compass plants are often the most striking of all
prairie plants. The bright yellow, sunflowerlike flower heads often orient themselves in a
north-south plane to avoid the noon sun.
Compass plants bloom in July and August
and have a deep, drought-tolerant taproot.
The rough, 1.5-foot long and 1-foot wide
leaves look something like giant green hands.
Compass plants grow up to 7 ft. tall and
make good center plants for dry or native prairie gardens.
They attract butterflies and bees, and the seeds provide food
for small mammals and birds. Must have full sun but tolerate
moist or moderately dry conditions. Prairie or General Garden. Cat. #46
“I will be the gladdest thing under the sun!
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). Sometimes
called Bee-balm, this mint plant brightens up the
tallgrass prairie by blooming in July and August
when other plants are resting. The leaves have a
mint-like aroma and make a delicious tea. Our variety is especially sweet smelling. Naturalist Kay
Young sniffed many specimens to find this perfect wild bergamot variety. Averaging 3-4 ft. high, these plants
like moist, rich soil and full sun, but do well in dry conditions,
too. Plant several to form a transition between prairie and
woods or to create a background for shorter plants. Attracts
hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. General Garden, Butterfly/hummingbird Garden, or Prairie Garden. Cat. #44
"In joy or sadness,
flowers are our constant friends."
 Kozuko Okakura.

I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one.”

Edna St. Vincent Millay
Prairie Petunia (R uellia hum ilis). Also
known as Wild Petunia, this lovely native
flower is a hummingbird and butterfly favorite! New pale lavender to violet flowers appear
every day from May-October, even through the
heat of summer. The light-green foliage
grows up to 4” long, forming soft mounds
with the flowers nestled within, making it
perfect on a garden edge. Seldom growing
more than 1 ft. tall, this rare but easy to grow plant thrives in
dry, hot locations with dry sandy soils. A drought-resistant
self-seeder, it thrives in a native garden. Looks great with
Prairie Phlox. Part shade to full sun. Rock Garden, Prairie
Garden or Butterfly/Hummingbird Garden. Cat. #47