Minnesota Native Wildflower Seeds to Sow Before Winter

If you garden in Minnesota, you have something gardeners in milder places quietly envy: a long, reliable winter. That sounds like a strange thing to brag about in November, but for Minnesota native wildflower seeds, winter is not the obstacle. It is the tool.

Many native perennial seeds need cold stratification, a stretch of cold, damp conditions that breaks a seed's dormancy. Gardeners in warm climates often fake that in the refrigerator. You can scatter seed this fall and let a Minnesota winter handle it. Below is a curated list of in-stock species our catalog lists as native to Minnesota, grouped by where they like to grow.

What makes Minnesota native wildflower seeds a natural fit for fall sowing

Minnesota is where prairie meets forest. Prairie historically covered much of the south and west, while woods take over to the north and east, and wetlands are scattered throughout. That means your yard might call for sun-loving prairie plants, shade-tolerant woodland plants, or moisture lovers, depending on where you are and what your lot looks like.

What ties it all together is the cold. Freezing, thawing, and snow cover do the stratification work for you, so fall is the most natural time to sow almost everything on this list.

Prairie and full sun

Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris ligulistylis)

Dense purple-pink spikes that open from the top down, from mid-summer through fall, on plants 3 to 5 feet tall. Its description singles it out for attracting butterflies, especially monarchs and swallowtails. Seeds benefit from cold stratification, and plants may take 2 years to reach full size.

Bee Balm, Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Lavender to pink tubular flowers from summer to fall, with fragrant leaves. It grows 2 to 4 feet tall in full sun to partial shade, adapts to various soils, and spreads by underground rhizomes. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all visit.

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Spikes of violet to lavender-blue flowers from midsummer to early fall, with leaves that smell sweetly of licorice when crushed. It reaches 2 to 4 feet in full sun and well-drained soil and is highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)

Fragrant rose-pink flower clusters from late spring through summer, on plants 2 to 4 feet tall. It is a host plant for monarch caterpillars, and its description says to direct sow in fall or cold stratify for 30 days before a spring planting.

Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)

A prairie shrub 2 to 4 feet tall, with silvery-gray foliage and deep purple flower spikes tipped in golden anthers in mid to late summer. It is a nitrogen-fixing legume; seeds benefit from scarification or a hot water treatment, and plants may take 2 to 3 years to reach full size.

Fragrant False Indigo (Amorpha nana)

A compact shrub just 1 to 3 feet tall and wide, with purple-violet flowers and bright yellow stamens in late spring to early summer. It fixes nitrogen, handles dry conditions, and tolerates poor soils.

Prairie Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta)

A low mat just 2 to 6 inches tall, with silvery, woolly leaves and fuzzy white to pale pink flowers from April through June. It is a host plant for American Lady butterfly caterpillars, and 30 to 60 days of cold stratification is recommended.

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Purple-pink flowers with golden centers from August through October, on plants 3 to 6 feet tall. It is a late-season nectar source for migrating monarchs, and 30 to 60 days of cold stratification is recommended.

Woodland and shade

Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Nodding red and yellow flowers from April through June, with spurs made for hummingbirds. It handles partial shade to full sun. The seed needs cold stratification, so sow in fall, scatter on the surface, and cover lightly.

Red Baneberry (Actaea rubra)

White flower clusters in May and June followed by glossy red berries, on plants 2 to 3 feet tall in partial to full shade. Its description says cold stratification for 120 or more days is required, which makes fall sowing far easier than the fridge. Important: all parts, especially the berries, are highly toxic to people and pets, so plant it where children and pets cannot reach the berries.

Wet ground

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Fragrant pink to rose-purple flowers from July through September, on plants 3 to 5 feet tall. A monarch host plant that prefers consistently moist soil and tolerates seasonal flooding. Direct sow in fall and barely cover the seed.

Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum)

A 6 to 8 foot giant with large, vanilla-scented pink-purple flower clusters from late summer through early fall. It prefers moist to wet, rich soil, needs cold stratification for best germination, and may take 2 to 3 years to reach full size.

Great Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea)

A dramatic biennial, 4 to 8 feet tall, with large umbrella-shaped clusters of white to greenish-white flowers in July and August of its second year. It thrives in moist to wet, rich soil in partial shade to full sun, perfect for pond edges and rain gardens.

How to fall-sow wildflowers in Minnesota

1. Wait for a few hard frosts. Sow once the soil has gone cold and nothing wants to sprout. Seed sown into warm soil may germinate early and get caught by a hard freeze.
2. Beat the freeze if you can. The easiest window is after those frosts and before the ground freezes solid.
3. Or sow on snow. Missed it? Scatter seed onto bare soil or light snow through late fall and winter. Freeze and thaw cycles will work it into the surface.
4. Clear the site first. Remove grass and weeds so spring seedlings are not competing with established roots.
5. Press, don't bury. Most of these species belong at or very near the surface. Press seed firmly into the soil.
6. Handle the hard seeds. Lead Plant benefits from scarification (lightly nicking or sanding the seed coat) or a hot water soak before sowing.

For a deeper look at how cold breaks seed dormancy, read our post on cold stratification.

Where to start

Start with Bee Balm, Wild Bergamot. It is adaptable to various soils, takes full sun or partial shade, and draws bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all summer. Its spreading habit fills in a bed over time. Add Meadow Blazing Star nearby for a tall purple accent that butterflies love.

Ready to see the full list? Browse our Minnesota native seed collection.

Quick answers

When should I plant native wildflower seeds in Minnesota?

Late fall is ideal: after a few hard frosts and before the ground freezes. You can also scatter seed onto bare soil or light snow through winter.

Can you plant wildflower seeds on snow in Minnesota?

Yes. Scattering seed onto light snow in late fall and winter works, because freeze and thaw cycles settle the seed into the soil surface.

What Minnesota native wildflowers grow in shade?

Red Baneberry prefers partial to full shade, and Eastern Red Columbine handles partial shade. Great Angelica and Bee Balm also tolerate partial shade.

Which Minnesota natives help monarchs?

Showy Milkweed and Swamp Milkweed are host plants for monarch caterpillars, and New England Aster and Meadow Blazing Star provide nectar for adults.