Ridges Native Plant Demo Garden
Welcome to the resource page for The Ridges Native Plant Demonstration Garden! Information provided on this page includes an overview and purpose of the garden, project updates, and additional resources.
Overview
This garden was created in 2022 with the purpose of demonstrating to our visitors an example of what a native landscaped garden looks like, and to encourage others to do the same. The ecological benefits of gardening with native plants are numerous, such as providing habitat and food for pollinators and other organisms, increasing natural biodiversity, and reducing the risk of invasive species introduction. We also want to show that native gardens can look pretty too! Whether you are looking to plant in a meadow or around your house, landscaping can be environmentally friendly and look great at the same time.
Native plants support the entire food web by providing food for insects, birds, bats, small mammals, and other wildlife. This is particularly important now that scientists are documenting global declines in insect populations. Used in a rain garden, native plants also help minimize flooding and filter out pollutants. The variety of colors, shapes, and sizes adds beauty to any property. Get started with the resources below.
This demonstration garden was planted by The Ridges’ volunteer Garden Crew and was partially funded through a grant from the Wisconsin Master Gardeners Association (WIMGA).
Original Plant List 2022:
Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Shooting Star (Primula meadia)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Solomons Seal (Polygonatu biflorum)
Dwarf Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Trilium (Trillium grandiflorum)
Bigleaf Aster (Eurybia macrophylla)
Lance-leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Updated Plant List 2023:
Lance-leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
Dwarf Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Solomons Seal (Polygonatu biflorum)
New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Black Cohosh (Aquilegia canadensis)
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Shooting Star (Primula meadia)
Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)
Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Pussytoes (Lobelia cardinalis)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Resources:
Pollinator Recommendations 2022
WDNR Native Plants Page: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/endangeredresources/nativeplants.html
Wild Ones Native Garden Designs Website: https://nativegardendesigns.wildones.org/
Wisconsin Native Plant Guide: https://kb.jniplants.com/native-plant-guide/
Prairie Nursery Website: https://www.prairienursery.com/
Evergreen Nursery Website: https://evergreennurseryco.com/
https://xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/great-lakes
https://xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/great-lakes