Native Wildflower Seeds and Wildflower Plants, Native Grass  Seeds and Native Grass Plants

HOME             CONTACT           ORDER INFO            BLOG            FAQ's     Liatris ligulistyls - Meadow Blazingstar Attract Butterflies to Your Garden   False Indigo, a Native for Riverbanks By: Julie Jenkins Greenhouse Manager at Ion Exchange AMORPHA FRUTICOSA is also known as False Indigo, Indigo Bush, Desert False Indigo, or River Locust. This is a native perennial shrub that will grow 4-16 feet tall with occasional branching. The lower stem becomes woody and smoothly gray while the upper stem is dull light green. The ½-1 ½ foot leaves are alternate on relatively short petioles with 11-35 leaflets that are each 1-2 inches long, ½-1 inch wide, and are dull gray green. The leaflets are paired along the central stem with a single leaflet attached at the stem tip so the total number of leaflets is always uneven. The undersides of the leaflets have visible glands that appear as scattered small dots. Unlike the related Amorpha canescens, False Indigo is hairless and much larger in all aspects. In June, July, and August 3-8 inch spike-like flower clusters develop from the upper branches. This species is a valued ornamental because of the showy blooms. The individual flowers are a ¼ inch long tubular structure from a single purple petal which is wrapped around ten yellow stamens. Amorpha is from the Greek term describing “without shape” in reference to the single petal design of the flower. Seed pods of about ¼ inch long replace the flowers and each pod contains 1-2 seeds. For optimal germination the seed hulls should be removed. Moist, cold stratification for 10 days will also enhance germination. False Indigo is found growing in wet thickets and along stream and river banks and prefers full to partial sun but does not survive well in shade. This species tolerates a variety of soils and is capable of withstanding occasional flooding. It is valuable as a soil anchor along stream banks. Since it is a legume it fixes nitrogen in the soil. Small to medium sized bees looking for nectar and pollen typically pollinate the flowers. The purple blossoms also provide nectar for butterflies. Caterpillars of various butterflies and moths feed on the foliage and flowers. False Indigo provides good wildlife food. Bobwhite quail eat the fruit and deer will occasionally browse on this shrub. Despite the open growth of the False Indigo, Red winged blackbirds frequently make use of it as a nesting site. Amorpha fruticosa is native to much of the continental United States but is considered an invasive species in some locations. It is not considered native in the Pacific North West but has distributed itself along rivers and streams where it is not really welcome. The roots and stems of the False Indigo contain rotenone which is used as an insecticide and fish poison. Some commercial use yields a poor indigo (blue) dye. Want to know more visit False Indigo       Howard Bright, President Ion Exchange, Inc. IonXchange.com hbright@acegroup.cc 800-291-2143 "Helping you create your own natural beauty" www.ionxchange.com ionxchange.com/earthy-talk/home.php    1878 Old Mission Drive Harpers Ferry, Iowa 52146 Call today for info and details on our Water's Edge Beautification package. Great for Water Gardens, Ponds, Lakes, Creek beds, Streams, wetlands and any other water edge.     Water's Edge Beautification plants grow well in moist soils along wetland edges. The native wildflowers included in the mix attract birds, hummingbirds and butterflies while providing vibrant colors of purple, red, yellow throughout the growing seasons. Both the grasses and native wildflowers stabilize shorelines to help prevent erosion. Can be planted anytime throughout the summer. The plants will develop quickly. CALL NOW - 800-291-2143! You'll be glad you did! The package contains the following plugs: * Swamp Milkweed * New England Aster * Joe Pye Weed * Sneezeweed* Blue Flag Iris * Cardinal Flower * Great Blue Lobelia * Blue Vervain * Ironweed * Baltic Rush * Dark Green Bulrush * Fowl Manna Grass. A total of 84 Plant Plugs. The package covers approx. 100 sq. ft. "Helping you create your own natural beauty" 800-291-2143

 

You can Attract Butterflies, Hummingbirds and Songbirds to your native wildflower garden!

Specialty Native Wildflower Collections - Wildflower Kits, Urban Garden Kits

We have wildflower and native grass gardens that have been specially selected to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Imagine what a delight to the senses to look out your window and watch nature moving, or walk through your garden and have it full of life. Plus, on top of all the natural activity, this garden will provide you with beautiful color combinations all season long.

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Did you know?

Wildflower gardens are considered a low cost alternative to high maintenance gardening?

Wildflowers have proven themselves to be hardy, self-producing and require little attention from the gardener?

Colorful wildflowers are cherished for the beautiful butterflies they attract?

call today and get your order in early! 

800-291-2143

Articles & Fun Stuff

• Bug pictures and sounds
• Bird Sounds

Article - My Little Prairie by Earthyman

Article - Using Native Plants

Our Selection of
Native Wildflower and Grass Urban Gardens
are Easy to
Plant and Maintain

Our native wildflower seeds and plant plugs are of the highest quality. Much of our native wildflower seed is grown on our own land and harvested by hand.

At Ion Exchange Inc. we stock over 200 Native Prairie Species for your Wetland, Savanna or Prairie.

 Full Line Of Ready-To-Plant Native Seed Mixes

Whatever your native prairie seeds and plant needs are, you’re in the right place. Browse our website to your heart's content and feel confident and safe when you order your wildflower and grass seed or plugs through our secure, encrypted server.

Our employees are knowledgeable and eager to help!

Call Us - 800-291-2143

Check out our new for 2011

 Bird & Butterfly Attractor Station - comes with 84 Plant Plugs, a Digital Book and Bird Feeder

• Custom Wildflower Seed Mixes

• Custom Grass Seed Mixes

If you prefer to telephone us with your order - that’s OK, too.

Our employees are knowledgeable and eager to help!

800-291-2143

Propagation is any process used to multiply the number of plants in a group. There are basically two methods for doing this. Sexual propagation involves increasing plant numbers by germinating seed & growing the seedlings to maturity. This is probably the most widely used method by the majority of growers, including many agricultural grain crops. There are many different ways to pre-treat seed for attempting germination in the artificial setting of a greenhouse. These are processes used in an effort to overcome seed dormancy & attain successful germination on a man made schedule. Mother Nature does a wonderful job of overcoming dormancy so seed will germinate at the safest time for the seedlings to emerge into a growth friendly environment. We try to imitate those processes to successfully grow plants indoors.

Asexual propagation encompasses a variety of processes including leaf, stem, & root cuttings. Those slips that your Mom put into a jar of water in the kitchen window & watched until roots formed so she could plant them into the garden are simply stem cuttings. We would probably not agree that the water bath is really the best medium because of the high risk of mold developing but it sure seemed to work well for Mom! Dividing clumps of plants, such as Hostas, when they get very large is another form of asexual propagation. Planting bits of a rhizome root will give rise to new plant growth & is another form of cutting. The practice of grafting which is often used with roses & fruit trees is a type of asexual propagation.  Another example is the layering used with raspberry canes where they are bent over to the ground & covered with soil where new roots will develop. All of these asexual methods develop plants that are essentially clones of the original specimens.

Julie Jenkins – Greenhouse Manager Ion Exchange

Here are some of the most popular native wildflower and grass seed mixes.

• Grand Meadow Mesic Site Mix
• Dry Site Short Prairie Mix
• Wet Mesic Site Mix