Did You Know... Pocket Prairies Provide Multiple Environmental Benefits?

September 3, 2024 by Olivia Olson

What is a pocket prairie?

A pocket prairie is a small-scale native prairie planting under a few acres in size or can be as small as a garden bed. They are great for adding native ecosystems back to a developed area and have become increasingly popular as people look to transform their lawns or empty lots into biodiverse ecosystems. Pocket prairies include a range of native forbs (which are herbaceous flowering species, like wildflowers) and grasses to an area, providing year-round habitat for wildlife and flowers for pollinators throughout the growing season.

Aside from providing habitat for wildlife, prairie plants also help to restore and improve soil health. The roots of native grasses and forbs can extend multiple  meters underground, compared to standard lawn grass which may only grow up to a foot or so. These deep roots of native grasses create a network to access nutrients and water even during drought years, increase water infiltration during rains, and replenish organic matter and nutrients in the soil when some roots die off and new ones grow. This allows these plants to withstand our erratic weather patterns much better than non-native plants, and to be mostly maintenance-free after they’ve been established. Additionally, prairies also help with stormwater filtration, erosion control, and weed resistance.

How to create a pocket prairie

When creating a pocket prairie, it is essential to know the soil type and sunlight hours in the area you want your plants to grow in, as this helps determine what plants will do well in your setting. If you have sandy, well-drained soil in an area that gets full sun all day, something like a prairie clover may hold up better over time than a marsh marigold, which thrives in watery environments. You can use seeds, plant plugs, or a combination of them both when starting a pocket prairie - just be sure that the plants you're adding are a mix of native grasses and forbs specific to your area.

Once you have your plants, clear the area of any existing vegetation before planting so that the new plants will have as little competition as possible as they get established. When the plants are in the ground, maintain it for the first couple of years by watering and removing any invasive plants when needed, and watch the space come to life!

Recently, EOT staff planted a pocket prairie next to our office, so feel free to swing by and check it out as the season goes on to see an example of what one could look like.

What plants could go into a pocket prairie?

Many plants could go into a pocket prairie. Here is a short list of some that work well in west central Minnesota.

Grasses:
Big bluestem little bluestem
Silky wild rye + Canada wild rye
Sideoats grama + blue grama
June grass
Switchgrass
Woodland fescue
Indian grass
Prairie dropseed

Forbs:
Goldenrod
Spiderwort
Blue vervain + hoary vervain
Brown-eyed Susan
Prairie phlox
Long-headed coneflower
Violet wood sorrel
Wild bergamot
Blazing star
Spotted bee balm
Wild lupine
Maximillian sunflower
Joe Pye weed
Prairie smoke
Lance leaf coreopsis
Prairie clover
Wild indigo
Columbine

Additional resources related to Minnesota native plants can be found at Blue Thumb Planting For Clean Water, Minnesota Native Landscapes, as well as our website: Shoreline Program (eotswcd.org).

Posted In: Did You Know Series