Peyton’s Potting Shed

06/13/2026

Today, a few members from the Oklahoma Native Plant Society took a “wildflower walk” around the campus nature trails.

We found many interesting plants and wildlife.

06/11/2026

Just a new visitor on my Catalpa tree! 🐛 A Catalpa Sphinx Moth!

06/10/2026

A true blue native plant that we LOVE is Salvia azurea or Blue sage (Pitcher's Sage)! This little blue plant adds the right amount of blue to your garden that sends the hummingbirds and bumble bees in a frenzy!

It can grow to 5' tall, blooms August-October and is the host plant for the Hermit Sphinx Moth and the Silver Spotted Skipper butterfly. This is a "middle or back of the garden plant as it does not spread aggressively but does produce a talk stem with several flower clusters. Don't try to dig it up from the side of the road though as it probably won't survive, it has a root that can descend from 6-8' deep.

We happen to have plenty of this available! Let us know what other plants you would like to add to your garden! 🙂

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SAAZ

06/07/2026

This native perennial just doesn't get the credit it deserves! American bellflower or Campanula americana, grows to 6' tall, blooms from June until September and prefers shaded sites, open woods, stream banks and damp soils.

It isn't just a human favorite but also by bees, wasps, butterflies and hummingbirds, you know, the pollinators! 😉 So send that invitation to the pollinators and let them know you have your favorites in your garden! Oh, and we happen to have some awesome looking plants right now to help you out!

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAAM18

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center focused on protecting and preserving North America's native plants through native plant lists and image galleries, conservation, education, natural landscapes, seed collection - Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) Project, preserving and restoring native communities, sprea...

06/06/2026

Hello everyone! We planned to be at the Pittsburg Farmer’s Market tomorrow but sadly, we will lot be.

I moved our entire health department in 3 days AND set it back up. Needless to say, I am beyond exhausted and not moving so fast.

I will be in and out this weekend if anyone wants to come get plants but I’m not moving very fast. 😮‍💨

Much love to all! 🦋🌸🐝

~Peyton

06/05/2026

Oh, oh, oh!!!! One of our ABSOLUTE favorites is Vernonia baldwinii or Western Ironweed. It is the most GORGEOUS bright magenta, purple native wildflower that we have growing in our garden.

This jewel and it is as gorgeous as a fine Amethyst, grows to be about 2-5' tall, blooms from June-October, prefers disturbed areas, open upland sites, roadsides and loves a good, dry soil.

Perfect for Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, right! Right! I just gotta say...
..you gotta get you some! 😍

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VEBA

06/03/2026

Echinacea pallida or pale purple coneflower, is another prairie forb that we are excited about in our garden. This is our first year for them blooming at our new garden and they are coming on strong!

This prairie favorite resembles the purple coneflower with the exception of pale pink to purple florets that are drooping in appearance. This is a prairie icon in open prairies, glades and it LOVES dry, rocky soils. It blooms from May-July and can grow to 3' in height.

This plant was once used by Native Americans to treat a variety of conditions from rheumatism to measles and mumps to toothaches. However, you had harvest the plant in order to do so. We prefer to just buy OTC pain medication. And watch the flower grow!

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ECPA

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center focused on protecting and preserving North America's native plants through native plant lists and image galleries, conservation, education, natural landscapes, seed collection - Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) Project, preserving and restoring native communities, sprea...

06/02/2026

Rose Verbena or Gladularia canadensis is a bright little purple to magenta colored forb that shows up between April-May and sometimes come back for a finale performance from September-October.

It is a popular ground cover that spreads at a height of 6-12" and is a nice front row perennial for your garden. It prefers rocky prairies, pastures, open woods, roadsides in a dry well drained area.

It is the larval host plant for the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

This little plant is new to our garden this year and we have enjoyed watching it bloom! We happen to have plants in stock now for planting, just give us a call! (620)448-4210.

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=glca2

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center focused on protecting and preserving North America's native plants through native plant lists and image galleries, conservation, education, natural landscapes, seed collection - Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) Project, preserving and restoring native communities, sprea...

06/01/2026

Are you looking for a native plant to bring the hummingbirds to your shaded area? Columbine or Aquilegia canadensis, is a great native perennial that can be found in wooded area with moist soils.

This little plant prefers the shaded areas but can tolerate part sun. It has unique flowers that can grow to a height of 1-3', comprised of a mixture of red and yellow nodding blooms, and definitely sends out the memo to the hummingbirds and bumblebees that they are a welcomed guest.

We happen to have a few plants left this season to add to your garden. Don't worry, it blooms from April through July so you still have a little more time to watch it shine!
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=AQCA

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center focused on protecting and preserving North America's native plants through native plant lists and image galleries, conservation, education, natural landscapes, seed collection - Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) Project, preserving and restoring native communities, sprea...

05/31/2026

As you drive the roads in Southeast Kansas, you can't help but notice the clumps of white flowers that stand tall above the others alongside the road. Most notably, this is Queen Anne's Lace or Daucus carota, a member of the parsley family and a provider of beta carotene. One way to determine if this is Queen Anne's Lace is the simple mnemotic "The queen's legs are hairy".

But it also has an not so nice relative, Conium maculatum or also known as Poison hemlock. Yes, this stuff is dangerous, and you can tell the difference between the two by its purple splotched stems that Queen Anne's lace lacks. So if you are a forager, be sure to know which one you have before you consume it. The latter is flat out poisonous to humans and livestock. Even contact of the leaves and stems can cause nausea and blurred vision. If you don't believe me, just google what killed Socrates or should I say, "what was believed to kill Socrates". I prefer to believe history and will just keep my distance.

But if you do plan to remove it, make sure to wear long sleeves and pants, gloves and carefully bag without coming into contact with the plants. The sites below offer great advice in determining which plant you may have and how to get rid of the poisonous version.

https://www.thespruce.com/poison-hemlock-vs-queen-annes-lace-7107563

https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/poison-hemlock/ .tab=0

Queen Anne’s Lace and poison hemlock look similar, making identification tricky. This article helps you identify the plants based on key differences.