NativeSeed Group Inventory

Extremely productive, nitrogen-fixing winter annual legume with small white-pink flowers. Grows on heavy clays to moderately sandy soils. Tolerant of acidity; mildly tolerant of salinity. Mature plants are tolerant of waterlogged soils and short periods of flooding. Prostrate, hollow stemmed plants form a dense, highly productive mat of extremely palatable forage. Use as cover crop, pasture, wildlife food plots, hay or silage, either in a monoculture or mixed with other species. Germinates quickly. Persists even under continuous, intensive grazing. Readily reseeds itself when allowed to set seed. Attractive pollinator and honeybee plant.

• Growing Region:  Southeast, Midwest
• Blooms:  Spring
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  4+ ft

Short to medium statured, nitrogen-fixing annual legume with long bright scarlet flowers. Prefers fertile, well-drained sand to clay soils. Intolerant of poor drainage and high alkalinity. Acidity tolerance is higher than White clover (T. repens) and Red clover (T. pratense). More productive at lower temperatures than most other clovers; popular winter annual pasture in many southern states. Use for hay, pasture and as a silage companion crop. Less bloat risk than white clover or Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Also use for firebreaks, green manure and as a self-seeding, weed suppressing cover crop in vineyards and orchards. Excellent in wildlife food plot mixes, including deer and wild turkeys. Flowers attract native bees, honeybees and beneficial insects. May become weedy, invading nearby areas; till, cut or graze before seed-set where necessary. 

• Growing Region:  Southeast, Midwest
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  1-3 ft

Also called Daikon radish. Cool season annual brassica with a single massive taproot (12-20+ in. long). Adapted to a wide range of soils; intolerant of waterlogged soils. Rapid germination and growth. Long taproot reaches deep into the soil profile to increase topsoil nitrogen and nutrient fertility the following spring. Use in crop rotations to penetrate compacted soils and improve water infiltration, soil aeration and the rooting depth of successive crops. Dense canopy suppresses weeds when planted in a monoculture. Also use in food plots. Grazing animals eat the leafy tops and the taproot. Varieties listed below.

• Growing Region:  Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  1-2 ft

Cool season annual brassica with a single massive taproot (12-20+ in. long). Adapted to a wide range of soils; intolerant of waterlogged soils. Rapid germination and growth. Long taproot reaches deep into the soil profile to increase topsoil nitrogen and nutrient fertility the following spring. Use in crop rotations to penetrate compacted soils and improve water infiltration, soil aeration and the rooting depth of successive crops. Dense canopy suppresses weeds when planted in a monoculture. Also use in food plots. Grazing animals eat the leafy tops and the taproot.

• Growing Region:  Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  1-2 ft

Warm season, annual grass adapted to well-drained soils in Cool, semi-arid regions. Suitable for use at higher elevations. Shallow rooted and tolerant of highly saline soils. Primarily grown for single-cut hay and as a short-season emergency forage; palatable and nutritious. Excellent soil cover but may out-compete establishing perennials; can be used as a weed-suppressing smother crop. Seeds are a desired food for birds and small mammals.

• Growing Region:  Midwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Grass

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  1-3 ft

Vining, nitrogen-fixing winter annual or short-lived perennial legume with soft woolly stems and leaves and purple flowers. Adapted to a wide range of well-drained soils; intolerant of acidity and salinity. Suited to wetter soils and colder winters than most other winter-active legumes. More drought tolerant than other vetches. Fast growth for hay, pasture, silage or green manure. Highly palatable and nutritious. Often grown with annual forage grasses as climbing structure and to improve hay quality. Also use as a self-perpetuating, weed-smothering cover crop, in agricultural rotations and in orchards and vineyards. Attractive seed and nesting cover to doves, pheasants, quail and pigeons. Attracts bumble bees and beneficial insects. May become weedy, invading nearby areas; till, cut or graze before seed-set where necessary. 

• Growing Region:  Midwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  1-4 ft

Warm season, cold tolerant coarse annual grass. Adapted to all soils but thrives on wet and swampy soils, even standing water. Provides fast-growing, short-term cover while perennials establish. Often used around ponds and other waterways as a source of cover and preferred food for waterfowl, including ducks. Effective as a weed-suppressing smother crop. Greater protein content for grazing animals than Oat (Avena sativa) and Timothy (Phleum pratense) hay. 

• Growing Region:  Midwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Grass

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  4+ ft

Warm season, drought tolerant annual grass preferring moist to dry conditions in a range of soil types, including poor, thin soils; shallow-rooted. Intolerant of high salinity. One of the lowest water requirements of any grain species. Fast to establish and grow, reaching maturity quickly. Plant for erosion control, in rotations with winter annuals, or into stubble fields in a double crop system. Leafiness, palatability and forage yields are lower than many other annual hays such as Foxtail millet (Setaria italica). Excellent in wildlife food plots for game birds. 

• Growing Region:  Midwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Grass

• Application Type:  Erosion Control, Agriculture
• Height:  1-3 ft

Popular nitrogen-fixing biennial or short-lived perennial legume with rose-pink flowers. Prefers heavy, well-drained soils but is tolerant of some poor drainage. More tolerant of moderate acidity than Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Quick growing and easily established, tolerating moderate summer heat when adequate moisture is available. Widely used with forage grasses for hay, pasture and silage as well as for wildlife food plots and soil enhancement. Two forms: medium-types (double-cut) and mammoth-types (single-cut). Medium-types are most common, grow back quickly after cutting and are suited for multi-cut or grazing systems. Mammoth-types mature later, recover slower after cutting and are recommended for single-cut hay systems in areas with a short growing season or biennial plowdown applications. Pollinated by native bees and honeybees. State flower of Vermont.

• Growing Region:  Midwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Erosion Control, Agriculture
• Height:  4+ ft

 Showy Partridge Pea is an annual wildflower that is found in much of the United States. This intermediate height wildflower is an important forb in many ecosystems as a nitrogen fixer as well as a source of food and shelter for wildlife.   Great source of food for quail, grouse and other upland birds. Offers protective cover for small mammals. Fast establishing annual that produces a plethora of seed Mature plant height of 2-3 feet. Highly adaptable in varying soil types and climates. Valuable component in native grass and wildflower mixes. Moderate heat and drought tolerance.

• Growing Region:  Southeast, Midwest
• Blooms:  Summer, Fall
• Life Form:  Legume

• Application Type:  Land Reclamation, Agriculture
• Height:  1-3 ft

Warm season, quick growing annual primarily used for dryland feed grain. Coarse grass similar to corn in appearance. Adapted to a wide range of soils; moderate salt tolerance. Heat and drought tolerant plant ideal for arid areas unsuitable for corn production, yet also more tolerant of saturated and flooded soils than most grain crops. Grain is highly palatable to livestock and has more protein and fat than corn. Harvest grain for livestock feed, graze stubble after grain harvest or use entire plant for silage. As all sorghums, forage must be managed for prussic acid toxicity (see below: Sorghum-Sudangrass). Also use in Warm season food plots for gamebirds and deer. 

• Growing Region:  Southwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Grass

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  1-2 ft

Short, stoloniferous nitrogen-fixing perennial legume with white flowers. Adapted to shallow, moist clay and silt soils or fertile sands with adequate moisture. Difficult to establish and short-lived on dry sites. Slightly acidic to mildly alkaline tolerant. Somewhat winter hardy. Possibly the world’s most widely distributed and commonly used forage legume. Use with grasses in wet or irrigated grazing systems. Highly palatable and nutritious forage for livestock and wildlife. Leaves and seeds are eaten by bears, large herbivores and numerous birds, including sage-grouse, ruffed grouse and sharp-tailed grouse. Pollen and nectar source for honeybees, bumble bees and beneficial insects.

• Growing Region:  Midwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Forb

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  0-1 ft

Formerly Vicia dasycarpa. Vining, nitrogen-fixing winter annual or short-lived perennial legume with pink-purple flowers. Adapted to a wide range of well-drained soils; tolerant of moderately acidic and alkaline soils. Not as cold or drought tolerant as Hairy vetch (V. villosa). Faster growing, earlier maturing and more productive than hairy vetch; better climbing ability. Use for hay, pasture, silage or green manure. Highly palatable and nutritious. Often seeded with annual forage grasses to reduce lodging and improve hay quality. Also use as a self-perpetuating cover crop and in agricultural rotations. Able to smother weeds, including noxious species such as yellow starthistle and medusahead. Valuable seed and nesting cover to doves, pheasants, quail and pigeons. Attracts numerous pollinators and beneficial insects. May become weedy, invading nearby areas; till, cut or graze before seed-set where necessary.

• Growing Region:  Midwest, Southeast
• Blooms: 
• Life Form:  Legume

• Application Type:  Agriculture
• Height:  1-2 ft