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Only use plants suitable for Kansas City’s U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 6<\/a>. The hardiness zone designates the coldest winter temperatures in an area. In zone 6, the coldest it gets is about -10 degrees Fahrenheit. We’ll go over 13 low-maintenance native plants that meet these parameters. Butterfly milkweed<\/a> is a native wildflower you’ve probably seen growing in abundance in empty fields or by the roadside. Because these flowers do so well here on their own, they’re super easy to take care of! And best of all, they’ll attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. With their appeal to beneficial wildlife, butterfly milkweed flowers make a perfect foundation for pollinator gardens. Showy clusters of bright orange flowers with a backdrop of dark green foliage also make butterfly milkweed a great addition to colorful wildflower beds. Does your yard typically have wet soil? Cardinal flowers<\/a> could be a great choice for your garden. This plant does especially well in naturally moist areas, such as rivers or ponds. In ideal conditions, cardinal flowers will reseed themselves over and over again, so you can expect to enjoy their blooms for several years to come, even after the original plant dies. Like their namesake bird, cardinal flowers are a beautiful bright red. The small, delicate petals bloom in upright clusters at the ends of long stems covered in spear-shaped leaves. You can use these plants as a striking background for flower beds or pollinator gardens. Fringe tree<\/a>, also known as old man’s beard or sweetheart tree, is a small to mid-sized deciduous native. A fringe tree would work well as a sole specimen planting or as the focal point of a plant bed. The main appeal of fringe trees is their feathery clusters of white flowers that really pop against the bright green foliage. In full bloom, the flowers look sort of like a light dusting of snow. Fringe tree’s blooming season can last a long time, from late spring into mid-fall. In addition to their interesting look, these flowers produce a light, pleasant fragrance and attract birds. Gray dogwood shrubs<\/a> grow well in thickets, so this native is a good choice for privacy hedges or windbreaks. The gray dogwood, with its red stems, stark white berries, and white flowers, is showier and more interesting to look at than your typical hedge plant. Another great benefit of this native shrub? It resists the most damaging pests and plant diseases. That’s especially impressive because many other dogwood species are highly susceptible to these issues. Once you plant and establish a gray dogwood, you can pretty much leave it alone to do its own thing, and it’ll grow healthy. Also known as bigfruit evening primrose<\/a> or fluttermill, this native bright yellow flower typically grows in bunches. These bunches can look great in plant beds or lining the driveway. The flowers get their name from the fact that they open in the evenings and close back up during the day. Even when the flowers are closed, the plant’s dense, grass-like foliage adds a little something to your landscape. Missouri evening primrose is a deer-resistant plant, so it’s safe from damage if you frequently have problems with deer. It also attracts beneficial wildlife, including hummingbirds and native bees. Ozark witch hazel<\/a> is an interesting specimen because it blooms from January to April. Its bright reds and yellows will add a splash of color and texture to your garden in winter. This native shrub can grow tall (up to 10 feet) or stay lower to the ground if you prune it regularly, depending on how you choose to use the plant in your landscape. Even for a native plant, ozark witch hazel is tough. It’s deer-resistant and tolerates a range of different soil textures and sun conditions. Ozark witch hazel spreads easily on its own through root suckers. If you want to prevent spreading, simply remove the root suckers. Prairie coreopsis, a species of tickseed<\/a>, is a quintessential Missouri wildflower. You’ll see these tiny, butter yellow, sunflower-like flowers all over, and they will thrive in your garden, too. They tolerate extreme heat, drought, poor soils, and interference from deer. Because they grow here so easily, prairie coreopsis flowers also spread like wildfire through self-seeding. Want to keep them contained and prevent spreading? All you have to do is deadhead (remove) flower stalks as soon as they die off. You also can cut back the plants in summer if you fail to prevent spreading prematurely. Purple coneflowers<\/a> are extremely popular for home gardens in prairie states like Missouri because these colorful, showy flowers are especially easy to take care of. And not only do they look great, they also attract and benefit local wildlife such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. They’re a perfect plant for native pollinator gardens. The flowers look like light purple daisies, and they bloom all through summer. Beware that newly planted coneflowers can sometimes take up to two years to bloom for the first time. If you just planted them this spring and they don’t bloom in summer, that’s perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. You’ll just have to exercise patience. Another name for purple poppy mallow<\/a> is winecup because of the deep purple color and cupped shape of the flowers. Sometimes, the flowers also can be pink or white. The plants themselves spread along the ground to form a mat of foliage, and the vivid flowers stand out beautifully against that backdrop. Because the plant spreads, it can do well in a hanging basket or trailing down a wall or post. It also would look great in a wildflower garden with flowers and leaves of contrasting colors and textures. Goldenrods are beautiful and interesting to look at, with long stems covered in leaves and clusters of tiny, golden yellow flowers that grow in an upright, column-like clump. As the name suggests, the showy goldenrod<\/a> is one of the brightest, most visually impactful species. Even when you plant them in a wildflower garden alongside other colorful blooms, showy goldenrods are sure to stand out. Another thing that makes showy goldenrods special is that they bloom in August and September, when most other flowers are dormant. Beware that these flowers can spread aggressively, so you may need to prune them regularly if you want to keep them contained in a small area. Looking for another fall-blooming native flower to pair with showy goldenrods? Sky blue aster<\/a> could be the perfect choice. This plant produces charming little daisy-like blooms from late August through October. The flowers typically range from light blue to lavender in color, always with a bright yellow center. Sky blue asters normally don’t have issues with pests or plant disease, and they can thrive in almost any soil. The flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators, making sky blue aster a good foundation plant for a low-maintenance native pollinator garden.
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<\/p> 1. Butterfly milkweed (asclepias tuberosa<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"red](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_43670156015_57ec548c74_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 2. Cardinal flower (lobelia cardinalis<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"bright](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_3531893936_27d3175fdd_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 3. Fringe tree (chionanthus virginicus<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"white](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_chionanthus_retusus_-_chinese_fringetree_-_12.jpg\")
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<\/p> 4. Gray dogwood (cornus racemosa<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"close-up](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_6549739877_d031ae0263_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 5. Missouri evening primrose (oenothera macrocarpa<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"close-up](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_oenothera-4314130_1280.jpg\")
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<\/p> 6. Ozark witch hazel (hamamelis vernalis<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"ozark](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_32695969180_16622b3fe4_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 7. Prairie coreopsis (coreopsis palmata<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"close-up](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_4715504896_93810ae29a_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 8. Purple coneflower (echinacea purpurea<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_1024px-eastern_purple_coneflower_2020-07-10_074.jpg\")
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<\/p> 9. Purple poppy mallow (callirhoe involucrata<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"bright](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_24171607198_26b9faac51_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 10. Showy goldenrod (solidago speciosa<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"close-up](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_21621698095_fc4d43a6e3_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 11. Sky blue aster (aster azureus<\/em> or Symphyotrichum oolentangiense<\/em>)<\/h2>
![\"small,](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_27453862092_683af89699_c.jpg\")
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