Every species we sell is a numbered stamp in the Missouri Native Series, Nos. 1 to 12. The packets are printed like vintage postage stamps, and each one carries a postmark that tells you when to sow it. Collect them one at a time, by season, or all at once.
How to read a packet
- The number is its place in the series, from No. 1 Purple Coneflower to No. 12 Golden Alexanders.
- The postmark is the sowing season: SOW DEC–FEB (winter), SOW MAR–MAY (spring) or SOW SEP–NOV (fall).
- The back has sowing directions, the botanical name, “Missouri native,” the lot number, the germination test result and test date, the net weight and seed count, the packed-for year and a sell-by date.
The checklist
| ☐ | No. | Species | Postmark | Blooms | Height | Light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | 1 | Purple Coneflower | Winter | May–Aug | 2–4 ft | Sun to part shade |
| ☐ | 2 | Ozark Coneflower | Winter | May–Jun | 2–3 ft | Full sun |
| ☐ | 3 | Black-eyed Susan | Winter | Jun–Sep | 1–3 ft | Full sun |
| ☐ | 4 | Butterfly Milkweed | Winter | Jun–Aug | 1½–2 ft | Full sun |
| ☐ | 5 | Swamp Milkweed | Winter | Jun–Sep | 3–5 ft | Sun to light shade |
| ☐ | 6 | Common Milkweed | Winter | May–Aug | 3–5 ft | Full sun |
| ☐ | 7 | Wild Bergamot | Spring | Jun–Aug | 2–4 ft | Sun to light shade |
| ☐ | 8 | Lanceleaf Coreopsis | Winter | May–Jun | 16–24 in | Full sun |
| ☐ | 9 | Rough Blazing Star | Winter | Aug–Oct | 2–4 ft | Full sun |
| ☐ | 10 | New England Aster | Winter | Sep–Oct | 3–5 ft | Sun to light shade |
| ☐ | 11 | Missouri Evening Primrose | Fall | May–Aug | 8–12 in | Full sun |
| ☐ | 12 | Golden Alexanders | Winter | Apr–Jun | 1½–2½ ft | Sun to part shade |
The bloom relay
Once established, the series blooms in turn from April into October:
- April: 12
- May: 1, 2, 6, 8, 11, 12
- June: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12
- July: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11
- August: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11
- September: 3, 5, 9, 10
- October: 9, 10
Ways to collect
- One at a time: Single packets are $4.50 each.
- Four at a time: Pick Any 4 is $16 for any four numbers.
- By theme: The Winter-Sow Kit ($36) holds Nos. 1, 2, 4, 9, 10 and 12. The Monarch Milkweed Trio ($18) holds Nos. 4, 5 and 6.
- All at once: The Complete Series ($48) holds all twelve in a keepsake postal box.
- Over a year: Seed Club members ($54 a year) receive three numbers each season, and all twelve over a full year.
Why collect them all?
Because a garden of all twelve has something in bloom for seven months, feeds monarchs from caterpillar to migration, and covers dry glade, damp clay and part shade. And because the packets look good lined up on a shelf until it’s time to sow.
Sources: Bloom months, heights and light come from our species data, which cites the Missouri Department of Conservation, Grow Native! and other sources listed in our sources list. Prices and kit contents come from our product catalog.