Prairie Dock

Create vertical interest, a living screen or backdrop in your garden with prairie dock. The bright yellow flowers of this native plant hover high above the large leaves for dramatic appeal.

Prairie dock is hardy in zones 4 to 8 and is drought tolerant once established. It grows best in full sun and tolerates partial shade and clay soil.  The sunflower-like blossoms appear July through September and can reach up to 9 feet in height.

The large leaves can grow 18 to 24” long and their bold texture is a nice contrast to finer textured plants like the native flowering spurge.

Honeybees and bumble bees will appreciate this addition to your garden. Then watch for the goldfinches that stop by to dine on the seeds.

Prairie dock is long lived and doesn’t like to be transplanted. So, find a spot where it can stay put.

A bit more information:  Don’t worry if you observe brown patches on the large leaves. Drought, strong winds and passing wildlife can cause this type of damage. The long-lived prairie dock is able to tolerate these injuries.