Root Down Wisconsin

09/03/2026

We registered the Root Down nursery property as a Certified Wildlife Habitat in April 2025. It would be really cool to see Wauwatosa reach the 250 properties needed to become a Wildlife Community Habitat. Tosa Wildlife Habitat has been working hard towards this goal. Let's help them get to the finish line!

If you're following here and you're planting native plants, it's very likely your property already qualifies, or would qualify with very little effort. Fill out the simple form, submit the small donation, and join the community!

Paying a little extra for the sign is optional, but I've found it to be a great conversation starter and a starting point for neighbors to reconsider how they manage their land.

Is your property a certified wildlife habitat? Drop a photo of your sign in the comments and let us know if you're in the Wauwatosa Community Habitat or another community!

News Flash! 🐝🌿🦋

We have only 60 more gardens to go to reach full city-wide certification from the National Wildlife Federation as a Wildlife Community Habitat!

Let' s go, Tosa residents. Talk to your neighbors and spread the word. We would be the first city in Milwaukee County to become certified.

Help us make 2026 the year we become certified one garden at a time.

To certify your garden today go to:
https://certifiedwildlifehabitat.nwf.org/

🐝 🐝

09/02/2026

Hairy Beardtongue is back in stock and I'm always excited to have it available because it is just an absolute dynamite option for urban and suburban plantings.

1. Blooms early! Flowers in late May and early June
2. Grows anywhere! Full sun to full shade. Med-wet to dry soils.
3. Short stature! Maxing out at 24" it won't get all tall and floppy.
4. Nectar! Food source for bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds

This is our last tray for the season. Add some to a pickup order today! Shopping link in comments.

08/31/2026

Much earlier this season we ran out of Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) We always run out of Bee Balm and it's no wonder. It's early blooms and fragrant foliage are a highlight of many native gardens, sought after by pollinators and gardeners alike.

If you missed out earlier, now is your chance to grab some. These bare root plants are freshly dug from our mature planting beds. Plant them now and you'll be in for gorgeous blooms next June.

Quantities are limited, and they won't last long, so don't delay. Find the shopping link in the comments and add some to a pick up order today!

08/29/2026

Can I plant these now?

I get asked that a lot this time of year. And the answer is a resounding YES.

The old idiom describing the growth habits of native plants says that they SLEEP the first year, CREEP the second, and LEAP the third. While it's an oversimplification of the process in which they tend to focus on root development first, it's generally pretty accurate.

Planting in late summer or early fall is a great way to skip that SLEEP year. (At least it feels that way.) And yes, you CAN, and you SHOULD, plant these now. Soil temps stay warm enough for root development into November, giving these native plants plenty of time to take root. They will creep forth in the spring and future you will thank yourself for giving them a head start.

We have 32 species of native Wisconsin plants left in our inventory.

Find the link to our available inventory in the comments and schedule a pick up today.

08/29/2026

A native pollinator garden update.

This week, we revisited the native pollinator garden that we installed at Joy Ice Cream Social back in June. It's one of our favorite sites because the property owner (Hi Liz!) has embraced the importance of native habitat in the urban environment AND we get a chance to treat ourselves to ice cream when we're done working. 🌱🍦❤

So what did we do this week?

Added decorative fencing to improve the aesthetic of the young garden. It's a great demonstration of how native gardens can be intentional in appearance.

Installed additional native plants, including Purple Coneflower, Wood Violet, Hairy Beardtongue, Dense Blazing Star, Evening Primrose, Tall Boneset, Bottlebrush Grass, and Little Bluestem. They join the existing plant that we installed back in June. These new plants are caged to protect them from rabbit pressure in year 1.

Added a fresh layer of recycled urban wood mulch. This mulch consists of wood chips from storm damaged trees. We love it because it repurposes and recycles wood from local trees rather than trucking in "new wood" from elsewhere. This mulch incorporates a good amount of leaf material which will break down rapidly and help to amend the heavy clay soil in this bed.

The sleep, creep, leap adage of native plant growing is real, and it's very apparent in this garden. Challenged by heavy clay soils and extreme summer heat that radiates off the fence in the afternoon, these plants have focused intently on root development this summer. Their growing season is far from over, and the cooler fall soil temps and gentler sun conditions will give them a couple more months to settle in before winter.

Do you know of a local business that would be interested in adding a pollinator garden to their property? We are looking to connect with property owners and expanding the footprint of ecologically beneficial habitat in Wauwatosa and beyond.

08/24/2026

We've recounted our inventory following the weekend sale and the website is once again ready to accept online orders. 35 species remain in stock and all quantities are limited, some more than others. Shop now and select a convenient day and time for pickup. Find the shopping link in the comments.

Thanks for supporting our nursery and planting natives to build healthy ecosystems!

Available species (updated: 8/23/2026)
Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)
Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)
Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Drummond's Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii)
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Elm-Leaved Goldenrod (Solidago ulmifolia)
Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)
Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
Frost Aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum)
Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus)
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)
Late Figwort (Scrophularia marilandica)
Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)
Leafy Prairie Clover (Dalea foliosa)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)
Panicled Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum)
Prairie Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Riddell's Goldenrod (Oligoneuron riddellii)
Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium)
Short's Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii)
Stiff Goldenrod (Oligoneuron rigidum)
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)
Sweet Joe Pye (Eutrochium purpureum)
Tall Boneset (Eupatorium altissimum)
White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida)
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
Willow Aster (Symphyotrichum praealtum)
Wood Violet (Viola sororia)
Zig Zag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

08/23/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who stopped by the plant sale today. I take such great joy in hearing your growing stories, celebrating your successes, discussing your challenges, and being one small part of your journey. The work that each and every one of you is doing to restore vital ecological habitat is amazing, and heartwarming, and inspiring.

If you couldn't make it today, know that we missed you dearly and we hope to see you next time. Tomorrow I will get the remaining inventory counted and recombobulated, and reopen the website for online sales. Ya'll put a big dent in it today, but there's still some really nice plants available.

Look for a few bare root options to come yet this fall, and some exciting original merchandise that I'm really excited about in the next few weeks.

- Andy

08/22/2026

Plant sale day! 9a - Noon.

2578 N 62nd St.

100% Wisconsin native plants. All grown from seed in the backyard nursery. No pesticides or herbicides.

Inventory list for Saturday 8/22:
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Big-Leaved Aster (Eurybia macrophylla)
Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)
Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)
Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)
Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)
Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)
Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)
Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Drummond's Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii)
Early Figwort (Scrophularia lanceolata)
Eastern Redbud (Oenothera biennis)
Elm-Leaved Goldenrod (Solidago ulmifolia)
Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)
Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
Frost Aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum)
Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus)
Hoary Vervain(Verbena stricta)
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)
Joe Pye W**d (Eutrochium maculatum)
Late Figwort (Scrophularia marilandica)
Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)
Leafy Prairie Clover (Dalea foliosa)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)
Panicled Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum)
Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata)
Prairie Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Riddell's Goldenrod (Oligoneuron riddellii)
Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium)
Short's Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii)
Shrubby St. John's Wort (Hypericum prolificum)
Side Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
Spotted Bee Balm (Monarda punctata)
Stiff Goldenrod (Oligoneuron rigidum)
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)
Sweet Joe Pye (Eutrochium purpureum)
Tall Boneset (Eupatorium altissimum)
Virginia Wild Rye (Elymus virginicus)
White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida)
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
Willow Aster (Symphyotrichum praealtum)
Wood Violet (Viola sororia)
Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
Zig Zag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

08/21/2026

We're excited to welcome you into the backyard nursery tomorrow morning from 9AM - Noon! The inventory list is now finalized and online sales have been paused until Sunday to make sure we don't sell out of anything on the list before morning.

Changes from the prior list:
Added: Cardinal Flower, Cup Plant, Purple Coneflower, Stiff Goldenrod, Wild Strawberry, Hoary Vervain, Orange Coneflower.
Removed: Smoot Solomon's Seal

Check the comments for the full inventory list.

Buy 10, get 2 free and help us empty out the nursery and fill your gardens!

08/18/2026

Eupatorium altissimum, commonly known as Tall Boneset or Tall Thoroughwort, is a tall and sturdy later summer through fall bloomer. It’s feathery, tubular, white blossoms attract scores of pollinators searching for late season nectar.

Strikingly similar in appearance to other species in the Eupatorium genus, it can be difficult to differentiate from other Boneset species native to Wisconsin.

Tall Boneset will typically have hairy, lance shaped, sessile leaves (attached directly to the main stalk), with 3 distinct veins, and teeth only along the outer half. Look for 5 florets per flower head. It prefers full sun but will tolerate partial sun conditions and enjoys moderate to dry soils. Despite it’s Latin name altissimum, meaning “tallest” or “highest” (it averages 4 feet in height) it is often shorter in stature that other boneset species.

The common name of boneset species originates from early medicinal uses.

The leaves were wrapped in bandages in the belief that it helped to heal broken bones. While there is no evidence that this use provided any actual medical benefit, the name stuck.

It was also brewed into a tea that was used to treat dengue fever (aka breakbone fever). While it could not have directly treated this viral infection, it’s mild toxicity may have induced sweating to help break fevers and trigger the bodies immune response.

This same toxicity to mammals makes it generally deer resistant as it’s leaves and stems have a bitter taste.

At the Root Down nursery gardens, we find that that Monarch Butterflies often prefer to visit boneset species over asters and goldenrods while fueling for their migration. Try planting all 3 together for and incredible late season display that doubles as a Monarch nectar buffet.

We have Tall Boneset in stock and available for purchase today! Find the shopping link in the comments.