Chicago Wildflower Report & Info – 08/02/2019
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
August 2, 2019
“Weekly Wildflower Reports Featuring
Chicago’s Best Weekend Getaways & Nature Trips”
Plan the Best Outdoor Getaways Around Chicago!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
SHARE YOUR LOVE OF NATURE BY BECOMING A NATURE SCOUT! Each week, we help your neighbors find peace. Lean about becoming a nature scout.
WILDFLOWER HIGHLIGHTS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR OUTDOOR WEEKEND GETAWAY IN CHICAGO NATURE:
Like last week, many of our showcase prairies and savannas are still exploding with the colors of summer: gold, purple, lavender, and white. The floral stars and our Plants of the Week are prairie blazing star and marsh blazing star (only plant nerds with magnifying glasses can tell them apart). These tall, erect plants are the most flamboyant species in the prairie, with a flaming, feathery flower head that glows like a purple torch. When blooming in great numbers, the experience is the highlight of the summer season. Spears Woods is usually the best place to find them in great densities, though it varies from year to year. That’s nature for you. And to prove that point, cylindrical blazing star is now blooming, It’s about two weeks early. This plant has the deepest root of any prairie plant. (See illustration below.) Experience it now at Bluff Spring Fen and Shoe Factory Road Prairie.
Last week’s Plants of the Week, wild bergamot and yellow coneflower, are still blooming strong. You can see them blooming almost everywhere at this time of year, even along the road. Experience huge displays of both flowers at Theodore Stone Preserve. Still showing off its molecular flower heads is rattlesnake master, which plays the lead role at many prairies, including Spears Woods, Belmont Prairie, Gensburg-Markham Prairie, and more. Meanwhile, the flat-topped cauliflower flower heads of wild quinine are looking spectacular at the same preserves as rattlesnake master. Butterfly weed is still flowering throughout the black oak savanna at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. Big bluestem is starting to bloom, but their tiny flowers are easy to miss when more conspicuous flowers attract our attention. Look for this iconic prairie grass at most, if not every, prairie on our list. And finally, the dramatic aquatic American lotus is now flowering. The pale yellow blossoms resemble those of a water lily, but they’re much larger—up to eight inches wide atop stems that can reach six feet high. And that isn’t all. The circular leaf is gorgeous and enormous, up to two and a half feet in diameter! See the Picture Section below for images of American lotus (and where to find it) along with the many flowers featured in this report.
PRESERVES TO VISIT THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best or “Go!” The “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section is for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a special “Preserves for You to Scout” section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore! The date within the parentheses tell you when we last scouted the preserve.
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Spears Woods in Willow Spring (7/27): This preserve is a MUST SEE! I love the preserve’s beautiful rolling prairie. And now is the perfect time to see a kaleidoscopic array of prairie flowers. The purple torchlike flower heads of prairie blazing star and golden flames of early goldenrod are setting the grassland ablaze. The round white-hot heads of rattlesnake master add shimmering sparks to the flames, stealing the show by growing in startling densities at several spots throughout the prairie. Wild quinine provides additional sparkle with its pearly blooms that span the prairie, while mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, wild bergamot, rosinweed, ironweed, and Culver’s root add to the conflagration. At some places inside the prairie and where the prairie meets the trees, woodland sunflower blooms, which is igniting under the trees. Walking through the woods, bottlebrush grass glows in the sunlight, and sweet Joe-Pye weed towers with feathery blooms-to-be. The turkey-foot tassels of big bluestem are beginning to show their miniature flowers. And finally, a parasitic summer vine called field dodder can be found draped like orange Silly String over vegetation at the bottom of the bowl in the eastern prairie.
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (7/28): At this moment, there are several species blooming under the sun, most prominently rattlesnake master, purple prairie clover, mountain mint, and Culver’s root, Among the many co-stars are black-eyed Susan, rosinweed, early goldenrod, wild quinine, purple milkweed, swamp milkweed, and compass plant. And don’t forget to appreciate the beautiful foliage of prairie dock and compass plant, and thin grassy hairdo of prairie dropseed. Walk through the woodland to find bottlebrush grass, the blue American bellflower, the white skybound blooms of pale Indian plantain, and new pink blooms of sweet Joe-Pye weed. Golden rays of woodland sunflower are about to explode under the trees.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There is construction on Dundee Road east of Waukegan Road, but you can still drive around the “Detour” barricade because it’s open to local traffic. The preserve entrance is located on the left side about 500 feet beyond the barricade. Due to the construction, Google Maps instructs you to park on Ferndale. Ignore it! Park in the main lot, or use the alternate parking location found on our web page for this preserve.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove (7/30): This intimate remnant prairie is rich in blooms. Walk slowly to absorb the special moments. The stars of this week’s show are the ever-present displays of rattlesnake master, wild bergamot, yellow coneflower, and a vibrant show of prairie blazing star. You’ll also find blooms of wild quinine, false sunflower, early goldenrod, compass plant, and rosinweed, Notice the wondrous foliage of prairie dock and compass plant that glow a bright green in the low sun. See Photo Section for a picture of the leaves.
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin (7/30): In the open prairie, there are many flowers currently blooming in nice densities: wild bergamot, nodding wild onion, wild quinine, mountain mint, cylindrical blazing star, and the show-stopping marsh blazing star. Many other flowers add to the experience in the prairie, including hoary vervain, rosinweed, and compass plant in the prairie, with prairie loosestrife and lots of spotted Joe-Pye weed in the wetter areas. In the oak savanna by the entrance, look for bottlebrush grass, American bellflower, large false foxglove, the skyward blooms of pale Indian plantain and sweet Joe-Pye weed. And look for the tiny flowers dangling from turkey-footed tassels atop big bluestem. NOTE: Consider checking out nearby Shoe Factory Road Prairie.
Shoe Factory Road Prairie in Hoffman Estates (7/30): This small, rare hill prairie is surrounded by a fence. The preserve offers short trails that will quickly take you to the best flower shows. South of the fence is the prairie associated with Carl Hansen Woods, formerly known as Poplar Creek Prairie. This week, the star of the hill prairie is cylindrical blazing star. It is accompanied by a combination of rosinweed, yellow coneflower, mountain mint, and the cauliflower-headed wild quinine,, But it’s the prairie beyond the barrier that steals the show with dramatic scenes of the flaming prairie blazing star, the molecular models of rattlesnake master, and the golden sparks of early goldenrod. NOTE: Consider visiting Bluff Spring Fen while you’re here. It’s roughly in the neighborhood.
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (7/25): This preserve offers a varied terrain and a mix of habitats that bring interest and an added dimension to your visit, even if there weren’t any blooms. But there are! The black oak savanna is in full of color as the orange blossoms of butterfly weed reach peak color. Black-eyed Susan adds splashes of gold. And flowering spurge, with its delicate sprays of tiny white flowers, is blooming in both savanna and sand prairie.
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (7/30): Right now, the prairie is putting on celebration of biodiversity, with a large variety of flowering plants on display. The most prominent are rattlesnake master, Culver’s root, and wild quinine. Mixed in are blooms of yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, flowering spurge, and the flamboyant prairie blazing star, which can easily steal the show. You’ll also find flowers of compass plant and rosinweed alongside the grand leaves of prairie dock. Growing under the trees of the savanna are the whimsical bottlebrush grass, tall sweet Joe-Pye weed, and the soon-to-be-prolific woodland sunflower And don’t let the many flowers distract you from experience the little flowers that hang from the tassels of big bluestem. NOTE: Theodore Stone Preserve and Spears Woods are located close by.
Gensburg-Markham Prairie in Markham (7/27): This week, new blooms of marsh blazing star and early goldenrod add color and drama to the prairie. After entering the gate with the “dummy lock” (see preserve page for details), take the trail that goes to the left. You’re immediately greeted by yellow coneflower , nodding wild onion. wild bergamot, and marsh phlox. After a few seconds, you’ll find a delicate display of prairie dock foliage mixed with prairie dropseed and yellow coneflower. Soon following, you’ll discover spectacular stands of rattlesnake master and wild quinine that combine with black-eyed Susan. As you hike around, you’ll see blooms of partridge pea, rosinweed and its cousin compass plant, along with a tall forest of the white-flowered pale Indian plantain about fifty yards from the trail. The texture of the grasses look great. And the tassels of big bluestem are beginning to bloom. If you like to smell stuff. then this is the a good week for you. Stick your nose into the fragrant flowers of yellow coneflower and wild bergamot,
Theodore Stone Preserve in Hodgkins (7/30): The star of the week is yellow coneflower, which grows in vast golden expanses throughout the west half of the preserve, home to the black-soil prairie. The fluffy lavender heads of wild bergamot is also putting on a show, and early goldenrod and mountain mint are now prominent. Rattlesnake master offers one fantastic spread, but the plant is scattered about. Along your stroll, you’ll also see flowering partridge pea, wild quinine, rosinweed, ironweed, prairie blazing star, and the grass of big bluestem. NOTE: The preserve is located quite close to Spears Woods and Wolf Road Prairie, which are both on our “Go” list.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park (7/28): Now showing in some prominence at this superb sand savanna are the blooms of partridge pea, spotted bee balm, daisy fleabane, and whorled milkweed. Stand still for a moment, and you may be able to detect the light fragrance of whorled milkweed in the air. It might help to first calibrate your nose by bending down to smell it. And while you’re down there, take in the minty aroma of spotted bee balm (also known as, spotted or dotted horsemint). The delicate white blooms of flowering spurge are starting out. When combined with partridge pea, which has yet to reach peak bloom, this preserve could be a “Go,” for next weekend.
Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest (unscouted): In last week’s report, we reported many plants in bloom to create colorful vistas, including a prairie full of rattlesnake master, wild bergamot, cup plant, yellow coneflower, along with the towering sawtooth sunflower and pale Indian plantain. In the wet spots, we recommended looking for the gorgeous pink blooms of swamp milkweed and the spectacular purple spikes of pickerel weed.
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT:
This is a category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie in Chicago: This high-quality preserve is located inside the city of Chicago.
Miller Woods at Indiana Dunes National Park: We’re looking for a scout to regularly visit this big, beautiful preserve. Let us know if you’re interested.
Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin: This prairie-by-the-lake offers cooler temperatures during the hot summer months. Let us know what you find!
COMING SOON: FLOWERING SPURGE, PARTRIDGE PEA, & THE CONTINUATION OF THE BLAZING STARS
PLANTS OF THE WEEK: PRAIRIE & MARSH BLAZING STAR
In late July and early August, the spectacular purple blooms of marsh and prairie blazing star turns prairie ablaze. They are the first of the blazing stars to flower in the summer, followed by cylindrical, savanna, and then rough blazing star. Both marsh and prairie blazing star can easily reach five feet tall The only way to differentiate them is to decipher this coded message from the Illinois Wildflowers website:, “Prairie Blazingstar has floral bracts (phyllaries) that are strongly recurved, while the floral bracts of Marsh Blazingstar are appressed together and relatively smooth.” Huh? Even my magic decoder ring can’t decipher the message.
The flowers on these plants bloom from the top downward, which is helpful for photographers (and our scouts) to know if the flowers are coming or going.
You can experience one or both of these magnificent plants at Belmont Prairie, Spears Woods, Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Bluff Spring Fen, Wolf Road Prairie, Somme Prairie grove, Middlefork Savanna, and many other prairies on our list of showcase preserves.
PHOTO SECTION
Wild Bergamot & Yellow Coneflower
“Lavender in color and mint in fragrance” describes wild bergamot. “Whimsical with an aroma of anise” describes yellow coneflower. Wild bergamot gets its name from a scent that resembles oranges that grow in Bergamot, Italy. Both plants are native to the prairie, and both are healers. Known as pioneer species, they are among the first plants to colonize disturbed or degraded areas. Their presence improves soil quality while allowing other plants to move in, leading to greater biodiversity. You can find these plants at many preserves across our region, but also in roadside ditches where they share space with invaders like teasel, reed canary grass, and giant reed (phragmites). Therefore, it shouldn’t be assumed that wild bergamot and yellow coneflower are indicative of a high quality habitat. If you find them dominating large portions of a preserve, then the site lacks biodiversity and is in need of restoration.*
Cylindrical Blazing Star
In August, cylindrical blazing star blooms in the sand savanna at Indiana Dunes National Park.*
Rattlesnake Master
Rattlesnake master is a wonderful Chicago prairie flower that looks resembles Tinker Toys or molecular structures, or something you might find in Arizona or Texas. The plant gets its name because some Native Americans brewed a tea from the root as an antidote for rattlesnake venom. To prevent bites, some chewed on the root, then spat on their hands before handling a rattlesnake. Of course, I’m interested to know if this really works. What’s more, the research may not even require a flight to the desert. That’s because, believe it or not, the rare and endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake lives right here in the Chicago area. So, if you perform the experiment, please get back to me with the results, either you or next of kin. To experience rattlesnake master, visit Belmont Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Wolf Road Prairie, Fermilab Prairie, Gensburg Markham Prairie, Kickapoo Woods and Prairie, Spears Woods, Theodore Stone Preserve, and other local prairies over the next few weeks.*
Big Bluestem Grass
The towering height of big bluestem grass gives true meaning to the term “tallgrass prairie.”*
Miniature flowers delicately hang from the tassel of big bluestem grass.*
Purple Prairie Clover and It’s Remarkably Fresh Scent
The flowers of purple prairie clover emanate my favorite (nice) smell in Chicago nature, giving off the fresh scent of carrots and lemon. Get out now because they’re almost gone for the year. Here, a bee flies over to purple prairie clover at Bluff Spring Fen Nature Preserve in Elgin, Illinois. You can also find this plant at Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, Wolf Road Prairie, Gensburg-Markham Prairie., Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and others.*
Mountain Mint
Inhale the invigorating white flowers of mountain mint that grow here at Spears Woods and at many other preserves on our list.*
Compass Plant
The golden flowers of compass plant is now blooming atop a stalk that reaches for the sky.*
The Wonderful Large Leaves of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock
These are the large leaves of the prairie’s most iconic plants. The heart-shaped leaf is that of prairie dock, and the long-lobed leaf is from a cousin called compass plant.*
American Lotus at Tomahawk Slough
American Lotus at Tomahawk Slough in Willow Springs, Illinois.
Tomahawk Slough in Willow Springs, Illinois is teeming with the grand American lotus. You an reach the wetland by first parking at the far end of Pulaski Woods parking lot and then walking a short distance along the trails.
Spears Woods
In late July at Spears Woods, wildflowers float above the prairie like musical notes in a symphony of color and texture.*
Prairie blazing star and wild quinine light up the prairie at Spears Woods in Willow Springs, Illinois.*
In the open woodland at Spears Woods in Willow Springs, Illinois, summer brings tall blooms of sweet Joe-Pye weed. As of this post, they are just starting bloom.*
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve
Butterfly milkweed (or butterfly weed) is now blooming in the black oak savanna at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, Illinois. And you can find it at many other preserves in the region, including Belmont Prairie, Powderhorn Prairie, and Somme Prairie Grove.*
The Dead River, at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, is the only remaining river in Illinois that flows into Lake Michigan. The name comes either from deep pools of quicksand hidden along the banks that devour unsuspecting hikers or from water that remains still and barely flows. On this sapphire morning, the latter was true.*
Somme Prairie Grove
Here, at Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois, we see the large, deeply lobed leaf of compass plant among a sea of purple prairie clover.*
Purple prairie clover and mountain mint steal the show in this area of Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois.*
Bluff Spring Fen
Marsh blazing star blooms at the main seep of the fen at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin, Illinois.*
Cylindrical blazing star covers the northeast kame at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin, Illinois.*
Soon after entering Bluff Spring Fen, you’ll find yourself in an intimate oak savanna, where majestic bur oaks with outstretched limbs protect you in their nurturing embrace.*
Wolf Road Prairie
This image is fairly representative of what you’d see at Wolf Road Prairie, but every plant shown is currently blooming except for the tall purple spikes of prairie blazing star.*
In July at Wolf Road Prairie, wildflowers combine to resemble a fireworks display.*
Wolf Road Prairie puts on a lesson in biodiversity. Pictured are prairie blazing star, wild quinine, rattlesnake master, flowering spurge, Culver’s root, rosinweed, and yellow coneflower.*
Gensburg-Markham Prairie
The summer sun goes down on wild quinine and marsh phlox as nonstop tollway traffic rolls past its eastern border. Each hour of each day, people drive by, unaware of the natural treasures they’d discover by taking the West 159th Street exit.*
Gensburg-Markham Prairie is famous for its late July fanfare, when the fields ignite with white sparks of flowering spurge and purple torches of marsh blazing star.*
Theodore Stone Preserve
Yellow coneflower blooms in the mesic prairie on the western half of Theodore Stone Preserve in Hodgkins, Illinois.*
Prairie Root System
The root system of some common prairie plants. Note that cylindrical blazing star has the deepest root that reaches over fifteen feet! Click the image for a bigger view.
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that poetically celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike
Chicago Wildflower Report & Info – 07/25/2019
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
July 25, 2019
“Weekly Wildflower Reports Featuring
Chicago’s Best Weekend Getaways & Nature Trips”
Plan the Best Outdoor Getaways Around Chicago!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
SHARE YOUR LOVE OF NATURE BY BECOMING A NATURE SCOUT! Each week, we help your neighbors find peace. Lean about becoming a nature scout.
WILDFLOWER HIGHLIGHTS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR OUTDOOR WEEKEND GETAWAY IN CHICAGO NATURE:
Many of our showcase prairies and savannas are exploding with the colors of summer: gold, purple, lavender, and white. The floral stars of the week are prairie blazing star and marsh blazing star (only plant nerds with magnifying glasses can tell them apart). These tall, slender plants are the most flamboyant flower in the prairie, with a flaming, feathery flower head that glows like a purple torch. When blooming in great numbers, it is the highlight of the summer season. Spears Woods is usually the best place to find them in great densities, though it varies from year to year.
Our “Plants of the Week” are wild bergamot and yellow coneflower because you can see them blooming almost everywhere at this time of year, even along the road. Experience nice displays of both flowers at Theodore Stone Preserve. See the “Plants of the Week” caption for fascinating information about these fragrant plants. Last week’s “Plant of the Week” was rattlesnake master, which is still blooming strong. You can check out its Tinker-Toy shaped flower heads at many preserves, including Spears Woods, Belmont Prairie, Gensburg-Markham Prairie, and more. Meanwhile, the flat-topped cauliflower flower heads of wild quinine are looking spectacular at the same preserves as rattlesnake master. Butterfly weed is still flowering throughout the black oak savanna at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. The freshly fragrant blooms of purple prairie clover are showing at Bluff Spring Fen, Somme Prairie Grove, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and some others. And finally, the dramatic aquatic American lotus is beginning to flower. The pale yellow flowers resemble those of a water lily, but they’re much larger—up to eight inches wide atop stems that can reach six feet high. And that isn’t all. The circular leaves are gorgeous and consistently big, up to two and a half feet in diameter! See the Picture Section below for images of American lotus (and where to find it) along with the many flowers featured in this report.
PRESERVES TO VISIT THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best or “Go!” The “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section is for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a special “Preserves for You to Scout” section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore! The date within the parentheses tell you when we last scouted the preserve.
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Spears Woods in Willow Spring (7/25): This preserve is a MUST SEE! I love the preserve’s beautiful rolling prairie. And now is the perfect time to see a kaleidoscopic array of prairie flowers. The purple torchlike flower heads of prairie blazing star and golden flames of early goldenrod are just beginning to set the grassland ablaze. The round white-hot heads of rattlesnake master add shimmering sparks to the flames, growing in great densities at several places throughout the prairie. Wild quinine provides additional sparkle with its pearly blooms that span the prairie, while mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, wild bergamot, rosinweed, ironweed, and Culver’s root add to the conflagration. At some spots in the prairie and where the prairie meets the trees, woodland sunflower blooms, but it’ll be a little while longer before they ignite under the trees. Walking through the woods, bottlebrush grass glows in the sunlight, and sweet Joe-Pye weed towers with feathery blooms-to-be. And finally, a parasitic summer vine called field dodder can be found draped like orange Silly String over vegetation at the bottom of the bowl in the eastern prairie.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove (7/23): Our scout used the terms “a resounding go” and a “Wow!” to describe this week’s glorious display. This prairie may be small, but it’s rich in blooms. Walk slowly to absorb the special moments. The stars of this week’s show are the ever-present displays of rattlesnake master, wild bergamot, and yellow coneflower. You’ll also find wild quinine, false sunflower, early goldenrod, rosinweed, and the start of prairie blazing star. Notice the wondrous foliage of prairie dock and compass plant that glow a bright green in the low sun. See Photo Section for a picture of the leaves.
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin (7/21): In the open prairie, there are many flowers currently blooming in nice densities: yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, purple prairie clover, wild quinine, and the show-stopping marsh blazing star. Many other flowers add to the experience, including hoary vervain, black-eyed Susan, false sunflower, rosinweed, and compass plant in the prairie, with prairie loosestrife and spotted Joe-Pye weed in the wetter areas. In the savanna, look for bottlebrush grass and the skyward white-flowered pale Indian plantain. A plant that’s almost as tall, called sweet Joe-Pye weed, is about to show its pink flowers. NOTE: Consider checking out nearby Shoe Factory Road Prairie.
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (7/24): At this moment, there are several species blooming under the sun, most prominently rattlesnake master and purple prairie clover. Among the many co-stars are butterfly weed, black-eyed Susan, mountain mint, Culver’s root, rosinweed, prairie sundrop, early goldenrod, wild quinine, climbing wild rose, purple milkweed, swamp milkweed, and newly blooming compass plant. And don’t forget to appreciate the beautiful foliage of prairie dock, compass plant, and prairie dropseed. Walk through the woodland to see bottlebrush grass, the blue American bellflower, the white skybound blooms of pale Indian plantain, and the newly blooming sweet Joe-Pye weed.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There is construction on Dundee Road east of Waukegan Road, but you can still drive around the “Detour” barricade because it’s open to local traffic. The preserve entrance is located on the left side about 500 feet beyond the barricade. Due to the construction, Google Maps instructs you to park on Ferndale. Ignore it! Park in the main lot, or use the alternate parking location found on our web page for this preserve.
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (7/25): This preserve offers a varied terrain and a mix of habitats that bring interest and an added dimension to your visit, even if there weren’t any blooms. But there are! The black oak savanna is in full of color as the orange blossoms of butterfly weed reach peak color. Black-eyed Susan adds splashes of gold. And flowering spurge, with its delicate sprays of tiny white flowers, is beginning to bloom in the savanna and the sand prairie. You’ll also find marsh phlox and common milkweed.
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (7/23): This summer prairie offers many different blooms, the most prolific being rattlesnake master, Culver’s root, wild quinine. Mixed in are blooms of yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, and the newly emerging prairie blazing star. You’ll also find blooms of compass plant, marsh phlox, rosinweed, and flowering spurge alongside grand leaves of prairie dock. Under the trees of the savanna, you’ll find bottlebrush grass and the soon-to-bloom sweet Joe-Pye weed. NOTE: Theodore Stone Preserve and Spears Woods are located close by.
Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest (7/24): Many plants are blooming to create colorful vistas, including a prairie full of rattlesnake master, wild bergamot, cup plant, yellow coneflower, along with the towering sawtooth sunflower and pale Indian plantain. In the wet spots, look for the gorgeous pink blooms of swamp milkweed and the spectacular purple spikes of pickerel weed.
Gensburg-Markham Prairie in Markham (7/24): After entering the gate with the “dummy lock” (see preserve page for details), take the trail that goes off to the left. After just a few seconds, you’ll find a delicate display of prairie dock foliage mixed with low grasses and marsh phlox, followed by dense stands of rattlesnake master that combine with wild quinine, black-eyed Susan, and more marsh phlox. New blooms of marsh blazing star and early goldenrod elevate the color to a higher level, As you hike around, you’ll see blooms of rosinweed and its cousin compass plant, along with a tall forest of the white-flowered pale Indian plantain about two hundred feet from the trail. If you like to smell stuff. then this is the a good week for you. Stick your nose into the fragrant flowers of yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, and purple prairie clover. The rarer white prairie clover is also present, but I’ve never tried to smell it. If you do, please let me know what you learn.
Shoe Factory Road Prairie in Hoffman Estates (7/20): This is a very small preserve with short trails that will quickly take you to the best flower shows. The most exciting blooms currently come from purple prairie clover at the official site inside by the fence. But the bigger prairie outside the fence seems to be stealing the show with beautiful scenes of rattlesnake master and displays of Culver’s root, rosinweed, yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, the cauliflower-headed wild quinine, and the beginnings of the fabulous prairie blazing star. NOTE: Consider visiting Bluff Spring Fen while you’re here. It’s roughly in the neighborhood.
Theodore Stone Preserve in Hogkins (unscouted): Last week when I scouted this preserve, the mesic prairie in the western half of the preserve was a “Go.” And I predict that it’s looking even better, right now, given that early goldenrod and mountain mint are blooming more fully. The preserve is located quite close to Spears Woods and Wolf Road Prairie, which are both on our “Go” list. Most of the floral color comes from nice amounts of wild bergamot, yellow coneflower, and rattlesnake master. You’ll also find wild quinine, butterfly weed, and false sunflower scattered about.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
None. How wonderful that so many preserves are a “Go!” this week!
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT:
This is a category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park: This superb sand savanna is home to many flowers. Look for flowering spurge and partridge pea.
Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie in Chicago: This high-quality preserve is located inside the city of Chicago.
Miller Woods at Indiana Dunes National Park: We’re looking for a scout to regularly visit this big, beautiful preserve. Let us know if you’re interested.
Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin: This prairie-by-the-lake offers cooler temperatures during the hot summer months. Let us know what you find!
COMING SOON: FLOWERING SPURGE, PARTRIDGE PEA, A FULLER BLOOM OF BLAZING STAR, SWEET JOE-PYE WEED
PLANTS OF THE WEEK: WILD BERGAMOT & YELLOW CONEFLOWER
“Lavender in color and mint in fragrance” describes wild bergamot. “Whimsical with an aroma of anise” describes yellow coneflower. Wild bergamot gets its name from a scent that resembles oranges that grow in Bergamot, Italy. Both of our “Plants of the Week” are native to the prairie, and both are healers. And this is why I grouped them together, this week. Known as pioneer species, they are among the first plants to colonize disturbed or degraded areas. Their presence improves soil quality while allowing other plants to move in, leading to greater biodiversity. You can find these plants at many preserves across our region, but also in roadside ditches where they share space with invaders like tease, reed canary grass, and giant reed (phragmites). Therefore, it shouldn’t be assumed that wild bergamot and yellow coneflower are indicative of a high quality habitat. If you find them dominating large portions of a preserve, then the site lacks biodiversity and is in need of restoration.*
PHOTO SECTION
Prairie Blazing Star and Marsh Blazing Star Have Begun Their Flamboyant Bloom!
In July, prairie blazing star and rosinweed bloom side-by-side at Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove, Illinois. You can also find prairie or marsh blazing star at Spears Woods, Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Bluff Spring Fen, Wolf Road Prairie, and many other prairies on our list.*
Rattlesnake Master
Rattlesnake master is a wonderful Chicago prairie flower that looks resembles Tinker Toys or molecular structures, or something you might find in Arizona or Texas. The plant gets its name because some Native Americans brewed a tea from the root as an antidote for rattlesnake venom. To prevent bites, some chewed on the root, then spat on their hands before handling a rattlesnake. Of course, I’m interested to know if this really works. What’s more, the research may not even require a flight to the desert. That’s because, believe it or not, the rare and endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake lives right here in the Chicago area. So, if you perform the experiment, please get back to me with the results, either you or next of kin. To experience rattlesnake master, visit Belmont Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Wolf Road Prairie, Fermilab Prairie, Gensburg Markham Prairie, Kickapoo Woods and Prairie, Spears Woods, Theodore Stone Preserve, and other local prairies over the next few weeks.*
Butterfly Weed (or Butterfly Milkweed)
Here at Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove, the bright orange flowers of butterfly weed makes a colorful statement. The best display can be found at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion.*
Purple Prairie Clover and It’s Remarkably Fresh Scent
The flowers of purple prairie clover emanate my favorite (nice) smell in Chicago nature, giving off the fresh scent of carrots and lemon. Here, a bee flies over to purple prairie clover at Bluff Spring Fen Nature Preserve in Elgin, Illinois. You can also find it at Bluff Spring Fen, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, Wolf Road Prairie, Gensburg-Markham Prairie., Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and others.*
Mountain Mint
Inhale the invigorating white flowers of mountain mint that grow here at Spears Woods and at many other preserves on our list.*
Compass Plant
The golden flowers of compass plant is now blooming atop a stalk that reaches for the sky.*
The Wonderfully Large Leaves of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock
These are the large leaves of the prairie’s most iconic plants. The heart-shaped leaf is that of prairie dock, and the long-lobed leaf is from a cousin called compass plant.*
American Lotus at Tomahawk Slough
American Lotus at Tomahawk Slough in Willow Springs, Illinois.
Tomahawk Slough in Willow Springs, Illinois is teeming with the grand American lotus. You an reach the wetland by first parking at the far end of Pulaski Woods parking lot and then walking a short distance along the trails.
Spears Woods
In late July at Spears Woods, wildflowers float above the prairie like musical notes in a symphony of color and texture.*
Prairie blazing star and wild quinine light up the prairie at Spears Woods in Willow Springs, Illinois.*
In the open woodland at Spears Woods in Willow Springs, Illinois, summer brings tall blooms of sweet Joe-Pye weed. As of this post, they are just starting bloom.*
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve
Butterfly milkweed (or butterfly weed) is now blooming in the black oak savanna at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, Illinois. And you can find it at many other preserves in the region, including Belmont Prairie, Powderhorn Prairie, and Somme Prairie Grove.*
The Dead River, at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, is the only remaining river in Illinois that flows into Lake Michigan. The name comes either from deep pools of quicksand hidden along the banks that devour unsuspecting hikers or from water that remains still and barely flows. On this sapphire morning, the latter was true.*
Somme Prairie Grove
Here, at Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois, we see the large, deeply lobed leaf of compass plant among a sea of purple prairie clover.*
Purple prairie clover and mountain mint steal the show in this area of Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois.*
Bluff Spring Fen
Blazing star blooms at the seep of the fen at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin, Illinois.*
This is a view that’s forming in the prairie at Bluff Spring Fen. Just as blooms of leadplant and coreopsis fade, purple prairie clover rises to take their place.*
Soon after entering Bluff Spring Fen, you’ll find yourself in an intimate oak savanna, where majestic bur oaks with outstretched limbs protect you in their nurturing embrace.*
Wolf Road Prairie
This image is fairly representative of what you’d see at Wolf Road Prairie, but every plant shown is currently blooming except for the tall purple spikes of prairie blazing star.*
In July at Wolf Road Prairie, wildflowers combine to resemble a fireworks display.*
Wolf Road Prairie puts on a lesson in biodiversity. Pictured are prairie blazing star, wild quinine, rattlesnake master, flowering spurge, Culver’s root, rosinweed, and yellow coneflower.*
Culver’s root can often bloom en masse at Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester, Illinois.*
Gensburg-Markham Prairie
The summer sun goes down on wild quinine and marsh phlox as nonstop tollway traffic rolls past its eastern border. Each hour of each day, people drive by, unaware of the natural treasures they’d discover by taking the West 159th Street exit.*
Theodore Stone Preserve
Yellow coneflowers bloom in the mesic prairie in the western half of Theodore Stone Preserve in Hodgkins, Illinois.*
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that poetically celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike
Chicago Wildflower Report & Info – 07/18/2019
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
July 18, 2019
“Weekly Wildflower Reports Featuring
Chicago’s Best Weekend Getaways & Nature Trips”
Plan the Best Outdoor Getaways Around Chicago!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
SHARE YOUR LOVE OF NATURE BY BECOMING A NATURE SCOUT! Each week, we help your neighbors find peace. Lean about becoming a nature scout.
WILDFLOWER HIGHLIGHTS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR OUTDOOR WEEKEND GETAWAY IN CHICAGO NATURE:
This is an extraordinary week to see Chicago’s wildflowers. So many of our featured preserves are putting on colorful shows. The floral star, and our Plant of the Week, is rattlesnake master because this unusual plant shows up so prominently and so often at our showcase preserves. You can experience its molecular-shaped flower heads at Spears Woods, Belmont Prairie, Gensburg-Markham Prairie, and more. See preserves below. Butterfly weed is flowering strongly throughout the black oak savanna at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. And the miraculous melting flowers of Ohio spiderwort can still be found in the cooler, northern preserves. However, to see spiderwort’s blooms, don’t sleep in. The blue flower only opens for a few hours before it begins to turn into a purple liquid! Learn when to see this flower in the caption under the Photo Section. This is also the perfect time to experience large displays of wild bergamot at Theodore Stone Preserve and many more sites across the region. The flowers and leaves have a wonderful minty fragrance. Check out the the anise scented yellow coneflower, also found at many of our local preserves. And while you’re still smelling the flowers, you may still find pasture rose blooming at your feet. However, to experience its intoxicating fragrance, you’ll have to drop to your knees and push your nose into the flower. On a personal note, I recently bent down to smell the blossom when I scouted Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, last week. As my nose reached the petals, I felt a sting beneath my lower lip. Poison ivy! In over twenty-five years photographing Chicago nature, this is the first time I’ve come into contact with it. And it isn’t because I try to avoid it. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I could identify it. To remove the irritating oils that cause the body to overreact with a rash, I applied a product called TecNu that I purchased at the pharmacy near the entrance of the park. As of this writing, there’s just a little bit of blistering, probably because I decided to finish my scouting mission before applying the antidote. I made a rash decision.
PRESERVES TO VISIT THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best or “Go!” The “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section is for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a special “Preserves for You to Scout” section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore! The date within the parentheses tell you when we last scouted the preserve.
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (7/15): This preserves tops our list for the week. The varied terrain and mix of habitats will provide added dimension and interest to your visit, even if there weren’t any blooms. But there are! The black oak savanna is in full of color with the orange blossoms of butterfly weed. You’ll also find a good amount of spiderwort, pasture rose. common milkweed, short green milkweed, the start of flowering spurge, and the end of porcupine grass.
Spears Woods in Willow Spring (7/15): I love the preserve’s beautiful rolling prairie. And this week’s star is rattlesnake master, which is flowering in great densities at several places. But there are many co-stars: wild quinine, early goldenrod, mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, wild bergamot, and rosinweed. I was delighted to find a couple of Michigan lilies. And a parasitic summer vine called field dodder can be found draped like orange Silly String over vegetation at the bottom of the bowl in the eastern prairie.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove (7/16): This is a tiny preserve with a beautiful feel to it. Again, the star of this week’s show is rattlesnake master with dense stands of plants presenting their white Tinker-Toy flower heads. You’ll also find butterfly weed, wild quinine, false sunflower, wild bergamot, and yellow coneflower. I particularly like the nodding tassels of prairie brome that frolic between the forbs. And look for the spectacular foliage of prairie dock and compass plant that glow a bright green in the low sun. See Photo Section for a picture of the leaves.
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin (7/16): There are many flowers currently blooming in great densities: yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, purple prairie clover, wild quinine, and purple prairie clover. But there’s a large supporting cast in this week’s display: butterfly weed, common milkweed, spotted Joe-Pye weed, black-eyed Susan, blue vervain, Michigan lily, false sunflower, daisy fleabane, and compass plant. NOTE: Consider checking out nearby Shoe Factory Road Prairie.
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (7/15): At this moment, there are several species in bloom, most prominently rattlesnake master, leadplant, and purple prairie clover. Among the co-stars are butterfly weed, black-eyed Susan, mountain mint, prairie sundrop, early goldenrod, wild quinine, white wild indigo, climbing wild rose, the beautiful purple milkweed, and newly blooming compass plant. And don’t forget to appreciate the beautiful foliage of prairie dock, compass plant, and prairie dropseed.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There is construction on Dundee Road east of Waukegan Road, but you can still drive around the “Detour” barricade because it’s open to local traffic. The preserve entrance is located on the left side about 500 feet beyond the barricade. Due to the construction, Google Maps instructs you to park on Ferndale. Ignore it! Park in the main lot, or use the alternate parking location found on our web page for this preserve.
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (7/17): This summer prairie offers many different blooms, the most prolific being yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, Culver’s root, rattlesnake master, and wild quinine. You’ll also find new blooms of St. John’s wort, compass plant, marsh phlox, rosinweed, and flowering spurge alongside grand leaves of prairie dock. NOTE: Theodore Stone Preserve and Spears Woods are located close by.
Gensburg-Markham Prairie in Markham (7/15): After entering the gate with the “dummy lock” (see preserve page for details), take the trail that goes off to the left. After just a few seconds, you’ll find a delicate display of prairie dock foliage mixed with low grasses, followed by dense stands of rattlesnake master that combine with wild quinine, black-eyed Susan, and marsh phlox. If you look around, you may even find a beautiful Michigan lily. (See picture in Photo Section.) If you like to smell stuff. this is the week for that. As you hike around, stick your nose into the fragrant flowers of yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, and common milkweed.
Shoe Factory Road Prairie in Hoffman Estates (7/15): This is a very small preserve with short trails that will quickly take you to the best flower shows. The most exciting blooms currently come from purple prairie clover, leadplant, and rattlesnake master, the latter offering a grand display in the big prairie south of the fence. You’ll also see prairie coreopsis, rosinweed, yellow coneflower, and wild bergamot. Flat-topped cauliflower heads of wild quinine add touches of pearl to the vast floral array. NOTE: Consider visiting Bluff Spring Fen while you’re here. It’s roughly in the neighborhood.
Theodore Stone Preserve in Hogkins (7/15): This preserve is a “Go!” for the mesic prairie in the western half of the preserve. Most of the floral color comes from nice amounts of wild bergamot, yellow coneflower, and rattlesnake master. You’ll also find wild quinine, butterfly weed, and false sunflower scattered about. Early goldenrod and mountain mint are just starting to add their highlights to the landscape. NOTE: Spears Woods and Wolf Road Prairie are located close by.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
None. How wonderful that so many preserves are a “Go!” this week!
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT:
This is a category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie in Chicago: This high-quality preserve is located inside the city of Chicago.
Miller Woods at Indiana Dunes National Park: We’re looking for a scout to regularly visit this big, beautiful preserve. Let us know if you’re interested.
Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin: This prairie-by-the-lake offers cooler temperatures during the hot summer months. Let us know what you find!
COMING NEXT WEEK: PRAIRIE BLAZING STAR
PLANT OF THE WEEK: RATTLESNAKE MASTER
Rattlesnake master is a wonderful Chicago prairie flower that looks resembles Tinker Toys or molecular structures, or something you might find in Arizona or Texas. The plant gets its name because some Native Americans brewed a tea from the root as an antidote for rattlesnake venom. To prevent bites, some chewed on the root, then spat on their hands before handling a rattlesnake. Of course, I’m interested to know if this really works. What’s more, the research may not even require a flight to the desert. That’s because, believe it or not, the rare and endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake lives right here in the Chicago area. So, if you perform the experiment, please get back to me with the results, either you or next of kin. To experience rattlesnake master, visit Belmont Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Wolf Road Prairie, Fermilab Prairie, Gensburg Markham Prairie, Kickapoo Woods and Prairie, Spears Woods, Theodore Stone Preserve, and other local prairies over the next few weeks.*
PHOTO SECTION
Butterfly Weed (or Butterfly Milkweed)
Here at Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove, the bright orange flowers of butterfly weed makes a colorful statement. The best display can be found at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion.*
Michigan Lily
Michigan lily can be found at a handful of our showcase preserves, including Spears Woods and Wolf Road Prairie.*
Compass Plant
The golden flowers of compass plant is now blooming atop a stalk that reaches for the sky.*
Pasture Rose
Pasture Rose grows here in the sand prairie at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. And you can also find it at Bluff Spring Fen and Pembroke Savanna. The fragrance of pasture rose is transcendent—a spiritual experience. Over several weeks in late spring, it blooms barely inches from the ground. During that time, whenever we’re together, I partake in a sacred ritual. I drop to my knees and bow in reverence, nose to petal.*
The Wonderfully Large Leaves of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock
These are the large leaves of the prairie’s most iconic plants. The heart-shaped leaf is that of prairie dock, and the long-lobed leaf is from a cousin called compass plant.*
Ohio Spiderwort
Each morning, Ohio spiderwort opens a new bud or two that only last a few hours before turning into a purple liquid. This process can repeat for more than a month. The flowers do not open based on the clock, but they do like the sunlight. The process is also affected by temperature. On warmer mornings, the buds can begin opening before sunrise. On cooler mornings, you may not see many flowers until an hour or longer after sunrise. Then, eventually, the blooms will close up. From my observations, if you visit between 7:30 and 11:00 am, you should find all of the flowers in bloom, though they can last into the afternoon on cool, cloudy days. Right now, you can still find spiderwort blooming at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve.
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve
Butterfly milkweed (or butterfly weed) is now blooming in the black oak savanna at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, Illinois. And you can find it at many other preserves in the region, including Belmont Prairie, Powderhorn Prairie, and Somme Prairie Grove.*
Near the Lake Michigan shore at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, the low light of morning revealed shapes in the sand that chronicled the secrets of time and affirmed the existence of wondrous creatures and invisible forces.*
A common snapping turtle trudges through the sandy Lake Michigan shoreline on its way to the Dead River at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, Illinois.*
The Dead River, at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, is the only remaining river in Illinois that flows into Lake Michigan. The name comes either from deep pools of quicksand hidden along the banks that devour unsuspecting hikers or from water that remains still and barely flows. On this sapphire morning, the latter was true.*
Somme Prairie Grove
The purple plant in this panorama is leadplant, which can search for water fifteen feet below the arid surface. Other drought-tolerant species seen here include prairie dropseed and wild quinine, in the front; and farther out, prairie dock, compass plant, and rattlesnake master.*
Here, at Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois, we see the large, deeply lobed leaf of compass plant among a sea of purple prairie clover.*
Bluff Spring Fen
“Lavender in color and mint in fragrance” describes wild bergamot. “Whimsical with an aroma of anise” describes yellow coneflower. Both are native to the prairie, and both are healers. Known as pioneer species, they are among the first plants to colonize disturbed or degraded areas. Their presence improves soil quality while allowing other plants to move in, leading to greater biodiversity.*
Wolf Road Prairie
In July at Wolf Road Prairie, wildflowers combine to resemble a fireworks display.*
Culver’s root blooms en masse at Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester, Illinois.*
Theodore Stone Preserve
Yellow coneflowers bloom in the mesic prairie in the western half of Theodore Stone Preserve in Hodgkins, Illinois.*
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that poetically celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike
Chicago Wildflower Report & Info – 07/11/2019
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
July 11, 2019
“Weekly Wildflower Reports Featuring
Chicago’s Best Wildflower Walks & Outdoor Getaways”
Plan the Best Outdoor Weekend Getaway in Chicago!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
SHARE YOUR JOY FOR NATURE BY BECOMING A NATURE SCOUT! Each week, we help our neighbors find peace. Lean about becoming a nature scout.
WILDFLOWER HIGHLIGHTS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR OUTDOOR WEEKEND GETAWAY IN CHICAGO NATURE:
The floral star and our Plant of the Week is the beautiful orange butterfly weed. The best shows can be found at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve and Miller Woods. A beautiful display of rattlesnake master is taking place at Belmont Prairie and in the prairie just outside the fence around Shoe Factory Road Prairie. The golden blossoms of prairie coreopsis is quite prolific at Shoe Factory Road Prairie, though they’re past their prime. The miraculous melting flowers of Ohio spiderwort can still be found in the cooler, northern preserves. However, to see spiderwort’s blooms, don’t sleep in. The blue flower only opens for a few hours before it begins to turn into a purple liquid! Learn when to see this flower in the caption under the Photo Section. This week, you can also find nice expanses of the now-fading pale purple coneflower at Bluff Spring Fen and Belmont Prairie. The unexpected eastern prickly pear cactus may still be found blooming at Miller Woods and other sandy preserves including Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve.
To experience a most intoxicating fragrance, you’ll have to drop to your knees to inhale the scent of pasture rose. On a personal note, I bent down to smell the pink blossom when I scouted Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, this week. As my nose reached the petals, I felt a sting beneath my lower lip. Poison ivy! In over twenty-five years photographing Chicago nature, this is the first time I’ve come into contact with it. And it isn’t because I try to avoid it. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I could identify it. To remove the irritating oils that cause the body to overreact with a rash, I applied a product called TecNu that I purchased at the pharmacy near the entrance of the park. As of this writing, there’s just a little bit of blistering, probably because I decided to finish my scouting mission before applying the antidote. I made a rash decision.
PRESERVES TO VISIT THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best or “Go!” The “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section is for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a special “Preserves for You to Scout” section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore! The date within the parentheses tell you when we last scouted the preserve.
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (7/9): The black oak savanna is full of color with the orange blossoms of butterfly weed starting its prolific run. You’ll also find lots of spiderwort, hairy puccoon, downy phlox, pasture rose. common milkweed, short green milkweed, the start of flowering spurge, and the finish of porcupine grass. We’re still a little early for prickly pear cactus flowers. And look for the sublime red prairie lily.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove (7/11): This is a tiny preserve with a beautiful feel to it. The star of this week’s show is rattlesnake master with dense stands of plants presenting their white Tinker-Toy flower heads. You also find the fading blooms of pale purple coneflower alongside new blooms of butterfly weed, wild quinine, and false sunflower. I particularly like the whimsical nodding tassels of prairie brome that frolic between the forbs. And look for the spectacular foliage of prairie dock and compass plant that glow a bright green in the low sun. See Photo Section for a picture of the leaves.
Miller Woods (at Paul H. Douglas Environmental Center for Education) in Indiana Dunes National Park (7/11 phone report from park ranger): We need scouts to cover this rich Indiana preserve. Lean about becoming a nature scout. According to a report from a ranger at the educational center, there are many flowers to see along your walk. The most prominent blooms come from orange butterfly weed, golden black-eyed Susan and hairy puccoon, plus pink pasture rose and downy phlox. There’s much to explore at Miller Woods. You can make a day of it, especially when there are other places in the park to visit. Check in at the visitor center at Miller Woods for guidance. After your hike, consider checking out Tolleston Dunes.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Shoe Factory Road Prairie in Hoffman Estates (7/10): This is a very small preserve with short trails that will quickly take you to the best flower shows. The most exciting blooms come from prairie coreopsis and wild quinine, though the former is now fading. You’ll also find the beginnings of common milkweed and leadplant. Dense stands of rattlesnake master can be found in the prairie located beyond the fence at the base of the southern hill. NOTE: Consider visiting Bluff Spring Fen while you’re here. It’s roughly in the neighborhood.
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (7/9): There are many species in bloom, but not in great prominence. At the moment, we’re still waiting for the grand show of leadplant. Until then, you’ll find spiderwort, daisy fleabane, black-eyed Susan, New Jersey tea, white wild indigo, foxglove beardtongue, prairie phlox, prairie sundrop, and wild quinine. The orange sprays of butterfly weed are sprinkled throughout the sunny areas. And I can’t forget mentioning the beautiful foliage of prairie dock, compass plant, and prairie dropseed. NOTE: Even though there is construction on Dundee Road east of Waukegan Road, you can still drive around the “Detour” barricade because it’s open to local traffic. The preserve entrance is located on the left side about 500 feet beyond the barricade. Due to the construction, Google Maps instructs you to park on Ferndale. Ignore it! Park in the main lot, or use the alternate parking location found on our web page for this preserve.
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin (7/9): Right now, there is no big bloom, except for the expanse of fading pale purple coneflowers by the “switchback kame” in the northeast section. Still, there is a mix of flowers to see along your stroll, including butterfly weed, wild quinine, pasture rose, common milkweed, and the beginnings of wild bergamot, yellow coneflower, spotted Joe-Pye weed, and leadplant . NOTE: Consider checking out nearby Shoe Factory Road Prairie.
Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin (7/9): There isn’t big show featuring any big stars, but there is some decent color that comes from a number of flowering plants. The pink marsh phlox and the golden black-eyed Susan are probably the most prominent blooms. Spiderwort is still putting out new flowers each day, but some have reached their limit for the season. On my visit, I also saw the blossoms of shrubby cinquefoil and pale-spiked lobelia. Ubiquitous grasses, sedges, and ferns give the prairie a rich texture.
Gensburg-Markham Prairie in Markham (unscouted): Normally at this time, there are widespread blooms of rattlesnake master and wild quinine combined with marsh phlox. If you visit, please let us know if I’m correct.
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT:
This is a category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Kickapoo Prairie in Riverdale: Tell us what’s going on at this beautiful south-side prairie.
Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie in Chicago: This high-quality preserve is located inside the city of Chicago.
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park: This black oak savanna is one of the rarest habitats on planet earth. No kidding! Scout for goat’s rue, leadplant, flowering spurge, etc.
Miller Woods at Indiana Dunes National Park: We’re looking for a scout to regularly visit this big, beautiful preserve. Let us know if you’re interested.
Gensburg-Markham Prairie in Markham: There should be wide-spread blooms rattlesnake master and wild quinine combined with marsh phlox.
COMING NEXT WEEK: LEADPLANT, WILD BERGAMOT, and MORE!
PLANT OF THE WEEK: BUTTERFLY WEED (MILKWEED)
Butterfly Weed (or Butterfly Milkweed)
Here at Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove, the bright orange flowers of butterfly weed makes a colorful statement.*
PHOTO SECTION
Rattlesnake Master
Rattlesnake master is a wonderful Chicago prairie flower that looks resembles Tinker Toys or molecular structures, or something you might find in Arizona or Texas. To experience rattlesnake master, visit Belmont Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Wolf Road Prairie, Fermilab Prairie, Gensburg Markham Prairie, Kickapoo Woods and Prairie, Spears Woods, Theodore Stone Preserve, and other local prairies over the next few weeks.*
Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus
Eastern prickly pear cactus blooms can be found in late June in sandy preserves around the Chicago area, including Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Miller Woods, Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie, and Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve.*
Pasture Rose
Pasture Rose grows here in the sand prairie at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. And you can also find it at Bluff Spring Fen and Pembroke Savanna. The fragrance of pasture rose is transcendent—a spiritual experience. Over several weeks in late spring, it blooms barely inches from the ground. During that time, whenever we’re together, I partake in a sacred ritual. I drop to my knees and bow in reverence, nose to petal.*
The Wonderfully Large Leaves of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock
These are the large leaves of the prairie’s most iconic plants. The heart-shaped leaf is that of prairie dock, and the long-lobed leaf is from a cousin called compass plant.
Ohio Spiderwort
Each morning, Ohio spiderwort opens a new bud or two that only last a few hours before turning into a purple liquid. This process can repeat for more than a month. The flowers do not open based on the clock, but they do like the sunlight. The process is also affected by temperature. On warmer mornings, the buds can begin opening before sunrise. On cooler mornings, you may not see many flowers until an hour or longer after sunrise. Then, eventually, the blooms will close up. From my observations, if you visit between 7:30 and 10:00 am, you should find all of the flowers in bloom, though they can last into the afternoon on cool, cloudy days. You can find spiderwort, right now, at Belmont Prairie, Bluff Spring Fen, Pembroke Savanna, Powderhorn Prairie, Miller Woods, Middlefork Savanna, Wolf Road Prairie, and more.
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve
Butterfly milkweed (or butterfly weed) is now blooming in the black oak savanna at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, Illinois. And you can find it at many other preserves in the region, including Belmont Prairie, Powderhorn Prairie, and Somme Prairie Grove.*
Near the Lake Michigan shore at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, the low light of morning revealed shapes in the sand that chronicled the secrets of time and affirmed the existence of wondrous creatures and invisible forces.*
A common snapping turtle trudges through the sandy Lake Michigan shoreline on its way to the Dead River at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, Illinois.*
The Dead River, at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, is the only remaining river in Illinois that flows into Lake Michigan. The name comes either from deep pools of quicksand hidden along the banks that devour unsuspecting hikers or from water that remains still and barely flows. On this sapphire morning, the latter was true.*
Gensburg-Markham Prairie May Look Like This, Right Now
We weren’t able to scout this preserve, this week. But this is the time when you should find large expanses of wild quinine sometimes combined with marsh phlox *
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that poetically celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike
Chicago Wildflower Report & Info – 07/3/2019 (4th of July Edition)
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
July 3, 2019
(4th of July Edition)
“Weekly Wildflower Reports with
Chicago’s 4th of July Wildflower Walks & Outdoor Outings”
Plan Your 4th of July Weekend Wildflower Walk!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
BECOME ONE OUR PRESTIGIOUS NATURE SCOUTS! Each week, we cover up to 5,000 square miles to bring beauty, peace, and hope to Chicago-area residents. Lean about becoming a nature scout. It’s a rich and rewarding experience.
WILDFLOWER HIGHLIGHTS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR FOURTH OF JULY OUTDOOR OUTING IN CHICAGO NATURE:
Again, the floral star of the week is the miraculous melting flowers of Ohio spiderwort. But if you want to see spiderwort’s blooms, don’t sleep in. The blue flower only opens for a few hours before it begins to turn into a purple liquid! Learn when to see this flower in the caption under the Photo Section. This week, you can also find a beautiful expanse of prairie coreopsis at Shoe Factory Road Prairie. Large areas of pale purple coneflower can be found at Bluff Spring Fen and Belmont Prairie. And butterfly weed is beginning to show its bright orange blooms.
Our Plant of the Week is eastern prickly pear cactus. No, we didn’t scout in Arizona, this week! Chicago has a cactus, and we spotted it last week at Miller Woods. You can find its transcendent yellow blossoms at several other sandy preserves, including Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie, and Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve.
If spiderwort’s melting blooms weren’t weird enough, now you can see a plant called porcupine grass with a seed that drills itself into the soil. Watch a real-time video of the drilling seed under the Photo Section, below. And then there are the pearly blooms of foxglove beardtongue. I love this plant because, in the fall, their seeds smell exactly, and I mean “exactly,” like vomit! In contrast, right now, you can find a most wonderful fragrance by dropping to your knees and inhaling the intoxicating scent of the sublime pasture rose.
PRESERVES TO VISIT THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best or “Go!” The “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section is for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a special “Preserves for You to Scout” section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore! The date within the parentheses tell you when we last scouted the preserve.
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Miller Woods (at Paul H. Douglas Environmental Center for Education) in Indiana Dunes National Park (7/3 phone report from ranger): This preserve is a “Go!” if you visit in the morning when spiderwort is in full flower. In the afternoon, we rate it as a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood.” However, there’s a lot to explore, here, and you can make a day of it, especially because there are other places in the park to visit. Check in at the visitor center at Miller Woods for guidance. In addition to spiderwort, golden sprays of hairy puccoon add golden tones to the mix, and downy phlox provides splashes of pink. Along your hike, you’ll also see pasture rose, sand coreopsis, and June grass. Walk the main trail that heads to the lake and you’ll find eastern prickly pear cactus where it gets sandy. And then there are the beavers! See photo and caption below to learn where to find them. After your hike, consider checking out Tolleston Dunes.
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (7/4): The black oak savanna is full of color. Currently you’ll find lots of spiderwort, hairy puccoon, downy phlox, pasture rose. porcupine grass, and the start of a big bloom of butterfly weed. We’re still a little early for prickly pear cactus. And look for the sublime red prairie lily.
Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest (6/30): This preserve is a “Go!” during the morning hours when the great expanse of Ohio spiderwort are in bloom. Also present are the white flowers of foxglove beardtongue. Out in the wetland, look for the dramatic cream-colored blossoms of fragrant water lily.
Shoe Factory Road Prairie in Hoffman Estates (7/1): The most exciting blooms come from prairie coreopsis and wild quinine. Rattlesnake master is also getting its start. You’ll also find the beginnings of common milkweed and leadplant. One your way in, notice the patches of pale purple coneflower on the slope outside the fence. NOTE: Consider visiting Bluff Spring Fen while you’re here. It’s roughly in the neighborhood.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove (7/2): This remnant prairie is a gorgeous little thing. And there are many flowers to appreciate, right now, including pale purple coneflower, scurfy pea, butterfly weed, wild quinine, New Jersey tea, false sunflower, the start of rattlesnake master, the beautiful sprays of porcupine grass and the drooping plumes of prairie brome. When you arrive early, you’ll be treated to blooms of Ohio spiderwort along with the gorgeous leaves of prairie dock and compass plant that glow a bright green in the low sun.
Here is my most profound recommendation for enjoying your time in nature. If the preserve allows, arrive before first light. A morning rendezvous with nature is a magical experience that vastly transcends what’s possible at other times of day. In the early bright, the world expands beyond the usual three dimensions, as the transformation from darkness into light excites more than just the visual sense. As night gives birth to dawn, and the landscape gently turns from azure to gold, the soft and changing light is a spectacle for the eyes. A moist fog or a splash of crisp dew against your skin affirms your existence. The still atmosphere concentrates the fragrances floating in the air and provides a tranquil stage for birds to project their crystal melodies. In the morning, you’ll find all this, along with the promise of a new day.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (7/1): There are many plants in bloom, but not in great prominence. At the moment, the most noticeable flower is foxglove beardtongue. You’ll also find spiderwort, daisy fleabane, black-eyed Susan, New Jersey tea, prairie sundrop, and wild quinine. The flowers of butterfly weed and leadplant are now starting. And I can’t forget mentioning the beautiful foliage of prairie dock, compass plant, and prairie dropseed. NOTE: Even though there is construction on Dundee Road east of Waukegan Road, you can still pass by the “Detour” barricade because it’s open to local traffic. The preserve entrance is located about 500 feet east on the left passed the barricade. Also consider using the alternate parking location mentioned on our web page for this preserve.
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin (unscouted): This is a beautiful preserve and one of my favorites. We weren’t able to get there during this short holiday week, but I think you’ll find it worth the visit as long as you’re nearby. Last week, you would experience a breathtaking show of the gorgeous pink blooms of pale purple coneflower, especially by the “switchback kame” in the northeast section. Also, look for porcupine grass, pasture rose, and the pearly flowers of foxglove beardtongue. NOTE: Consider checking out Shoe Factory Road Prairie. It’s in the same area.
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT:
This is a category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Kickapoo Prairie in Riverdale: Let us know what’s going on at this beautiful south-side prairie.
Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie in Chicago: This high-quality preserve is located inside the city of Chicago.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: EASTERN PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS
What!? Chicago has a cactus? Yes we do!
Eastern prickly pear cactus blooms can be found in late June in sandy preserves around the Chicago area, including Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Miller Woods, Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie, and Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve.*
PHOTO SECTION
Ohio Spiderwort
Each morning, Ohio spiderwort opens a new bud or two that only last a few hours before turning into a purple liquid. This process can repeat for more than a month. The flowers do not open based on the clock, but they do like the sunlight. The process is also affected by temperature. On warmer mornings, the buds can begin opening before sunrise. On cooler mornings, you may not see many flowers until an hour or longer after sunrise. Then, eventually, the blooms will close up. From my observations, if you visit between 7:30 and 10:00 am, you should find all of the flowers in bloom, though they can last into the afternoon on cool, cloudy days. You can find spiderwort, right now, at Belmont Prairie, Bluff Spring Fen, Pembroke Savanna, Powderhorn Prairie, Miller Woods, Middlefork Savanna, Wolf Road Prairie, and more.
Prairie Coreopsis at Shoe Factory Road Prairie
Shoe Factory Road Prairie is a hill prairie. Here, deep-rooted leadplants combine with the happy yellow faces of coreopsis that shine through the dissipating fog.*
Butterfly Weed (or Butterfly Milkweed)
Butterfly milkweed (or butterfly weed) is beginning to bloom in the black oak savanna at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, Illinois. And you can find it at many other preserves in the region, including Belmont Prairie, Powderhorn Prairie, and Somme Prairie Grove.*
Pale Purple Coneflower
In addition to experiencing the prairie as a whole, take a closer look and discover the many attractions that hide in plain sight. Here, within a scene of a thousand coneflowers, I attended a miniature, slow-motion rodeo that was taking place upon one prickly flower head. I watched as a tiny ant rode the back of a slinking inchworm.*
Pale purple coneflowers rise above the prairie at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin.*
Pale purple coneflower is ending its show at Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove.”
Porcupine Grass and it’s Spinning Seed
The seeds of porcupine grass are long sharp needles that fall off the plant and slowly drill themselves into the soil. You can find it Belmont Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Pembroke Savanna, Miller Woods, Bluff Spring Fen, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, and Powderhorn Prairie.
Watch this video to see porcupine grass drill itself into the soil as you watch!
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PORCUPINE GRASS.
Foxglove Beardtongue
Foxglove beardtongue blooms here at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin and at many other preserves in the region. In the fall, the seeds smell EXACTLY like vomit! Ah, be still my heart!*
The Wonderfully Large Leaves of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock
These are the large leaves of the prairie’s most iconic plants. The heart-shaped leaf is that of prairie dock, and the long-lobed leaf is from a cousin called compass plant.
Pasture Rose
Pasture Rose grows here in the sand prairie at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. And you can also find it at Bluff Spring Fen and Pembroke Savanna. The fragrance of pasture rose is transcendent—a spiritual experience. Over several weeks in late spring, it blooms barely inches from the ground. During that time, whenever we’re together, I partake in a sacred ritual. I drop to my knees and bow in reverence, nose to petal.*
Miller Woods
Last week at Miller Woods (Indiana Dunes National Park), spiderwort and ferns cover the side of the dunes. If you like what you see, know that this image is only a tiny sample of what you’ll find.
To possibly see a beaver at Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park, begin by taking the trail that starts at the nature center. Along the way, the trail crosses a wide gravel path that goes straight east-west. Head west, and you’ll find beaver lodges and beaver activity. If you arrive early in the day, chances are you’ll be greeted by a beaver slapping its flat tail against the water to alert others of its kind about that human lurking about. This gravel railroad right-of-way isn’t as intimate as the official narrow trail, but I like the views better. Here, we see that the beavers created this dark thoroughfare as they moved across the trail from one swale to another.*
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve
Near the Lake Michigan shore at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, the low light of morning revealed shapes in the sand that chronicled the secrets of time and affirmed the existence of wondrous creatures and invisible forces.*
A common snapping turtle trudges through the sandy Lake Michigan shoreline on its way to the Dead River at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, Illinois.*
The Dead River, at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, is the only remaining river in Illinois that flows into Lake Michigan. The name comes either from deep pools of quicksand hidden along the banks that devour unsuspecting hikers or from water that remains still and barely flows. On this sapphire morning, the latter was true.*
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that poetically celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike
Chicago Wildflower Report & Info – 06/27/2019
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
June 27, 2019
“Weekly Wildflower Reports with
Chicago’s Best Wildflower Walks & Outdoor Outings”
Plan Your Weekend Wildflower Walk!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
BECOME A NATURE SCOUT! Each week, we cover up to 5,000 square miles to bring beauty, peace, and hope to Chicago-area residents. Lean about becoming a nature scout. It’s a rich and rewarding experience.
WILDFLOWER HIGHLIGHTS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR WEEKEND OUTDOOR OUTING IN CHICAGO NATURE:
The floral star of the week and, also, the month is the miraculous melting flowers of Ohio spiderwort. But if you want to see spiderwort’s blooms, don’t sleep in. The blue flower only opens for a few hours before it begins to turn into a purple liquid! Learn when to see this flower in the caption under the Photo Section. This week, you can also find beautiful expanses of sand coreopsis and pale purple coneflower.
Our Plant of the Week is eastern prickly pear cactus. No, we didn’t scout in Arizona, this week! Chicago has a cactus, and we spotted it the other day at Miller Woods. You can find its transcendent yellow blossoms at several other sandy preserves, including Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie, and Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve.
If spiderwort’s melting blooms weren’t weird enough, now you can see a plant called porcupine grass with a seed that drills itself into the soil. Watch a real-time video of the drilling seed under the Photo Section, below. And then there are the pearly blooms of foxglove beardtongue. I love this plant because, in the fall, their seeds smell exactly, and I mean “exactly,” like vomit! In contrast, right now, you can find a most wonderful fragrance by dropping to your knees and inhaling the intoxicating scent of the sublime pasture rose.
I visited Miller Woods on Wednesday morning (6/26), and the spiderwort was spectacular! The show rivals the breathtaking display of wild lupine from late May. In other words, you should not miss this experience. The oak-covered dunes take on a faint purple hue of the spiderwort with highlights of golden hairy puccoon sprinkled about. You can see spiderwort at several preserves around the region, including Belmont Prairie (6/26), Wolf Road Prairie (6/25), Bluff Spring Fen (6/25), Fermilab Prairie, Powderhorn Prairie, Paul H. Douglas Trail, Chiwaukee Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve (6/26), and Pembroke Savanna (6/20). Experience the magnificent vastitude of sand coreopsis at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve (6/26). See pictures in Photo Section. A wondrous expanse of pale purple coneflower is yours at Bluff Spring Fen (6/25). And finally, porcupine grass can be found at Belmont Prairie (6/26), Illinois Beach Nature Preserve (6/26), Pembroke Savanna (6/20), and Powderhorn Prairie. A wondrous expanse of pale purple coneflower is yours at Bluff Spring Fen (6/25).
PRESERVES TO VISIT THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best or “Go!” The “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section is for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a special “Preserves for You to Scout” section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore! The date within the parentheses tell you when we last scouted the preserve.
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Miller Woods (at Paul H. Douglas Environmental Center for Education) in Indiana Dunes National Park (6/26): Wow! The spiderwort will blow your mind, here. It’s everywhere, turning the dune-sides a faint shade of blue. Golden sprays of hairy puccoon, adds golden tones to the mix, and downy phlox provides splashes of pink. Along your hike, you’ll also see two-flowered Cynthia, pasture rose, sand coreopsis, and June grass. Walk the main trail that heads to the lake and you’ll find prickly pear cactus where it gets sandy. And then there are the beavers! See photo and caption below to learn where to find them. After your hike, consider checking out Tolleston Dunes.
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin (6/25): The breathtaking show of the gorgeous pink blooms of pale purple coneflower is still happening, especially by the “switchback kame” in the northeast section. Also, look for porcupine grass, pasture rose, and the pearly flowers of foxglove beardtongue.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove (6/26): To appreciate the full color and texture of this prairie requires that you arrive in the morning before the purple blossoms of spiderwort melts away. Playing the starring role, this week, is pale purple coneflower, supported by textured sprays of porcupine grass and colorful blooms of scurfy pea and spiderwort. Learn about spiderwort’s miraculous melting flowers. When you arrive early, you’ll be treated to the gorgeous leaves of prairie dock and compass plant that glow a bright green in the low sun.
Here is my most profound recommendation for enjoying your time in nature. If the preserve allows, arrive before first light. A morning rendezvous with nature is a magical experience that vastly transcends what’s possible at other times of day. In the early bright, the world expands beyond the usual three dimensions, as the transformation from darkness into light excites more than just the visual sense. As night gives birth to dawn, and the landscape gently turns from azure to gold, the soft and changing light is a spectacle for the eyes. A moist fog or a splash of crisp dew against your skin affirms your existence. The still atmosphere concentrates the fragrances floating in the air and provides a tranquil stage for birds to project their crystal melodies. In the morning, you’ll find all this, along with the promise of a new day.
Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest (6/25): This preserve is a “Go!” during the morning hours when the great expanse of Ohio spiderwort are in bloom. Also present are the white flowers of foxglove beardtongue and purple meadow rue. And, finally, the wetland blossoms of fragrant water lily are beginning their bloom.
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park (6/20): If you want to see spiderwort, this is a great spot to see it. It’s almost everywhere! But as stated before, you need to get here early. Joining the spiderwort are daisy fleabane, along with some pasture rose and remaining hairy puccoon. And you’ll also see lots of porcupine grass and, possibly, the white plumes of June grass.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (6/26): This preserve could probably be a “Go,” but the sand coreopsis in the sand prairie (along the Dunes Trail) is fading. While you’re here, look for hairy puccoon, downy phlox, sandwort, pasture rose., and porcupine grass.
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (6/25): At the moment, the most prominent flower is foxglove beardtongue. You’ll find spiderwort, daisy fleabane, blue flag iris, tall plumes of purple meadow rue, along with the start of wild quinine. and black-eyed Susan. And I can’t forget mentioning the beautiful foliage of prairie dock, compass plant, and prairie dropseed. NOTE: Even though there is construction on Dundee Road east of Waukegan Road, you can still pass by the “Detour” barricade because it’s open to local traffic. The preserve entrance is located about 500 feet down on the left. Also consider using the alternate parking location mentioned in our web page for this preserve.
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (6/28):This preserve is only on this week’s list for the morning hours while the Ohio spiderwort is blooming. You might be able to get away with a later time on a cloudy day, but the flowers fade pretty quickly when it’s hot. In the prairie, you’ll also find the tall white plumes of purple meadow rue and the large leaves of prairie dock.
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT:
This is a category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Kickapoo Prairie in Riverdale: Let us know what’s going on at this beautiful south-side prairie.
Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie in Chicago: This high-quality preserve is located inside the city of Chicago.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: EASTERN PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS
What!? Chicago has a cactus? Yes we do!
Eastern prickly pear cactus blooms can be found in late June in sandy preserves around the Chicago area, including Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Miller Woods, Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie, and Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve.*
PHOTO SECTION
Ohio Spiderwort
Each morning, Ohio spiderwort opens a new bud or two that only last a few hours before turning into a purple liquid. This process can repeat for more than a month. The flowers do not open based on the clock, but they do like the sunlight. The process is also affected by temperature. On warmer mornings, the buds can begin opening before sunrise. On cooler mornings, you may not see many flowers until an hour or longer after sunrise. Then, eventually, the blooms will close up. From my observations, if you visit between 7:30 and 10:00 am, you should find all of the flowers in bloom, though they can last into the afternoon on cool, cloudy days. You can find spiderwort, right now, at Belmont Prairie, Bluff Spring Fen, Pembroke Savanna, Powderhorn Prairie, Miller Woods, Middlefork Savanna, Wolf Road Prairie, and more.
At Miller Woods (Indiana Dunes National Park), spiderwort and ferns cover the side of the dunes.
Pale Purple Coneflower is in Full Flower
In addition to experiencing the prairie as a whole, take a closer look and discover the many attractions that hide in plain sight. Here, within a scene of a thousand coneflowers, I attended a miniature, slow-motion rodeo that was taking place upon one prickly flower head. I watched as a tiny ant rode the back of a slinking inchworm.*
Pale purple coneflowers rise above the prairie at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin.*
Pale purple coneflowers are also putting on a show at Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove.”
Sand Coreopsis at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve
The turning earth is the dimmer switch, gradually recasting every dim dewdrop, petal, and blade of grass into a galaxy of blazing bulbs and lustrous lamps. On this morning at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, blooms of golden coreopsis and New Jersey tea are set aglow alongside shimmering spider webs that cling to last year’s grasses.*
Porcupine Grass and it’s Spinning Seed
The seeds of porcupine grass are long sharp needles that fall off the plant and slowly drill themselves into the soil. You can find it Belmont Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Pembroke Savanna, Miller Woods, Bluff Spring Fen, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, and Powderhorn Prairie.
Watch this video to see porcupine grass drill itself into the soil as you watch!
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PORCUPINE GRASS.
Foxglove Beardtongue
In June, foxglove beardtongue blooms here at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin and at many other preserves in the region. In the fall, the seeds smell EXACTLY like vomit! Ah, be still my heart!*
The Wonderfully Large Leaves of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock
These are the large leaves of the prairie’s most iconic plants. The heart-shaped leaf is that of prairie dock, and the long-lobed leaf is from a cousin called compass plant.
Pasture Rose
Pasture Rose grows here in the sand prairie at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. And you can also find it at Bluff Spring Fen and Pembroke Savanna. The fragrance of pasture rose is transcendent—a spiritual experience. Over several weeks in late spring, it blooms barely inches from the ground. During that time, whenever we’re together, I partake in a sacred ritual. I drop to my knees and bow in reverence, nose to petal.*
Beaver Activity at Miller Woods (just off the Paul H. Douglas Trail)
To possibly see a beaver at Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park, begin by taking the trail that starts at the nature center. Along the way, the trail crosses a wide gravel path that goes straight east-west. Head west, and you’ll find beaver lodges and beaver activity. If you arrive early in the day, chances are you’ll be greeted by a beaver slapping its flat tail against the water to alert others of its kind about that human lurking about. This gravel railroad right-of-way isn’t as intimate as the official narrow trail, but I like the views better. Here, we see that the beavers created this dark thoroughfare as they moved across the trail from one swale to another.*
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that poetically celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike
Chicago Wildflower Report & Info – 06/20/2019
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
June 20, 2019
“Weekly Wildflower Reports with
Chicago’s Best Wildflower Walks & Outdoor Outings”
Plan Your Weekend Wildflower Walk!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
BECOME A NATURE SCOUT! Each week, we cover up to 5,000 square miles to bring beauty, peace, and hope to Chicago-area residents. Lean about becoming a nature scout. It’s a rich and rewarding experience.
WILDFLOWER HIGHLIGHTS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR WEEKEND OUTDOOR OUTING IN CHICAGO NATURE:
Like last week, the floral stars of the week are sand coreopsis and pale purple coneflower in glorious expanses, and the miraculous melting flowers of Ohio spiderwort. But if you want to see spiderwort’s blooms, don’t sleep in. The blue flower only opens for a few hours before it begins to turn into a purple liquid! And if spiderwort weren’t weird enough, you can now see a plant called porcupine grass with a seed that drills itself into the soil. Porcupine grass is, again, our Plant of the Week. See the real-time video of the drilling seed, below. And then there are the pearly blooms of foxglove beardtongue that is now in full flower. I love this plant because, in the fall, their seeds smell exactly, and I mean “exactly,” like vomit! In contrast, right now, you can find a most wonderful fragrance by dropping to your knees to inhale the intoxicating scent of the sublime pasture rose.
Experience the magnificent vastitude of sand coreopsis at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve (6/16). See pictures in Photo Section. A wondrous expanse of pale purple coneflower is yours at Bluff Spring Fen (6/18). And you’ll find spiderwort at several preserves around the region, including Belmont Prairie (6/19), Wolf Road Prairie (6/18), Bluff Spring Fen (6/18), Fermilab Prairie, Powderhorn Prairie, Miller Woods, Chiwaukee Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve (6/16), and Pembroke Savanna (6/20). Finally porcupine grass (our Plant of the Week) can be found at Belmont Prairie (6/19), Illinois Beach Nature Preserve (6/16), Pembroke Savanna (6/20), and Powderhorn Prairie.
PRESERVES TO VISIT THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best. See our “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a special “Preserves for You to Scout” section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore!
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (6/16): This preserve tops our list because the show of golden sand coreopsis in the sand prairie (along the Dunes Trail) is one of the region’s most beautiful performances of the year. In fact, the Sierra Club thinks that it rivals any place in the country, as the image (below) will represent the month of July in their upcoming 2020 Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendar. But sand coreopsis is not the only flowers to see here. The wild lupine is still looking good, along with hoary puccoon, sand cress, and sandwort, pasture rose., and porcupine grass.
The Sierra Club chose this June image of the sand coreopsis and sandwort at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve to represent the month of July in their 2020 issue of their Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendar.*
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin (6/18): The breathtaking show of the gorgeous pink blooms of pale purple coneflower is on. Also, look for porcupine grass and the pearly flowers of foxglove beardtongue and white wild indigo
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (6/19): You’ll find several displays of spiderwort across the preserve and many more flowers, as well, including foxglove beardtongue, daisy fleabane, blue flag iris, and the start of wild quinine. And I can’t forget mentioning the beautiful foliage of prairie dock and compass plant.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove (6/19): Find a beautiful symphony of color and texture at this intimate remnant prairie nestled within a quiet neighborhood. Playing the starring role, this week, is pale purple coneflower, supported by textured sprays of porcupine grass and colorful blooms of scurfy pea and spiderwort. However, to experience the ephemeral flowers of spiderwort, you must get there by 8:00 am. Their purple flowers open with the sun and only last a few hours before shriveling and turning to liquid. Learn about spiderwort’s miraculous melting flowers. When you arrive early, you’ll be treated to the gorgeous leaves of prairie dock and compass plant that glow a bright green in the low sun.
Here is my most profound recommendation for enjoying your time in nature. If the preserve allows, arrive before first light. A morning rendezvous with nature is a magical experience that vastly transcends what’s possible at other times of day. In the early bright, the world expands beyond the usual three dimensions, as the transformation from darkness into light excites more than just the visual sense. As night gives birth to dawn, and the landscape gently turns from azure to gold, the soft and changing light is a spectacle for the eyes. A moist fog or a splash of crisp dew against your skin affirms your existence. The still atmosphere concentrates the fragrances floating in the air and provides a tranquil stage for birds to project their crystal melodies. In the morning, you’ll find all this, along with the promise of a new day.
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park (6/20): If you want to see spiderwort, this is the place. It’s almost everywhere! But as stated before, you need to get here early. The spiderwort is mixed in with a prolific display of daisy fleabane, along with some pasture rose and remaining hairy puccoon. And you’ll also see lots of porcupine grass.
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (6/18): Like Belmont Prairie, this preserve is a “Go!” for the Ohio spiderwort but only if you visit by 8:00 am. You might be able to get away with a later time, but the flowers fade pretty quickly, especially when it’s hot. In the prairie, you’ll also find downy phlox and the large beautiful leaves of prairie dock.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Miller Woods (at Paul H. Douglas Environmental Center for Education) in Indiana Dunes National Park (report by park ranger on 6/18): The preserve is large and provides a nice long hike to the beach. The most prominent blooming flower is hairy puccoon, and there’s a lot of spiderwort, too. Along your hike, you’ll also see two-flowered Cynthia, wild columbine,, pasture rose, and downy phlox. And then there are the beavers! See photo and caption below to learn where to find them. After your hike, consider checking out Tolleston Dunes.
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT:
This is a new category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Kickapoo Prairie in Riverdale: Let us know what’s going on at this beautiful south-side prairie.
Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie in Chicago (last scouted on 5/31): This high-quality preserve is located inside the city of Chicago.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: PORCUPINE GRASS
You can find porcupine grass at Belmont Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Pembroke Savanna, Bluff Spring Fen, and Powderhorn Prairie.
The seeds of porcupine grass are long sharp needles that fall off the plant and slowly drill themselves into the soil.
Watch this video to see porcupine grass drill itself into the soil as you watch!
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PORCUPINE GRASS.
PHOTO SECTION
Sand Coreopsis at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve
The turning earth is the dimmer switch, gradually recasting every dim dewdrop, petal, and blade of grass into a galaxy of blazing bulbs and lustrous lamps. On this morning in late May at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, blooms of golden coreopsis and New Jersey tea are set aglow alongside shimmering spider webs that cling to last year’s grasses.*
Pale Purple Coneflower is in Full Flower
In addition to experiencing the prairie as a whole, take a closer look and discover the many attractions that hide in plain sight. Here, within a scene of a thousand coneflowers, I attended a miniature, slow-motion rodeo that was taking place upon one prickly flower head. I watched as a tiny ant rode the back of a slinking inchworm.*
Pale purple coneflowers rise above the prairie at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin.*
Pale purple coneflowers are also putting on a show at Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove.”
The predawn clouds take on the colors of the pale purple coneflowers at this dolomite limestone prairie at Theodore Stone Preserve in Hodgkins, Illinois.*
Ohio Spiderwort
Each morning, Ohio spiderwort opens a new bud or two that only last a few hours before turning into a purple liquid. This process can last for more than a month. You can find spiderwort, right now, at Belmont Prairie, Bluff Spring Fen, Pembroke Savanna, Powderhorn Prairie, Indiana Dunes National Park, Wolf Road Prairie, and many more.
Foxglove Beardtongue
In June, foxglove beardtongue blooms here at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin and at many other preserves in the region. In the fall, the seeds smell EXACTLY like vomit! Ah, be still my heart!*
Wild Lupine
The lupines at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion always put on a show. Currently, they’re past their peak bloom, but still looking decent.*
Wild lupine of species Lupinus perennis. Notice how the flowers bloom from the bottom up.
An exploration into the inner landscape of the lupine.
The Wonderfully Large Leaves of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock
These are the large leaves of the prairie’s most iconic plants. The heart-shaped leaf is that of prairie dock, and the long-lobed leaf is from a cousin called compass plant.
Pasture Rose
Pasture Rose grows here in the sand prairie at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. And you can also find it at Bluff Spring Fen and Pembroke Savanna. The fragrance of pasture rose is transcendent—a spiritual experience. Over several weeks in late spring, it blooms barely inches from the ground. During that time, whenever we’re together, I partake in a sacred ritual. I drop to my knees and bow in reverence, nose to petal.*
Beaver Activity at Miller Woods
To possibly see a beaver at Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park, begin by taking the trail that starts at the nature center. Along the way, the trail crosses a wide gravel path that goes straight east-west. Head west, and you’ll find beaver lodges and beaver activity. If you arrive early in the day, chances are you’ll be greeted by a beaver slapping its flat tail against the water to alert others of its kind about that human lurking about. This gravel railroad right-of-way isn’t as intimate as the official narrow trail, but I like the views better. Here, we see that the beavers created this dark thoroughfare as they moved across the trail from one swale to another.*
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that poetically celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike
Chicago Wildflower Report & Info – 06/13/2019
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
June 13, 2019
“Weekly Wildflower Reports with
Chicago’s Best Wildflower Walks & Outdoor Outings”
Plan Your Weekend Wildflower Walk!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
CONSIDER BECOMING A NATURE SCOUT! Each week, we cover up to 5,000 square miles to bring beauty, peace, and hope to Chicago-area residents. Lean about becoming a nature scout. It’s a rich and rewarding experience.
Wildflower highlights to help you plan your weekend outdoor outing in Chicago nature:
The floral stars of the week are sand coreopsis and pale purple coneflower in glorious expanses, and the miraculous melting flowers of Ohio spiderwort. But if you want to see spiderwort’s blooms, don’t sleep in. The blue flower only opens for a few hours before it begins to turn into a purple liquid! And if spiderwort weren’t weird enough, you can now see a plant called porcupine grass with a seed that drills itself into the soil. Porcupine grass is our Plant of the Week, which includes a real-time video of the drilling seed. And then there are the pearly blooms of foxglove beardtongue that is just beginning to flower. I love this plant because, in the fall, their seeds smell exactly, and I mean “exactly,” like vomit! In contrast, right now, you can find a most wonderful fragrance by dropping to your knees to inhale the intoxicating scent of the sublime pasture rose.
Experience the magnificent vastitude of sand coreopsis at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve (6/9). See pictures in Photo Section. A wondrous expanse of pale purple coneflower is yours at Bluff Spring Fen (6/12). And you’ll find spiderwort at several preserves around the region, including Belmont Prairie (6/10), Wolf Road Prairie (6/10), Bluff Spring Fen (6/12), Fermilab Prairie, Powderhorn Prairie, Miller Woods, Chiwaukee Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and Pembroke Savanna. Finally porcupine grass (our Plant of the Week) can be found at Belmont Prairie and Illinois Beach Nature Preserve.
WHERE TO GO THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best. See our “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a special “Preserves for You to Scout” section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore!
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (6/9): This preserve tops our list because the show of golden sand coreopsis in the sand prairie (along the Dunes Trail) is one of the region’s most beautiful performances of the year. In fact, the Sierra Club thinks that it rivals any place in the country, as the image (below) will represent the month of July in their upcoming 2020 Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendar. But sand coreopsis is not the only flowers to see here. The wild lupine is still looking good, along with hoary puccoon, fringed puccoon, sand cress, sandwort, the stunning Indian paintbrush., and the aforementioned pasture rose.
The Sierra Club chose this June image of the sand coreopsis and sandwort at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve to represent the month of July in their 2020 issue of their Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendar.*
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin (6/12): The grand show of the gorgeous pink blooms of pale purple coneflower is on. And it’s breathtaking. Also, look for the pearl flowers of foxglove beardtongue and white wild indigo.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove (6/11): This preserve should be visited before 8:00 am to see the ephemeral blooms of spiderwort. Their purple flowers open with the sun and only last a few hours before shriveling and turning to liquid. Learn about spiderwort’s miraculous melting flowers. You’ll also find the gorgeous leaves of prairie dock and compass plant that look especially captivating when they glow a bright green from a low sun.
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (6/10): Like Belmont Prairie, this preserve is a “Go!” for the Ohio spiderwort but only if you visit by 8:00 am. You might be able to get away with a later time, but the flowers fade pretty quickly, especially when it’s hot. In the prairie, you’ll also find downy phlox and the large beautiful leaves of prairie dock.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (6/9): Go for the show of blue flag iris on the east side of the preserve, and then take a tour of the preserve to see the many other flowers.
Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park (6/1): The wild lupine flowers had their breathtaking run and are now turning into seeds, but you’ll still have a lot to find and explore here. Mixed in with the remaining blooms of lupine are the flowers of hairy puccoon, spiderwort, two-flowered Cynthia, wild columbine, and more. And then there are the beavers! See photo and caption below to learn where to find them. After your hike, consider checking out Tolleston Dunes.
Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin (6/12): The blooms of shooting star and wild lupine still remain after last week’s peak bloom, though the density and color have diminished. Also blooming is a mix of hoary puccoon, golden Alexander, yellow star grass, fringed puccoon, wild strawberry, bastard toadflax, and spiderwort. This preserve is close to Illinois Beach Nature Preserve which is currently putting on one of the finest floral displays of the season.
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT:
This is a new category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Kickapoo Prairie in Riverdale: Let us know what’s going on at this beautiful south-side prairie.
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park: On June 5, Spiderwort was blooming throughout the preserve along with nice displays of hairy puccoon and daisy fleabane. The intoxicating pasture rose was starting to bloom, and June grass glowed in the low sunlight. While on your scouting mission, look for a potentially prominent bloom of goat’s rue.
Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie in Chicago (last scouted on 5/31): This high-quality preserve is located inside the city of Chicago.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: PORCUPINE GRASS
You can find this porcupine grass at Belmont Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Bluff Spring Fen, and Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie.
The seeds of porcupine grass are long sharp needles that fall off the plant and slowly drill themselves into the soil.
Watch this video to see porcupine grass drill itself into the soil as you watch!
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PORCUPINE GRASS.
PHOTO SECTION
Sand Coreopsis at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve
The turning earth is the dimmer switch, gradually recasting every dim dewdrop, petal, and blade of grass into a galaxy of blazing bulbs and lustrous lamps. On this morning in late May at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, blooms of golden coreopsis and New Jersey tea are set aglow alongside shimmering spider webs that cling to last year’s grasses.*
Pale Purple Coneflower is in Full Flower
In addition to experiencing the prairie as a whole, take a closer look and discover the many attractions that hide in plain sight. Here, within a scene of a thousand coneflowers, I attended a miniature, slow-motion rodeo that was taking place upon one prickly flower head. I watched as a tiny ant rode the back of a slinking inchworm.*
Pale purple coneflowers rise above the prairie at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin.*
The predawn clouds take on the colors of the pale purple coneflowers at this dolomite limestone prairie at Theodore Stone Preserve in Hodgkins, Illinois.*
Ohio Spiderwort
Each morning, Ohio spiderwort opens a new bud or two that only last a few hours before turning into a purple liquid. This process can last for more than a month. You can find spiderwort, right now, at Belmont Prairie, Bluff Spring Fen, Pembroke Savanna, Powderhorn Prairie, Indiana Dunes National Park, Wolf Road Prairie, and many more.
Foxglove Beardtongue is Beginning to Bloom
In June, foxglove beardtongue blooms in profusion at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin. In the fall, the seeds smell EXACTLY like vomit! Ah, be still my heart!*
Wild Lupine
The lupines at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion are at peak bloom.*
Wild lupine of species Lupinus perennis. Notice how the flowers bloom from the bottom up.
An exploration into the inner landscape of the lupine.
The Wonderfully Large Leaves of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock
These are the large leaves of the prairie’s most iconic plants. The heart-shaped leaf is that of prairie dock, and the long-lobed leaf is from a cousin called compass plant.
Indian Paintbrush
Indian paintbrush can be found at Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, and here in the morning light at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, Illinois.*
Pasture Rose
Pasture Rose grows here in the sand prairie at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. And you can also find it at Bluff Spring Fen and Pembroke Savanna. The fragrance of pasture rose is transcendent—a spiritual experience. Over several weeks in late spring, it blooms barely inches from the ground. During that time, whenever we’re together, I partake in a sacred ritual. I drop to my knees and bow in reverence, nose to petal.*
Blue Flag Iris
See blue flag iris in the wetlands of many of our featured preserves, including Spears Woods, Powderhorn Prairie, Indiana Dunes National Park, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and here at Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois.*
Blue flag iris blooms in the late-May and early June in this wetland at Spears Woods in Willow Springs, Illinois.*
Beaver Activity at Miller Woods (just off the Paul H. Douglas Trail)
To possibly see a beaver at Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park, begin by taking the trail that starts at the nature center. Along the way, the trail crosses a wide gravel path that goes straight east-west. Head west, and you’ll find beaver lodges and beaver activity. If you arrive early in the day, chances are you’ll be greeted by a beaver slapping its flat tail against the water to alert others of its kind about that human lurking about. This gravel railroad right-of-way isn’t as intimate as the official narrow trail, but I like the views better. Here, we see that the beavers created this dark thoroughfare as they moved across the trail from one swale to another.*
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that poetically celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike[/three_fourth_last]
Chicago Wildflower Report & Info – 06/06/2019
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
June 6, 2019
“Weekly Wildflower Reports with
Chicago’s Best Wildflower Walks & Outdoor Outings”
Plan Your Weekend Wildflower Walk!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
WE NEED SCOUTS! Each week, we cover up to 5,000 square miles to bring beauty, peace, and hope to Chicago-area residents. Consider volunteering for us by becoming a nature scout. It’s a rich and rewarding experience.
Wildflower highlights to help you plan your weekend outdoor outing in Chicago nature:
The shows of the week comes from the breathtaking wild lupine, the shooting star, and the miraculous melting flowers of spiderwort. If you want to see the spiderwort’s blooms, don’t sleep in. The blue flower only lasts for a few hours before it begins to turn into a purple liquid!
The best place to experience a glorious show of wild lupine is in Indiana Dunes National Park at Paul H. Douglas Trail (6/1) and Tolleston Dunes. Nice patches of the flower can also be found at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve (6/6) and Chiwaukee Prairie (6/6). A magnificent display of shooting star is taking place at Chiwaukee Prairie. And spiderwort can be found at several preserves around the region, including Belmont Prairie, Wolf Road Prairie, Powderhorn Prairie, Paul H. Douglas Trail, and Pembroke Savanna.
WHERE TO GO THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best. See our “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a new section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore!
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Paul H. Douglas Trail (formerly Miller Woods) in Indiana Dunes National Park (6/1): The vast number of wild lupine flowing up and down the wooded ridge-and-swale terrain makes this preserve a dream. Mixed in with the lupines are blooms of hairy puccoon, two-flowered Cynthia, spiderwort, wild columbine, and more. See the pictures below for an example of how beautiful it is. And then there are the beavers! To possibly see them, begin by taking the trail that starts at the nature center. Along the way, the trail crosses a wide gravel path that goes straight east-west. Head west and you’ll find beaver lodges and beaver activity. If you arrive early in the day, chances are you’ll be greeted by a beaver slapping its flat tail against the water to alert others of its kind about that human lurking about. This gravel railroad right-of-way isn’t as intimate as the official narrow trail, but I like the views better. After your hike, consider checking out the lupines at Tolleston Dunes.
Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin (6/6): Right now, the shooting star is the star of the show, and the colors of this prairie are gorgeous. Right away, the floral color begins at the parking area by the portable john, where you’re immediately greeted by stunning blue patches of wild lupine. The prairie sits upon an undulating topography known as “ridge and swale.” The swales are low and often wet, while the ridges are high, dry, and where you’ll find the flowers. The pinks and whites of shooting star cover large portions of the ridges along with a stunning mix of hoary puccoon, wood betony, birdfoot violet, golden Alexander, blue-eyed grass, yellow star grass, fringed puccoon, wild strawberry, bastard toadflax, and spiderwort. It’s a breathtaking experience and this prairie’s most spectacular show of the year. After your visit, I suggest heading south to Zion to immerse yourself in the rich and beautiful habitats of Illinois Beach Nature Preserve.
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (6/6): If you visit Chiwaukee Prairie to see the shooting stars, then you’re very close to this stunningly beautiful preserve. There are many flowers blooming here, including wild lupine, hoary puccoon, fringed puccoon, wood betony, blue-eyed grass, yellow star grass, sand cress, and the stunning Indian paintbrush. And sand coreopsis is starting to flower, which usually means that a spectacular, must-see, show is coming soon. We’ll let you know!
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park (6/5): Spiderwort is blooming throughout the preserve along with nice displays of hairy puccoon and daisy fleabane. The intoxicating pasture rose is starting to bloom, and June grass glows in the low sunlight.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove (6/4): Visit this intimate preserve before noon to experience the ephemeral purple flowers of spiderwort that only bloom for a few hours, then shrivel and turn to liquid. Learn about spiderwort’s miraculous melting flowers.
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (6/6): Go for the show of blue flag iris on the east side of the preserve, and then take a tour of the preserve to see the many other flowers, like golden Alexander, balsam ragwort, hoary puccoon, and the heart-stirring blue-eyed grass (see picture below).
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (6/3): If you’re in the neighborhood during the morning hours, then visit the prairie to see the flowers of Ohio spiderwort that only bloom for a few hours and then melt away. In the prairie, you’ll also find downy phlox, golden Alexander, and some yellow star grass.
Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie in Chicago (5/31): Visit for the mixture of spiderwort, hoary puccoon, and golden Alexander in the prairie. This high-quality preserve is located inside the city of Chicago.
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT (A NEW CATEGORY):
This is a new category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Kickapoo Prairie in Riverdale: Let us know what’s going on at this beautiful south-side prairie.
PHOTO SECTION
Wild Lupine
Wow! This is the kind of bloom you can expect this weekend at Miller Woods, part of Indiana Dunes National Park in Gary, Indiana.*
The lupines at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion are at peak bloom. I suggest that you first visit Chiwaukee Prairie and then go south to finish your trip here.*
Wild lupine of species Lupinus perennis. Notice how the flowers bloom from the bottom up.
An exploration into the inner landscape of the lupine.
Beaver Activity at Miller Woods
On the gravel road the rides a ridge at Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park, beavers created this dark thoroughfare as they moved across the ridge from one swale to another.*
Shooting Star at Chiwaukee Prairie
The beautiful blooms of shooting star.
Springtime at Chiwaukee Prairie offers a breathtaking display of shooting stars.*
At Chiwaukee Prairie, there’s a mix of flowers that join the shooting stars. At this spot, on this day, yellow star grass, hoary puccoon, and wood betony add to the celebration.*
Indian Paintbrush
Indian paintbrush can be found at Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, and here in the morning light at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, Illinois.*
Ohio Spiderwort
Each morning, Ohio spiderwort opens a new bud or two that only last a few hours before turning into a purple liquid. This process can last for more than a month. You can find spiderwort, right now, at Belmont Prairie, Pembroke Savanna, Powderhorn Prairie, Indiana Dunes National Park, Wolf Road Prairie, and many more.
Pasture Rose
Pasture Rose grows here in the sand prairie at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. And you can also find it at Bluff Spring Fen and Pembroke Savanna. The fragrance of pasture rose is transcendent—a spiritual experience. Over several weeks in late spring, it blooms barely inches from the ground. During that time, whenever we’re together, I partake in a sacred ritual. I drop to my knees and bow in reverence, nose to petal.*
Golden Alexander
At Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, a show like this savanna scene of golden Alexander is about to occur.*
Stout Blue-Eyed Grass
The sublime blooms of stout blue-eyed grass are now being revealed at Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park, Illinois. And you can find them at other preserves, including Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Chiwaukee Prairie, Paul H. Douglas Trail, and Somme Prairie Grove.*
Blue Flag Iris
See blue flag iris in the wetlands of many of our featured preserves, including Spears Woods, Powderhorn Prairie, Indiana Dunes National Park, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and here at Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois.*
Blue flag iris blooms in the late-May and early June in this wetland at Spears Woods in Willow Springs, Illinois.*
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike[/three_fourth_last]
Chicago Spring Wildflower Report & Info – 05/31/2019
Chicago Nature Now! Alert
May 31, 2019
“Weekly Wildflower Reports with
Chicago’s Best Wildflower Walks & Outdoor Outings”
Plan Your Weekend Wildflower Walk!
Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower alerts!
Check out the inspiring television story about ChicagoNatureNOW! on WTTW Chicago Tonight. Watch it here.
WE NEED SCOUTS! Each week, we cover up to 5,000 square miles to bring beauty, peace, and hope to Chicago-area residents. Consider volunteering for us by becoming a nature scout. It’s a rich and rewarding experience.
Wildflower highlights to help you plan your weekend outdoor outing in Chicago nature:
The shows of the week comes from the breathtaking blue-and-white wild lupine and the sublime pinks of shooting star. These events are a must see!
The best place to experience wild lupine is in Indiana Dunes National Park at Miller Woods (5/27) and Tolleston Dunes,. Alongside breathtaking displays of wild lupine, you’ll find golden hoary puccoon and hairy puccoon blooming in great numbers. You can also see lupine and puccoon at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve (5/30) and Chiwaukee Prairie (5/30). But the big reason to visit Chiwaukee Prairie is for the magnificent display of shooting star and the many other blooming species that accompany it.
Wolf Road Prairie is offering a nice display of wild hyacinth. And hoary puccoon is putting on a show at Shoe Factory Road Prairie.
WHERE TO GO THIS WEEKEND FOR A WILDFLOWER WALK AROUND CHICAGO:
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best. See our “Go, if You’re in the Neighborhood” section for sites that are worth visiting if you can’t get out to our top preserves. And we have a new section for those preserves that we couldn’t get to this week, but that you can help us explore!
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park (5/27): Like last weekend, this preserve is a dream and tops this week’s list. Come see the vast display of wild lupine mixed with hoary puccoon, along with beavers and rolling ridge-and-swale terrain. See the pictures below for an example of how beautiful it is. While you’re here, take the trail that starts at the nature center to the lakeshore. Along the way, the trail crosses a wide gravel path that goes straight east-west. Head west and you’ll find beaver lodges and beaver activity. If you arrive early in the day, chances are you’ll be greeted by a beaver slapping its flat tail against the water to alert others of its kind about that human lurking about. This abandoned railroad right-of-way isn’t as intimate as the official narrow trail, but I like the views better. After your hike, consider checking out the lupines at Tolleston Dunes.
Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin (5/30): Right now, the shooting star is the star of the show, and the colors of this prairie are gorgeous. Right away, the floral color begins at the parking area by the portable john, where you’re immediately greeted by stunning blue patches of wild lupine. The prairie sits upon an undulating topography known as “ridge and swale.” The swales are low and often wet, while the ridges are high, dry, and where you’ll find the flowers. The pinks and whites of shooting star cover large portions of the ridges along with a stunning mix of hoary puccoon, wood betony, birdfoot violet, golden Alexander, blue-eyed grass, yellow star grass, fringed puccoon, wild strawberry, bastard toadflax, and starry false Solomon’s seal. It’s a breathtaking experience and this prairie’s most spectacular show of the year. After your visit, I suggest heading south to Zion to immerse yourself in the rich and beautiful habitats of Illinois Beach Nature Preserve.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (5/30): If you visit Chiwaukee Prairie to see the shooting stars, then you’ll be in the neighborhood of this stunningly beautiful preserve. There are many flowers blooming, right now, but not enough to call it a “Go.” Yet, this is the only preserve in the region that I’d recommend visiting even if there were no flowers blooming! And there are plenty blooming right now, including wild lupine, hoary puccoon, fringed puccoon, wood betony, blue-eyed grass, yellow star grass, sand cress, and the stunning Indian paintbrush.
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (5/31): The prairie and savanna are featuring their beautiful springtime display of wild hyacinth. Usually, I find most of these flowers in the oak savanna. But this year, it’s flowering at many locations throughout the open prairie.
Shoe Factory Road Prairie in Hoffman Estates (5/31): Large patches of golden hoary puccoon steal the show. Sharing the stage are golden Alexander, wood betony, yellow star grass, and a few remaining birdfoot violet.
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (5/28): This preserve is known for its mix of flowers, and there’s a nice mix right now. The flower with the greatest population throughout the site is golden Alexander. In the woodland, there’s often a vast display. When we visited, the yellows were still a bit muted, but they’re getting better every day. Other flowers you’ll find are balsam ragwort, hoary puccoon, wood betony, wild hyacinth, and my favorite flower of the moment, the heart-stirring blue-eyed grass (see picture below).
PRESERVES FOR YOU TO SCOUT (A NEW CATEGORY):
This is a new category for those who’d like do a little exploring for us. The preserves listed below were not scouted, this week, but may be worth the trip. Please send us your findings and images by email or, better still, join our Friends of ChicagoNatureNOW! Facebook page. While visiting a preserve, take mostly scenic pictures, tell us which flowers are blooming, and then give us your bottom-line opinion of your experience. Tell us if it’s a “GO,” a “Go, if you’re in the neighborhood,” or a “NO.” If you’d like to scout more regularly, then learn about becoming an official Nature Scout.
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park: Two weeks ago, our report read, “Visit this world-class sand savanna for its vast display of birdfoot violet and sand phlox. Starry false Solomon’s seal is now in bloom with it’s geometric leaves, and stout blue-eye grass is also beginning to flower. On his scouting mission, John was startled by a turkey as he hiked the trail! I’ve twice been startled by quail that suddenly flew out from the brush.” For this week, check for the same flowers and let us know if you notice anything else.
PHOTO SECTION
Wild Lupine
Wow! This is the kind of bloom you can expect this weekend at Miller Woods, part of Indiana Dunes National Park in Gary, Indiana.*
The lupines at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion are looking good as they approach peak bloom. I suggest that you visit Chiwaukee Prairie and then go south to finish your trip here.*
Wild lupine of species Lupinus perennis. Notice how the flowers bloom from the bottom up.
An exploration into the inner landscape of the lupine.
Beaver Activity at Paul H. Douglas Trail
On the gravel road the rides a ridge at Paul H. Douglas Trail in Indiana Dunes National Park, beavers created this dark thoroughfare as they moved across the ridge from one swale to another.*
Shooting Star at Chiwaukee Prairie
The beautiful blooms of shooting star.
May at Chiwaukee Prairie offers a breathtaking display of shooting stars.*
At Chiwaukee Prairie, there’s a mix of flowers that join the shooting stars. At this spot, on this day, yellow star grass, hoary puccoon, and wood betony add to the celebration.*
Indian Paintbrush
Indian paintbrush in the morning light at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, Illinois.*
Wild Hyacinth
Wild hyacinth at Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester, Illinois.*
At Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester, Illinois, these wild hyacinths take on the blue glow of evening.*
Like wild lupine, wild hyacinths also bloom from the bottom up. As you can see, these plants at Oldfield Oaks in Darien have flowers that are still waiting to open. Right now, you’ll find them blooming, but they peaked last weekend.*
Golden Alexander
At Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, a show like this savanna scene of golden Alexander is about to occur.*
Hoary Puccoon at Shoe Factory Road Prairie
Hoary puccoon and birdfoot violet glow in the morning light at the hill prairie called Shoe Factory Road Prairie.*
Stout Blue-Eyed Grass
The sublime blooms of stout blue-eyed grass are now being revealed at Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park, Illinois. And you can find them at other preserves, including Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Chiwaukee Prairie, Miller Woods, and Somme Prairie Grove.*
If you find this website of Chicago nature information useful, please consider donating or purchasing my nationally-acclaimed book that celebrates all of the preserves featured on this website.
—Mike