Mike MacDonald’s 
Chicago Nature NOW! Alert 
 August 19, 2024

“Weekly Wildflower Forecasts Featuring
Chicago’s Best Weekend Getaways & Nature Walks”

 

Summer Nature Walks & Outdoor Getaways!

Don’t miss one beautiful moment.
Click here to subscribe to receive FREE wildflower forecasts!

Each week, we offer you opportunities to find peace during this trying time!
PLEASE DONATE IF WE’VE HELPED YOU FIND SOLACE IN NATURE.
Donate to Our GoFundMe Campaign

 

Find peace by getting out into nature!
Break from your screens to experience
magnificent flower shows at our showcase preserves.

 

WILDFLOWER FORECAST & HIGHLIGHTS to help you plan your outdoor adventures into Chicago nature:

August offers great plant biodiversity and the beauty of the tall and textured grasses of the grand prairie. But nature isn’t just about flowers. It’s about the experience. Explore and discover a preserve from the list below. Be open to nature’s unexpected gifts, whether it be a colorful, awe-inspiring bloom, the mysterious squeak of two rubbing trees mimicking the cry of a baby animal, or the life-affirming scent of mountain mint. All of these things will open up your life to a world of wonder and intrigue.

According to my database, we are in for another fantastic week. The best performances often take place at Bluff Spring Fen, Somme Prairie Grove, Spears Woods, Wolf Road Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and Shoe Factory Road Prairie.

Somme Prairie Grove and Bluff Spring Fen each feature many performance stages thanks to a fanfare of color from at least two dozen flowering species. Bluff Spring Fen offers beautiful stands of spotted Joe-Pye weed and sweet Joe-Pye weed, our two Plants of the Week. And Somme Prairie Grove features a dramatic show of woodland sunflower and sweet Joe-Pye weed.

Spears Woods features wildflower shows in its prairies, woodlands, and wetlands. This preserve also provides great trails far away from traffic, with varied habitats, and dramatic vistas. And while you’re there, catch a glimpse of the aquatic American lotus in Hogwash Slough. I also love Spears Woods for its the rolling terrain, and Hogwash Slough—easily, the prettiest wetland around here.

NOTE: It’s August. But I sometimes call it Fogust because August is the foggiest month of the year. Therefore, if you visit a preserve in the morning, wear rain gear or risk ending up soaked to the skin from the dew.

Wolf Road Prairie has the potential to blow you away, with flowering happening in both the savanna and the prairie. In the prairie, there can be forests of prairie dock that will make you hyperventilate. And the oak savanna puts on a show of woodland sunflower and sweet Joe-Pye weed.

Illinois Beach Nature Preserve and Pembroke Savanna often overflow with sparkling florets of flowering spurge amidst the occasional buttery blooms of large flowered false foxglove. Both are preparing for potentially dramatic blooms of rough blazing star. And the whimsical obedient plant, with its hinged flowers, are fun to play with.

TIP: I recommend visiting grasslands at the beginning or the end of the day when it’s much cooler and the sunlight is beautiful. Prairies are treeless expanses with no escape from the sun. It’s a challenge to appreciate the prairie in the blinding light of a ninety-degree afternoon.

Shoe Factory Road Prairie and the adjacent prairie should be blooming strong with many different species, including cylindrical blazing star in the former and potentially breathtaking expanses of prairie blazing star, wild quinine, and rattlesnake master in the latter. 

Belmont Prairie can be a beautiful little dream.

Gensburg-Markham Prairie, located in the south suburbs, is one of the finest prairies in the world. It offers a wide array of color and blowing seas of grasses.

TIP: 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 light, 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 of this, along with the promise of a new day.

The grasses are quite prominent at this time of year, both in the prairies and oak savannas, including big bluestem, Indian grass, side oats grama, little bluestem, and Canada wild rye. The first three should be flowering. And under the trees, look for bottlebrush grass and the wild ryes of Virginia and silky.

Summer is a also wonderful time to experience green glow in the prairie. Green glow is a term that I recently invented that describes the bright-green glow of foliage from sunlight shining through it. The green glow of compass plant and prairie dock is spectacular. Prairie dock is especially delightful when its large heart-shaped leaf is transformed into a projection screen, as plants that fall between the sun and the screen cast their silhouettes in a kind of prairie shadow play.

And finally, the dramatic aquatic American lotus is 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 Photo Section below for images of American lotus (and where to find it) along with the many flowers featured in this report.

If you’re looking for longer walks, try these showcase preserves: Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Lake in the Hills Fen, Spears Woods, and Somme Prairie Grove.

 

SUMMER WILDFLOWER GETAWAYS AROUND CHICAGO:

I’ve ranked the preserves on this week’s list based on the information predicted by my one-of-a-kind propriety database of wildflowers blooming events, 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 make it to the top-rated preserves.

LIKELY, THIS WEEK’S BEST CHOICES (“GO!”):

Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin: You can usually find tremendous beauty around this time, with at least twenty flower species blooming across the preserve. The trail begins by the kiosk where the oak savanna greets you and where you’ll find yourself protected under the warm embrace of majestic oaks. The trail winds you through the trees and along the kames, around the sunny prairie, and through the main wetland known as a fen. At first, you should see the fluffy and tall sweet Joe-Pye weed, towering white pale Indian plantain, the aptly named bottlebrush grass, and silky wild rye and its larger cousin Canada wild rye. Look for the white five-petaled fringed blooms of starry campion, lavender puffs of wild bergamot, rockets of yellow coneflower, the buttery blooms of large flowered false foxglove and mullein foxglove, and any remaining blue American bellflower. The towering stands of white pale Indian plantain and mauve sweet Joe-Pye weed are stunning. At the troll bridge, where friendly trolls have helped to restore the adjacent wetland habitat, look to your right for a grand expanse of spotted Joe-Pye weed alongside towering white cowbane, gorgeous great blue lobelia, and the occasional cup plant. Continuing under the protection of oaks, look to your right at the base of the kame to find a glorious golden show of tall cutleaf coneflower and wingstem. On your way up, look for the white five-petaled fringed blooms of starry campion and whimsical displays of the aptly named bottlebrush grass. Once atop gravelly peak, you’ll experience a unique view of the preserve and a potentially breathtaking display of pink-buttoned cylindrical blazing star, nodding wild onion, and pearly plumes of whorled milkweed. And you may find the early blooms of rough blazing star. After returning to ground level, as you pass the savanna, I recommend making a right turn into the open prairie and moving counter-clockwise around the preserve back to this spot. Once under the sun, you’ll find blue vervain, fading marsh blazing star, wild bergamot, creamy tuberous Indian plantain, sparkling flowering spurge, fading wild quinine and rattlesnake master, the three flowering grasses of big bluestem, side oats grama, and Indian grass, plus sprays of switch grass and the wonderful bristled heads of Canada wild rye that will soak you to the skin when loaded with morning dew. And you may find a glorious “forest” of tall compass plant to the west. To see them up close, take the trail to the right at the “Y.” Twist and turn through a tangle of delightfully bristly compass plant stalks to experience the best skin exfoliation service that Chicago nature has to offer.  Talk about the best arm-scratch ever!

Returning to the main trail, head east through a dense stand of big bluestem grass full of miniature flowers that can give off fragrant plumes of pollen as you brush past.  After a short walk, you’ll run into a gravelly area with hoary vervain, named for its soft hairy leaves, as well as dried-up, yet still fragrant, flowerheads of purple prairie clover. Ahead to your right is what we call the “transplant kame.” We call it that because Healy Road Prairie, located six miles away, was being mined for its gravel, and a community of hundreds of volunteers dug it up and transplanted it here. Years before, the transplant kame was also mined to the ground, but it was reconstructed to become the new home of Healy Road Prairie. Blossoming upon the kame are compass plant, wild quinine, and yellow coneflower. If you circumnavigate the base of the kame, you might find lots of yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, and whorled milkweed, each emitting its own wonderful fragrance. Make a left at the end of the kame to descend into the bowl of the fen. Move slowly and watch your step as you pass through dense willows (which always need trimming) that also hides a narrow boardwalk that’s easy to trip over. Crossing the boardwalk will take you towards a gravelly bowl with pools of trickling water. That’s the main seep of the fen and one of the rarest habitats on earth. On higher, drier ground surrounding the bowl you should find nice patches of pale Indian plantain mixed in with wild quinine, wild bergamot yellow coneflower, mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, Ohio goldenrod, early goldenrod, and showy tick trefoil. In and immediately around the alkaline water of the seep, you’ll find the yellow blooms of prairie loosestrife, rough cinquefoil, and bushy shrubby cinquefoil along with the flamboyantly pink spotted Joe-Pye weed, common boneset, and a smattering of purple pasture thistle.

As you continue to the north, watch for the narrow hard-to-see boardwalk. After crossing it, stay straight (don’t veer left), as the trail ducks under a low tree and up the “switchback kame.” On your way to the top you should find a beautiful pink show of cylindrical blazing star with the deepest roots of any prairie plant. (See an illustration of root depth at the very bottom of this post.) On the switchback kame, you’ll also notice a plant with white balls dotting the vertical stems. That’s rough blazing star which starts to blooms as its cylindrical cousin fades. As the trails steers left and down, you’ll see some of the same species as before, including especially nice stands of pale Indian plantain, sweet Joe-Pye weed, and fading American bellflower. At the top of the kame, head west towards the savanna. Soon, you’ll reach an intersection that you’ll take to the left and across a small creek with stepping stones. This is the place to experience plants from the fen, the prairie, and oak savanna. As you reach the kame, stay left with the kame to your right and you’ll soon find yourself back where you started and into the sun. If you visit early in the morning, wear rain gear or you’ll end up soaked to the skin from dew. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Note: While you’re here, consider checking out nearby Shoe Factory Road Prairie.

Spears Woods in Willow Springs: This preserve offers many blooms and habitats you can experience while you’re hiking about. This preserve is beautiful right now, especially the prairie—a vast scene of white and gold with flashes of purple. You should find flowering spurge, nodding wild onion, and prairie dock (I once found a nine-footer). The flowers atop prairie dock’s cousin, compass plant, are mostly gone. But the middle and bottom of the plants are in full bloom. While the ivory Tinker Toy shapes of rattlesnake master and the cauliflower-heads of wild quinine are fading, they still maintain their whimsical nature. The white button flowerheads of mountain mint don’t have many flowers left, but they still retain their stimulating scent. As the purples of the occasional ironweed and pasture thistle mingle with brown spikes of prairie blazing star, the golden petals of rosinweed, woodland sunflower, and early goldenrod are transitioning into a new phase of gold with grass-leaved goldenrod, long-bracted tickseed sunflower, and skyward blooms of sawtooth sunflower. You may still find the pink filigree of showy tick trefoil that can look like a purple mist. And tops of big bluestem and Indian grass are now aflower. The woodland should be brimming with fluffy mauve heads of sweet Joe-Pye weed and fading rays of woodland sunflower. And a spectacular cast of aquatic American lotus is taking a final bow at the north end of Hogwash Slough. Along the shoreline, it’s difficult to see the lotus through the towering sedges and cattails. But there’s a beautiful view of Hogwash Slough and the colony of American lotus located halfway between the eastern prairie trailhead and the shore of Hogwash Slough. 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 finally, swamp rose mallow may be present around the shore of Boomerang Slough. Note: Theodore Stone Preserve and Wolf Road Prairie is not too far away.

Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester: The savanna is alive with bristly sprays of bottlebrush grass alongside the fading woodland sunflower and sweet Joe-Pye weed. The prairie is blooming well with a splendid mix of flowers. Taking a wide view of the prairie, the color can be described much like Spears Woods: white and gold with occasional flashes of pink and purple. The miniature white blossoms of flowering spurge catch the eye, while fading ivory blooms of rattlesnake master and wild quinine still call for your attention. Rosinweed and goldenrod (grass-leaved, early, and stiff) contribute to the golds. Obedient plant provides a punch of pink. And smooth ironweed helps make up for the vanishing purples of the once-flamboyant prairie blazing star. The purple buttons of rough blazing star are starting to show. Royal puffs of ironweed and pasture thistle, and light-pink balls of nodding wild onion add beautifully to the mix of silver and gold. And look for round-headed bush clover, one of my favorite flowers. It’s not the tiny flowers that attract me. It’s their fluffy green heads. Depending on the year, prairie dock can create a magnificent show as they push up hundreds of skyward stalks of golden flowers. The aortic foliage of this plant is wonderful to behold along with that of its cousin, compass plant. Take note of the bob hairdos of prairie dropseed. And Big bluestem and Indian grass are also blooming. The oak savanna has lost much of its pizzazz, this week, because much of the woodland sunflower has disappeared. But there’s still plenty of sweet Joe-Pye weed alongside bottlebrush grass, and the occasional tall ironweed. NOTE: Theodore Stone Preserve and Spears Woods are located close by.

Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook: This is one of the finest preserves in the region. At this time, the woodland surrounding the savanna often makes a strong statement with big displays of woodland sunflower and many more flowers and grasses that include the pink-plumed sweet Joe-Pye weed, lofty pale Indian plantain, blue American bellflower, alabaster starry campion, the yellow-petaled sweet coneflower, brown-eyed Susan, black-eyed Susan, and large flowered false foxglove, plus the purple buttons of Missouri ironweed, and the perfectly named bottlebrush grass. Under the open sky, golden rays of prairie dock, compass plant, and tall coreopsis reach for the clouds. Closer to Earth, you’ll find scores of other flowers that will take your breath away with sparkling textures and colors that include the following species: white filigrees of flowering spurge, fading wild quinine, mountain mint and rattlesnake master, the goldenrods (including early and grass-leaved), the wonderfully woolly flowerheads of round-headed bush clover, and the pinks and purples of showy tick trefoil, nodding wild onion, swamp milkweed, obedient plant, spotted Joe-Pye weed, and the start of rough blazing star. If you run into the yellow-flowered rosinweed, run your fingers over the stiff foliage and you’ll instantly understand the name. Along your walk, you may also find these flowering plants: blue vervain, self heal, the gorgeous red cardinal flower, and the miniature blooms of big bluestem and Indian grass. The floppy stringy hairdos of prairie dropseed is growing everywhere under the sun, but watch your step. It’s very easy to trip over. Come early or late in the day to experience green glow from compass plant and prairie dock. NOTE: If you visit in the morning, wear waterproof pants and shoes, otherwise you’ll probably get soaked from the dew. 

Shoe Factory Road Prairie in Hoffman Estates: This Illinois Nature Preserve is located atop the hill inside the fence, where the color is often dominated by pink, yellow, and white. Beautiful blushing displays of cylindrical blazing star and obedient plant should be stealing the show alongside a smattering of nodding wild onion and the start of rough blazing star. Rosinweed is the main contributor to the yellows along with its cousins prairie dock and compass plant, plus fading yellow coneflower and various goldenrods (early, stiff, etc.). In the savanna, look for a large display of golden woodland sunflower and mauve sweet Joe-Pye weed. The whites come mainly from flowering spurge and the fading ivories of rattlesnake master. Outside the the fence is the prairie associated with Carl Hansen Woods, formerly known as Poplar Creek Prairie. You’ll experience a wider array of flowers, including a vast display of Tinker-Toy shaped ivory rattlesnake master. You may also find nodding wild onion, lots of flowering spurge, and fading blooms of yellow coneflower and wild bergamot. You’ll also see early goldenrod, wild quinine, rosinweed, compass plant, and round-headed bush clover. And there’s lots of the miniature blooms of big bluestem and Indian grass. Note: Consider visiting Bluff Spring Fen while you’re here. It’s roughly in the neighborhood.

Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion: This is often the time when floating white blooms of flowering spurge are aflower across the preserve, in both the savanna and sand prairie. It’s a glorious sparkling scene! But that’s not all. The latter half of August brings a beautiful show of the purple rough blazing star amidst sprays of western sunflower, flamboyant showy goldenrod, and feathery Indian grass, all of which should now be entering the stage. There are other plants blooming as well. One that makes my especially happy is the yellow megaphone blossoms of large flowered false foxglove. You’ll also find cylindrical blazing star, the remaining blooms of purple prairie clover, the lovely scented whorled milkweed, some grass-leaved and early goldenrod, blue vervain, and shrubby cinquefoil. Note: Consider visiting Chiwaukee Prairie while you’re already in the area. 

Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove: At this time, this remnant prairie can be gloriously aglow with tones of yellow, white, and flashes of purple. The most prominent shows are often staged by golden displays of prairie dock, early goldenrod, rosinweed, and tall coreopsis. Sparkling sprays of flowering spurge are to the prairie what baby’s breath is to a floral arrangement. And the purple buttons of rough blazing star should now be blooming alongside the pinks of  nodding wild onion and the occasional pasture thistle. The whimsical balls of rattlesnake master stand amidst rare cream gentian. And on the more intimate side, I particularly like the drooping tassels of prairie brome that frolic between the forbs. And look for the beautiful filigreed foliage of scurfy pea floating amidst the large leaves of prairie dock and compass plant, glowing bright green in the low warm sunlight.

Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest: This is a large preserve with wide trails made for hiking and biking. At least two dozen plants are currently in bloom, many of which occur in large numbers, that provide colorful vistas of yellow and gold from the goldenrods (grass-leaved, stiff, tall, etc.), rosinweed, and the towering composite blooms of cup plant, sawtooth sunflower, tall coreopsis, and prairie dock. Highlights of pearl can be seen in flowering spurge and tall boneset alongside the fading blooms of rattlesnake master mountain mint, and the towering pale Indian plantain. The dramatic purples of prairie blazing star are gone, but those of ironweed add visual excitement. And there’s much more to see: obedient plant, blue vervain, lots of wild bergamot, and the start of New England aster. In the wetter areas, you’ll find spires of great blue lobelia, the brilliantly red cardinal flower, the gorgeous pink blooms of swamp milkweed and spotted Joe-Pye weed, the spectacular purple spikes of pickerel weed, and the large magenta blossoms of halberd-leaved rose mallow. And finally, this is the perfect time to experience the many grasses that include Canada wild rye, big bluestem, and Indian grass.

Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park: The glistening white filigree of flowering spurge is taking its final bow just as the purple blooms of rough blazing star are taking the stage to perform a potentially dramatic show. The newest cast members include the flashy field goldenrod, the delicate swaying western sunflower, the buttery trumpets of large flowered false foxglove, and the elegantly understated flower heads of round-headed bush clover.

Gensburg-Markham Prairie in Markham: First of all, the preserve is NOT LOCKED. It only looks that way. The chain is just draped over the top of the gate. Just move the chain to enter, and then move it back when you leave. Once inside, I suggest walking all of the trails to enjoy the many flowers that vary along the way. In August, you can often find at least two dozen species in bloom at the same time, while the textures of the grasses and sedges add to the grand experience. Stop to appreciate the purple waves of big bluestem and oceans of prairie cordgrass that rise and fall like waves in the wind. Experience the whimsical plumes of Canada wild rye, big bluestem, Indian grass,  switch grass, and prairie dropseed. Spend a moment to inhale dropseed‘s feather duster. It smells like slightly burnt buttered popcorn. Start by taking the path to your left, and travel clockwise around the square mowed trail. Along your way, you should find a beautiful mix of yellow, white, and pink. Early, grass-leaved, and stiff goldenrod combine with sympathetic hues of rosinweed, tall coreopsis, prairie dock, compass plant, fading yellow coneflower, and maybe a little sneezeweed. A filigree of flowering spurge is sprinkled amongst large displays of tall boneset and the fading familiar white blooms of rattlesnake master, wild quinine, and mountain mint. And the pinks are provided by nodding wild onion, ironweed, slender false foxglove, spotted Joe-Pye weed in the wet areas, and the occasional appearances of rough blazing star and pasture thistle. As you peruse the prairie, see if you can find the fluffy greenish heads of round-headed bush clover and spikes of blue vervain. As you return on the final leg of the square, the scenery turns to shrubs and royal ferns. Look for a pretty stand of wild senna to your left.

Lake in the Hills Fen in Lake in the Hills: This preserve offers a dramatic panoramic view that is best enjoyed at edges of daylight, when it’s not hot and sunny. Enjoy an array of flowers that flow along the vast rolling landscape of the prairie and fen as the landscape is awash in the golden hues of late summer, mostly coming from the goldenrods (including early, Riddell’s, tall, and grass-leaved) with the help of tall coreopsis, rosinweed, and prairie dock. And oceans of tall grasses wave in the warm prairie winds. As you walk the high and low trails, you’ll find an abundance of blossoms, including the pinks of obedient plant, nodding wild onion, marsh phlox, cylindrical blazing star, and spotted Joe-Pye weed along with the purples of pasture thistle and rough blazing star. The latter stages several dramatic displays across the prairie panorama. White goldenrod is blooming on a gravelly kame near the entrance. However, it looks nothing like goldenrod and more like an aster. Next to the the fens you may find grass-of-Parnassus, great blue lobelia, swamp thistle, shrubby cinquefoil, swamp betony, and spotted Joe-Pye weed that also grows in abundance in most of the wet areas. Along your way, you should also see many other flowers in bloom, including the spikes of blue vervain and hoary vervain, and a significant amount of ivory tall boneset. A forest of prairie dock can be found along the far southern trail. And look for the tiny flowers on the heads of big bluestem, Indian grass, and side oats grama.  NOTE: If you visit in the morning, wear waterproof pants and shoes, otherwise you’ll likely get soaked to the skin with the dew. 

 

“GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD”:

Theodore Stone Preserve in Hodgkins: Around this time, the sea of grasses and the mix of yellow flowers is the story of the week. Experience the beautiful flowing grassland that includes many species: Indian grass, big bluestem, little bluestem, switch grass, Canada wild rye, prairie dropseed, and side oats grama. As for the forbs, the main show is beginning in a small patch of dolomite prairie on the eastern half of the preserve, where rough blazing star, nodding wild onion, and white goldenrod grow alongside the breathtaking red stems of little bluestem. Yes, you read it correctly, white goldenrod. It looks like a white aster, and it can be found at other preserves, like Bluff Spring Fen, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, and Lake in the Hills Fen. Along the way, you’ll also find tall coreopsis, prairie dock, rosinweed, sweet coneflower, and various goldenrods. The occasional deep pinks of ironweed add a little extra sumpin’ sumpin’ to the panorama. There’s still a lot of fading rattlesnake master, wild quinine and still-fragrant mountain mint. And look for the beautiful pink swamp milkweed in the low or wet areas. NOTE: Spears Woods and Wolf Road Prairie are not too far away.

Lockport Prairie in Lockport: If you’re in the area and can’t travel elsewhere, the short hike through the grand expanse of this dolomite prairie prairie along the out-and-back trail should help to clear your head. You my still find the final pink blooms of nodding wild onion mixed in with fading fragrant patches of whorled milkweed and a sprinkling of blue vervain, hoary vervain, pale-spiked lobelia, Canada wild rye, and spotted Joe-Pye weed amidst the waves of grasses like big bluestem, Canada wild rye, little bluestem, and Indian grass that seem to dominate this rare habitat.

 

PLANTS OF THE WEEK: SPOTTED JOE-PYE WEED & SWEET JOE-PYE WEED

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed

Sweet Joe-Pye Weed

 

 

PHOTO SECTION

 

Somme Prairie Grove Overflows with Beauty and Biodiversity

 

Wolf Road Prairie

 

Bluff Spring Fen

 

Shoe Factory Road Prairie

 

Lake in the Hills Fen

 

Pembroke Savanna

 

Illinois Beach Nature Preserve

 

Cylindrical Blazing Star

 

Woodland Sunflower

 

Rough Blazing Star

 

Nodding Wild Onion

 

Flowering Spurge

 

Obedient Plant

 

Big Bluestem

 

Canada Wild Rye

 

Indian Grass

Side Oats Grama

 

 

Rattlesnake Master

 

Swamp Rose Mallow

 

American Lotus at Tomahawk & Hogwash Sloughs

 

Prairie Dock

 

Compass Plant

 

The Charismatic Foliage of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock

 

Swamp Milkweed

 

Green Glow

 

Prairie Root System

 

—Mike