Chicago Nature NOW! Alert
May 21, 2021
“Weekly Wildflower Reports Featuring
Chicago’s Best Weekend Getaways & Nature Trips”
Plan the Best COVID-19 Walks & Getaways Around Chicago!
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PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE VISITING OUR SHOWCASE PRESERVES DURING THIS TIME OF INCREASED INTEREST IN NATURE:
ChicagoNatureNOW! preserves are Sacred Cathedrals of Nature, NOT playgrounds or amusement parks. Please treat these sanctuaries with reverence, and behave as you would in any house of worship:
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- Stay on the trails.
- Walk, don’t run.
- If your kids need to run around, there are THOUSANDS of more appropriate places to play.
- Speak quietly as to not interfere with the spiritual experiences of others.
- Don’t pick flowers or remove anything from a preserve.
- Share cherished moments through photography, drawing, painting, and writing.
- Many of these preserves do NOT allow pets, even if they’re leashed.
- If a rule isn’t listed here, then ask yourself, “Would I do this in church?”
IMPORTANT COVID-19 SITE ACCESS & SAFETY TIPS
(which I hope to remove as more people are vaccinated)
SITE ACCESS:
Most sites and trails that are owned by Chicago-area counties and Indiana Dunes National Park are open, except for visitor centers, buildings, and bathrooms. Fermilab Prairie woodland (Fermilab Natural Areas) in Batavia is closed. Period. And Shoe Factory Road Prairie will be closed for a little while longer because the public abused the site, last year. Check out these websites before you go:
- Forest Preserve District of Cook County
- Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
- Lake County Forest Preserves
- McHenry County Conservation District
- Forest Preserve District of Will County
- Indiana Dunes National Park
BE SAFE:
- Wear a mask if you’re not vaccinated.
- Give each other some space.
- Don’t block people’s progress by gathering along trails, trailheads, or intersections.
WILDFLOWER HIGHLIGHTS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES INTO CHICAGO’S WOODLANDS:
This is the time when the blooming moves out from shade of the woodlands and into the open skies of the prairies and savannas.
At the famous Chiwaukee Prairie, shooting star (our Plant of the Week) is reaching peak bloom. The prairie is situated on the Lake Michigan shoreline on the Wisconsin side of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. The celestial white and pink flowers of shooting star span the prairie panorama alongside beautiful blooms of birdfoot violet. If you cannot make the trip to the cheese state, you can also head to the Hoosier State to experience the breathtaking performance of wild lupine at Miller Woods, Tolleston Dunes, and West Beach in Indiana Dunes National Par. During the best years, the green dunes of the savanna are covered in blue. Many other species add to the mix, including the golden hoary puccoon and hairy puccoon. These puccoons, and quite possibly the sublime fringed puccoon, are blooming at many of our prairies and savannas as well, including Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Somme Prairie Grove, Bluff Spring Fen, Chiwaukee Prairie, and Wolf Road Prairie.
The best show in Illinois comes from the dramatic show of wild hyacinth at Wolf Road Prairie, where a savanna of feathery plumes greets you as you hop out of your car (along 31st Street). You can also find these flowers at sites like Somme Prairie Grove, Oldfield Oaks, and Black Partridge Woods, but the show is not nearly as dramatic.
Somme Prairie Grove offers a whimsical array of flowers amidst a fresh, green, and clean backdrop, thanks to a recent prescribed fire that cleared away last year’s brambles.
Pembroke Savanna, near Kankakee, is calling out for conscientious human visitors, as the blue birdfoot violet carpets large areas of the savanna where it is often joined by sand phlox that varies in color from white to lavender to blue. And stout blue-eye grass will make your heart sing. Another phlox to look for, this week, is the fragrant blue woodland phlox. You can find it in all of our featured woodlands, including Black Partridge Woods, Raccoon Grove Nature Preserve, and Heron Rookery Trail.
This is still a big week for wild geranium, with flowers that float above the forest floor. Lucky for us, this pink flower with star-shaped foliage is a popular plant at all of our black soil woodlands. The best shows are taking place at Raccoon Grove and high atop the bluffs of Black Partridge Woods. The waxy, white flower of mayapple is fading, but you may still be able to catch it. Look for a single flower under any plant with two “umbrella” leaves.
As the curtain sets, you may still find some final performances of the alabaster large-flowered trillium. They take their final bow, aged with pink faces. The best preserves to try are Harms Woods, Captain Daniel Wright Woods, and possibly Meacham Grove. These preserves are not on our feature preserves list. If you live near any of these preserves or you’re a regular visitor, this is your chance to become a scout. Learn about how to scout for us.
And finally, you can still immerse yourself, head to toe, in the emerald tones of our woodlands. In the shade of the chartreuse canopy, you’ll rarely see your shoes under a jade carpet of wild ginger, mayapple, wild leek, and skunk cabbage. Black Partridge Woods and Raccoon Grove Nature Preserve are perfect examples of this lushness.
Last Saturday, Black Partridge Woods became an emerald dream as the filigree of the tree canopy added a lacey lushness to the woodland.
NOTE: It is illegal to remove this plant, or any other plant or mushroom, from any preserve in the Chicago region.
WHERE TO GO THIS WEEKEND FOR A SPRING WILDFLOWER GETAWAY AROUND CHICAGO:
We’ve ranked the preserves on this week’s list 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-rated preserves. And our “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 tells you when we last scouted the preserve. After the date, you may see one of these three mathematical symbols: +, –, = (plus, minus, equal). They represent our prediction about how the flowers will look on the coming weekend: “+” is Probably Better; “-” is Probably Less Dramatic; “=” is Probably the Same. Notice the word “probably.”
THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):
The order of the preserves below is based on the quality of the wildflower experience, starting out with the best.
Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park (5/21+): The show of wild lupine is at peak bloom. Adding the to the blue hues are the sublime blue-eyed grass and the remaining birdfoot violet. The vibrant yellow blooms of hoary puccoon add a golden sparkle to the savanna as the buttery blooms of wood betony end their run. The red-and-yellow blossoms of wild columbine float above the understory of the savanna. And flashes of white come from wild strawberry and bastard toadflax. Keep your eyes open, and you may even find the gorgeous red Indian paintbrush. While you’re here, take the trail to the lakeshore. Along the way, the path crosses a wide gravel path that goes straight east-west. Head west, and you’ll find beaver lodges and activity. If you arrive early or remain late 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 and West Beach. NOTE: The trail can be covered in water in some area. We recommend high boots. Or just slosh on through!
Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin (5/18+): The preserve is putting on its finest show of the year: the performance by the spectacular shooting star. It is joined by a colorful cast: hoary puccoon, wood betony, yellow star grass, blue-eyed grass, birdfoot violet, and wild strawberry. Golden Alexander is just beginning to expose its bright yellow blossoms. And check along the edges for soon-to-bloom wild lupine. While you’re here, you should definitely visit Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, which is easily provides the best nature experience in the region.
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (5/14+): Just get out of your car, and there it is, the whitish blue hues of wild hyacinth that cover the floor of the oak savanna. And they’re out in the prairie, too. The floating blossoms of wild geranium adds magical sparks of pink to the Mother Nature’s floral arrangement. And I just love the geometrically shaped leaves of starry false Solomon’s seal and their beautiful ivory plumes. Under the sun, you’ll experience yellow flashes of hoary puccoon, golden Alexander, and fading wood betony. Pretty blossoms of wild strawberry are scattered about. And the new bloom on the block is the bubble-gum pink downy phlox. When I say “block,” I mean it literally. On the south end of the preserve, a grid of concrete sidewalks divides the prairie and savanna into city blocks. The walkways were left behind from home construction that never took place, thanks to The Great Depression, or in this case, The Great Save!
Black Partridge Woods in Lemont (5/16-): This is the week when pink wild geranium has reached peak bloom, with the greatest density atop the bluffs. It’s still a dreamy time to experience the lushness of the woodland. It’s so green—from the new leaves of the tiered tree canopy to the dense carpet of foliage on the woodland floor. Thanks to wild ginger that has fully leafed out, you can hardly see the ground beneath. I love the miniature forests of mayapple with their parasol-shaped leaves where you may still be able to find lonesome waxy white blossom hiding under the plants with two umbrellas. Exciting patches of acrobatic skunk cabbage leaves add to the whimsy. Wild leek‘s emerald swords put up a defense, along with the star-like leaves of wild geranium. And look for the floating filigreed foliage of early meadow rue. A very nice display of wild hyacinth is starting to take off atop the bluffs toward the back. A smattering of white and pink shooting star can also be found above. The fragrant woodland phlox is fading, but still blooming in good numbers. If you find a larger patch of phlox, you may not even have to put nose to petal to detect its fabulous scent. The combination of woodland phlox, wild geranium, and shooting star is wonderful sight.
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (5/14+): Visit this week for the variety of flowers and the fresh green look and feel of the preserve. The preserve was recently burned, which cleared away the brambly dead growth from last year, leaving behind verdant emerging sprouts against a backdrop of bare black soil. It’s quite garden-like and pleasing to the eye because all of the new greenery stands out. I especially like the many bright-emerald tufts of prairie dropseed. In the shade, you’ll find some large numbers of wild geranium alongside a smattering of wild hyacinth. And while you’re under the trees, look for three-petaled blossoms of large-flowered trillium in the woodland. The golden blooms of balsam ragwort adds beautiful highlights in many places throughout the preserve alongside the final flowers of wood betony. And golden Alexander is also displaying its yellow blossoms like flat-topped umbrellas. The aptly named shooting star (our Plant of the Week) is scattered about the preserve. And look closely for the small flowers hiding low to the ground, in particular, the white bastard toadflax, the pink violet wood sorrel (with its clover-like leaves) and the purple prairie violet. There’s one spot on a knob where I found a handful of Indian paintbrush, which might just make your day. And then there’s the delicately elegant stout blue-eyed grass that makes my heart skip a beat. Back in the woods, there’s a beautiful pond under a canopy of magical cottonwoods and yellow water buttercup that should be experienced as the rays of sunlight pass through the flowers and the emerald wetland foliage. It’s breathtaking.
GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park (Unscouted. Last Scouted on 5/8=): A couple of weeks ago, the preserve was putting on a beautiful show of blue and white as carpets of sapphire birdfoot violet and sparkling sand phlox flowed across the savanna. Both were in peak condition. If you go, don’t leave without bending down to enjoy the fragrance of these two jewels. You’ll also find the white of sand cress and starry false Solomon’s seal, and the golds of two-flowered Cynthia and newly flowering hoary puccoon, that should now be much more prominent. On your visit, you’ll notice mysterious sand mounds throughout the preserves. They are the handiwork of the plains pocket gopher. This rarely seen underground gopher excavates tunnels, and the extra sand has to go somewhere.
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin (Unscouted. Last scouted on 5/13+): During our last scouting mission, the preserve was lush with carpets of green that included colonies of floppy-eared skunk cabbage and mayapple umbrellas. Check under the parasols for mayapple’s poisonous waxy white flower. The most prolific blooms were happening under the sun with shining displays of wood betony and golden Alexander. Then add to that the brilliant yellow blossoms of hairy puccoon and the last of marsh marigold. You’ll also find ivory tones from bastard toadflax in the prairie and fluffy plumes of common cottongrass in the soggy areas. Under the protection of the savanna’s canopy, look for woodland phlox, wild geranium, shooting star, and the sublime stout blue-eyed grass.
Raccoon Grove Nature Preserve in Monee (5/20+): The show of pink wild geranium blossoms is quite prominent, though that’s pretty much the only flower in bloom as we await the dramatic plumes of false Solomon’s seal. The foliage on the woodland floor has fully matured as the trees are pushing out fresh delicate leaves in the canopy overhead. Spread across the woodland floor are the jade hues and lush patterns of wild leek, mayapple, and the omnipresent wild ginger. And you may still be able to catch a glimpse of the shy drooping trillium.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: SHOOTING STAR
If the celestial blooms of shooting star don’t capture your attention, then nothing will. The origin of the name is pretty obvious at first sight, and also for the moniker of “prairie pointer” given to the plant by early pioneers. I once thought that the flowers only grew under the sun of prairies and savannas, like Chiwaukee Prairie, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Fermilab Prairie, and Somme Prairie Grove, until I found them thriving under the dappled canopy at Black Partridge Woods. Cleansing fires benefit this plant because dead vegetation can smother it. The most common pollinator is the queen bumblebee. It uses “buzz pollination” to dislodge the pollen by vibrating its wing muscles (but not the wings).
PHOTO SECTION
Wild Lupine is nearing peak bloom at Indiana Dunes National Park:
Wild lupine, of species Lupinus perennis, seems to love poor soil,. However, in ancient times, it was believed that the lupines were creating the bad soil by wolfing down the nutrients. Hence, the name comes from the Greek word “Lupus,” or “wolf.” In reality, lupine brings nutrients to the soil just like other legumes, such as leadplant, white wild indigo, scurfy pea, and purple prairie clover. Around Chicago, lupine can be found growing in sandy soil under the trees of black oak savannas, including Miller Woods, part of Indiana Dunes National Park and Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion.
Atop this spring dune thrives wild lupine at Miller Woods, part of Indiana Dunes National Park in Gary, Indiana. While you’re in the park, you also can find them at Tolleston Dunes, and West Beach.*
An exploration into the inner world of wild lupine.
Birdfoot Violet & Sand Phlox are putting on a show at Pembroke Savanna:
In May, Pembroke Savanna is home to blooms of white sand phlox and rare birdfoot violet.”
Wild Hyacinth is at peak bloom:
Wild hyacinth at Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester, Illinois.*
Each May, wild hyacinth blooms in woodlands and oak savannas across the Chicago region including, here, at Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester, Illinois.
Wild hyacinth blooms in abundance at Oldfield Oaks in Darien.*
Wood Betony:
Wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis) is also known as lousewort because it was erroneously thought to bring lice to grazing sheep and photographers who get too close. For some of its nutritional needs, the plant uses its roots to feed off of grasses, mycorrhizal fungi, and possibly other plants. I said “some” nutritional needs. Therefore, that plant is a parasite, but only partially so. Hence, it’s a hemi-parasite, more of a nibbler, as opposed to a full-fledged sap-sucking parasite. Though the leaves at the base exude a beautiful reddish tone, the green color above is the giveaway. The verdant hue shows that it’s not totally lazy, and creates its own energy through sunlight and chlorophyll production. In fact, wood betony can grow just fine even when its host plants aren’t around. Due to its nibbling nature, wood betony is known to stunt the growth of surrounding grasses. This is why it’s sometimes used in habitat restoration to quell the aggressiveness of towering grasses. In May, wood betony blooms in the best open woodlands, prairies, and savannas, like Black Partridge Woods, Bluff Spring Fen, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Chiwaukee Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and here at Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois. *
On this May morning at Shoe Factory Road Prairie, wood betony awakens to the light of a red sunrise.*
Beaver Activity at Miller Woods
On the gravel road that 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.*
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.*
Woodland Phlox is adding some newfound color to our woodlands:
Many of our featured woodlands are home to the blue and purple woodland phlox. Here at Black Partridge Woods, they flow in a serpentine wave up the bluff..*
Wild Geranium is flowering in all of our woodlands:
You can find wild geranium in all of our featured “sandless” woodlands and at many other preserves across the Chicago region. Here at Black Partridge Woods in Lemont, the pink flower hovers above their celestial star-shaped foliage.*
At Raccoon Grove, as evening nears in this beautiful spring woodland, the final streaks of sunlight penetrate the emerald canopy. The shining rays highlight the broad leaves of false Solomon’s seal and animate the soft, pink blooms of wild geranium, making all that is illuminated stand apart from the surrounding foliage.*
May brings glorious displays of wild geranium to Oldfield Oaks in Darien, Illinois, part of Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.*
Shooting Star, including Chiwaukee Prairie’s famous show:
Shooting star, hoary puccoon, yellow star grass, and others are blooming in profusion at Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. You can also find the plant at Black Partridge Woods, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Fermilab Prairie, and Somme Prairie Grove.*
May at Chiwaukee Prairie offers a breathtaking display of shooting star.*
This is a scene of shooting star and woodland phlox from atop a bluff at Black Partridge Woods in Lemont, Illinois.”
Large-Flowered Trillium is at the end of its bloom:
Trillium is Latin for “triple,” and the plant lives up to the word. The showy plant is comprised of three leaves, three sepals, and three petals. The gorgeous white blooms of large-flowered trillium can now be found at our featured preserves of O’Hara Woods Preserve, Pilcher Park, and Messenger Woods and at other preserves like Captain Daniel Wright Woods in Metawa Meacham Grove in Bloomingdale, and, here, at Harms Woods in Glenview. Notice how the flowers turn pink as they fade.*
At Heron Rookery Trail in Indiana Dunes National Park, large-flowered trillium have reached peak bloom. It’s a magnificent sight.*
Large-flowered trillium carpet the floor of Captain Daniel Wright Woods in Mettawa, Illinois.*
Messenger Woods in Homer Glen offers a decent display of large-flowered trillium. But don’t get too excited.. It doesn’t look like the above picture, anymore. Most of the plants have been eaten by deer due to decades of willful neglect by the county.*
This is a scene from J. Timothy Ritchie Nature Preserve, a preserve that supplements our featured preserve. Large-flowered trillium of species Trillium grandiflorum covers the woodland floor in a spectacular annual display here in Chesterton, Indiana.
Mayapple:
In woodlands across northeastern Illinois, like here at Black Partridge Woods, in Lemont, springtime showers bring out the umbrellas in the form of mayapples. And the white flowers of false rue anemone sparkle like raindrops. Soon, a waxy, white flower will appear, like a pedestrian under a parasol. (See the mayapple flower in the photo below.)*
Wild Ginger:
At Black Partridge Woods, the green foliage is the star of the springtime show. Here you see the heart-shaped leaves of wild ginger alongside a single blooming mayapple. The flowers of both plants can be found hiding beneath the leaves. All of our featured woodlands feature both of these plants.*
Skunk Cabbage:
It’s springtime at Pilcher Park and sunlight shines through the enormous fanning foliage of skunk cabbage which, if broken, releases a strong scent reminiscent of skunk, though sweeter and not nearly as overpowering. If you’re someone who, like me, finds the powerful essence of skunk to be an invigorating and life-affirming experience, the skunk inside the cabbage will definitely let you down. You’ll find many at Pilcher Park Nature Center, Black Partridge Woods, Bluff Spring Fen, Trout Park, and O’Hara Woods.*
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—Mike
