Chicago Nature Now! Alert
June 4, 2020

“Weekly Wildflower Reports Featuring
Chicago’s Best Weekend Getaways & Nature Trips”

The Best COVID-19 Nature Walks & Outdoor Getaways Around Chicago!

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PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE VISITING OUR SHOWCASE PRESERVES DURING THIS TIME OF INCREASED INTEREST IN BEING OUTDOORS:

ChicagoNatureNOW! preserves are Sacred Cathedrals of Nature, NOT playgrounds or amusement parks. Please treat these sanctuaries with reverence. Behave as you would in any house of worship:

• • • 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

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. Check out these websites before you go:

• Forest Preserve District of Will County
• Forest Preserve District of Cook County
• Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
• Lake County Forest Preserves
• Indiana Dunes National Park
• McHenry County Conservation District
• One of our favorite showcase preserves, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, is closed until further notice due to abuse. One of our scouts found a family-of-four carrying out flowers that they picked for Mother’s Day. And we received a report of ten mountain bikers who gathered to pick the hoary puccoon and wood betony, possibly for the same reason. This behavior is horrid, and I agree with the temporary policy. But we cannot allow the preserve to be closed off forever. Education and appreciation is the key to helping people fall in love with nature, not locking people out.

BE SAFE:

• WEAR A MASK. Act as if you are infected because you very well could be and don’t know it.. A mask keeps your exhalations from taking to the air and making others sick.
• Give each other at least TEN feet of space between you because the wind can carry the virus.
  • When people are present, be conscious of the wind and its direction.
  • When having a conversation, position yourselves so that the wind is blowing from the left or the right.
• Don’t block people’s progress by blocking trails or gathering around trailheads or intersections.

WE NEED SCOUTS. CLICK TO LEARN ABOUT VOLUNTEERING WITH US!

WILDFLOWER HIGHLIGHTS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR CHICAGO NATURE OUTING:

Several beautiful floral shows are taking place this week, including shooting star, hoary puccoon, blue flag iris, and golden Alexander (our Plant of the Week).

Chiwaukee Prairie, on the Illinois/Wisconsin border, is now holding its breathtaking show of shooting star that spans the prairie panorama along with hoary puccoon and large expanses of golden Alexander.

The sensational blue flag iris is on display in wetlands across the region, including a breathtaking show at Somme Prairie Grove.

The blue-and-white blooms of wild lupine and golden hoary puccoon are blooming at Indiana Dunes National Park at Miller Woods, Tolleston Dunes, and West Beach. During the best years, the green dunes turn blue. And 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 also blooming at many of our prairies and savannas that include Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Somme Prairie Grove, and Chiwaukee Prairie.

The flowers in the woodlands are fading, though if you’d like to immerse yourself in shady, lush tranquility, visit Black Partridge Woods, Messenger Woods, Pilcher Park, Raccoon Grove, or Heron Rookery Trail.

WHERE TO GO THIS WEEKEND FOR A SPRING WILDFLOWER GETAWAY AROUND CHICAGO:

Before visiting a preserve, visit the website for the landholder first. Click here for some resources.

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 like on the coming weekend: “+” is Probably Better; “-” is Probably Less Dramatic; “=” is Probably the Same. Notice the word “probably.”

THIS WEEK’S BEST (“GO!”):

Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin (5/31+): Right now, seas of shooting star are turning the prairie pink in the midst of many other beautiful flowers:  hoary puccoon, yellow star grass, blue-eyed grass, and birdfoot violet, and wild strawberry. And if this isn’t enough, there are also breathtaking oceans of golden Alexander. Along the edges, look for nice patches of wild lupine. And notice the little heart-shaped prairie dock leaves that will soon be over a foot long.

Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook (5/31+): Everywhere you look there’s color. The show of the week, here, comes from the stunning display of blue flag iris in the wetland along the eastern edge. But there’s even more to experience. The beautiful shooting star can be found in large bunches and also sprinkled across the landscape. In the shade, you’ll find some wild geranium along with wild hyacinth which doesn’t mind a little sun. Bright pink flowers of downy phlox provide a touch of pink. The golden blooms of balsam ragwort adds beautiful highlights in many places throughout the preserve. Golden Alexander is now showing its bright yellow blossoms in large numbers. And doing its best to add to the show of gold are the miniature starlike blossoms of yellow star grass. There’s one spot on a knob where I found a handful of Indian paintbrush glowing orange in the sunlight. You find the delicately elegant stout blue-eyed grass and wild columbine, along with gorgeous sprays of cream wild indigo. 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. 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.

Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion (5/31+): If you visit Chiwaukee Prairie to see the shooting stars, then you’ll be in the neighborhood of this beautiful preserve. There are many flowers blooming, though not as dramatically as Chiwaukee. Nevertheless, this is the only preserve in the region that I’d recommend visiting even if there were no flowers blooming. There are some wild lupine blooming, but not as prolifically as previous years. Golden blooms of hoary puccoon and hairy puccoon are scattered across the preserve. And the gorgeous fringed puccoon is on full display, sometimes in small patches, but mostly sprinkled here and there. Bend down close to fully experience the elegant lacy edges of the flower petals. The light-yellow flowers of wood betony are still putting on a nice show, though they are fading. And along your way, look for the delightful blue-eyed grass, tiny sparkles of sand cress, and glow of red Indian paintbrush.

Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park (UNSCOUTED. Last scouted on 5/24+): To follow is what I predict you’ll find based on our last visit on May 24. This preserve is a treat to experience. The show of wild lupine is past peak bloom, but still casting a haze of blue over the dunes. Adding the to the blue hues are the sublime blue-eyed grass and newly blooming spiderwort. The vibrant yellow blooms of hoary puccoon and two-flowered Cynthia adds a golden sparkle to the savanna. 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. While you’re here, take the trail to the lakeshore 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 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. On that Sunday, my wife and I must have heard ten tail slaps. 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 flowers at Tolleston Dunes and West Beach. NOTE: The trail can be covered in water at some places. We recommend high boots. Or just slosh on through!

GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:

Black Partridge Woods in Lemont (5/30=): NOTE: The main parking lot is closed, but no problem! Just use the on-street parking area located about a hundred feet west. If you want to experience the lushness of a shady springtime woodland, then this is a great place to go. There aren’t many flowers blooming, anymore. The lush feel that runs from floor to canopy is breathtaking. In the lowland, it’s hard to see the soil below thanks to the carpet of wild ginger. I particularly love the miniature forests of mayapple with their parasol-shaped leaves. Exciting patches of large, acrobatic skunk cabbage add to the whimsy, along with the foliage of wild leek, wild geranium, early meadow rue, and Solmon’s seal.

We need scouts. Click here to learn about you can help us share the beauty.

Raccoon Grove Nature Preserve in Monee (UNSCOUTED. Last scouted on 5/19-): The preserve was last scouted on May 19. Like our above report on Black Partridge Woods, you should go if you want to experience a peaceful shady, green woodland. Don’t expect many flowers. However, you may see the feathery plumes of false Solomon’s seal, possibly in large numbers.  The preserve is lush with a full canopy of leaves and a dense carpet of foliage across the woodland floor. This includes the jade hues and lush patterns of wild leek, flowering mayapple, early meadow rue, and the omnipresent wild ginger.

Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester (6/2+): If you’re in the neighborhood during the morning hours, then visit the prairie to see the newly blooming flowers of Ohio spiderwort that only bloom for a few hours and then melt away. Under the trees, many shrubs of common blackberry with their white flowers are in full bloom. And in the prairie, you’ll also see downy phlox, golden Alexander, daisy fleabane, some yellow star grass.

PLANT OF THE WEEK: GOLDEN ALEXANDER

Golden Alexander of species Zizia aurea appears to have large flowers, but what you are seeing is a cluster of miniature one-eighth-inch blooms. The pollen and nectar of the flowers benefit insects with short mouthparts. The plant grows in both high-quality and degraded habitats. The golden blooms can be found brightening up the panoramas at preserves that include Somme Prairie Grove, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Wolf Road Prairie, and Chiwaukee Prairie.*

PHOTO SECTION

Shooting Star is Putting on Wonderful Shows

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 that uses its thoracic muscles to quickly vibrate the pollen loose in a process called “buzz pollination.”

Shooting star, hoary puccoon, yellow star grass, and others are blooming in profusion at Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Shooting star also grows at Black Partridge Woods, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Fermilab Prairie, and Somme Prairie Grove.*

Golden Alexander is at Peak Bloom

In May at Chiwaukee Prairie, golden Alexander blooms amidst the heart-shaped leaves of prairie dock.*

Sunlight shines through a translucent leaf of prairie dock, as golden Alexander casts its distinctive shadows.*

Blue Flag Iris

A phalanx of blue flag iris towers over the spring wetland at Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook.*

Blue flag iris blooms in the late-May wetland at Spears Woods in Willow Springs.*

Wild Lupine is Blooming in our Black Oak Savannas (Sand Savannas)

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.*

Here at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, you can often find wild lupine blooming alongside hoary and hairy puccoon, though usualy not in great numbers.*

An exploration into the inner world of wild lupine.

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.*

Wild Columbine

Wild columbine reflects the afternoon light at Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park.

Indian Paintbrush

Indian paintbrush brights up the foggy morning landscape at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion.*

Stout Blue-Eyed Grass

The sublime blooms of stout blue-eye grass are now being revealed at Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park. Wow! Do I love this flower! And you can find them at other preserves, including Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Chiwaukee Prairie, Miller Woods, and Somme Prairie Grove.*

Lush Springtime Woodlands

It’s May, and a miniature forest of mayapple reaches into the distance at Black Partridge Woods in Lemont.*

It’s springtime at Pilcher Park Nature Center, 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.*

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