Chicago Nature Now! Alert
July 28, 2016
Here’s what’s happening in Chicago nature, Right Now!:
The prairies and woodlands are screaming with color. They’re all so great that I can’t pick a favorite.
Spears Woods offers a tremendous show of prairie blazing star in its prairies and woodland sunflowers at prairie edges and open woodlands. The prairie features rattlesnake master, wild quinine, mountain mint, and more. Click here for the location of the trailhead that goes west into the prairies. To experience the tall and feathery sweet Joe-Pye Weed in the woodland, with nice view of Hogwash Slough to the southwest, visit this spot along the trail.
Wolf Road Prairie has the best show of blazing star that I’ve ever seen. Usually, they’re scattered about, but not this year. There are thousands that are mixed in with yellow coneflower, prairie dock, rattlesnake master, wild quinine, and Culver’s root. And, new this week is the towering show of woodland sunflowers along 31st Street. Just wonderful!
Kickapoo Prairie is rich with yellow coneflower, rattlesnake master, compass plant, and wild bergamot. And this is just the beginning of the show, as there are fields of tall blazing star that are about to erupt into purple explosions. I strongly urge you to visit this preserve in Riverdale, Illinois.
Somme Prairie Grove and Bluff Spring Fen are also doing very nicely. Both these preserves offer mountain mint, wild bergamot, wild quinine, black-eyed Susan, the very tall compass plant, yellow coneflower, sweet Joy-Pye weed, and more. Somme Prairie Grove has large patches of rattlesnake master and a fabulous, vast display of woodland sunflowers under the trees. (See picture below.)
This is a current photograph of Wolf Road Prairie:
I made this photograph on July 27, 2016 at Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester. I’ve never seen so many prairie blazing star at this preserve.
Here are sample photos of blazing star (from previous years):
Spears Woods’ finest show is happening right now in its prairies, as blazing stars shoot toward the sky.*
At Bluff Spring Fen, blazing star also bloom. This picture shows the seep of the fen, located at the bottom of the “bowl” in the center of the preserve.*
Here’s a sample photo of what you can find at Kickapoo Prairie in Riverdale:
Visit Kickapoo Prairie in Riverdale, where rattlesnake master, Indian grass, and compass plant glow in the sun. Great purple displays of blazing star is just beginning!*
This is an example of what you will find at Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois:
At Somme Prairie Grove, woodland sunflowers surround this majestic bur oak in the savanna. You can also find a vast display of this flower at Wolf Road Prairie.*
* Photo is representational and was not recorded this year. Bloom times vary from year to year.
—Mike
