Chicago Nature Now! Alert
September 16, 2016
“Chicago nature info and news to help you discover the region’s finest natural wonders.”
Here’s what’s happening in Chicago nature, right now!
Visit Chicago’s prairies and savannas to experience the sights and also the smells.
September—The Season of Gold (and much more!)
The season of gold is at its climax this week as giant sawtooth sunflowers reach peak bloom. They’re joined by many species of goldenrod and aster. You’ll also find tower waves of red-stemmed grasses dancing in the prairie winds. Here’s a short list of the many preserves you should try to visit:
- Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester, Illinois: Great expanses of sawtooth sunflowers that measure up to twelve feet tall, along with goldenrods and asters.
- Spears Woods in Willow Springs, Illinois: Sawtooth sunflowers are everywhere! Click here for the location of the trailhead that goes west into the prairies.
- Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, Illinois: This preserve is magic, lush with rough blazing star, western sunflowers, and asters.
- Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook, Illinois: This is another place that feels like an escape.
- Theodore Stone Preserve: The mesic prairie on the west side of the preserve (near the main entrance) is tall with grasses and sawtooth sunflowers.
- Lake in the Hills Fen: Visit to experience the fens and the grand prairie expanse of grasses and flowers, including fringed gentians.
- Kickapoo Prairie in Riverdale, Illinois: This is a very pretty prairie very close to the city limits of Chicago.
- Powderhorn Prairie: This is the most biodiverse site within the city limits of Chicago.
- The large prairie connecting with Shoe Factory Road Prairie: Take a nice long walk through the tall grasses and the golden flowers.
- Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin: Visit to see the tall grasses and golden blooms.
- Chiwaukee Prairie in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin: This is a beautiful prairie in September.
Gentians, Gentians, Gentians!
These are not flowers that fill the landscape, but they are beautiful nonetheless. Look closely for some combination of prairie, fringed, and bottle gentians at Lake in the Hills Fen, Wolf Road Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, Powderhorn Prairie, Chiwaukee Prairie, and Belmont Prairie.
Asters, Asters, Asters!
In Ancient Greek, “aster” meant “star,” which makes sense because the blooms of the aster species resemble stars. Think of daisies, but much smaller, with colors that range from white and blue to pink and purple. Right now, many species of aster can be found at nature preserves around the region.
Hummingbirds, Hummingbirds, Hummingbirds!
The hummingbirds are still around and should be for the next couple of weeks. You can find them buzzing about at many nature centers including: Sagawau Canyon, Pilcher Park (at the nature center and south of the greenhouse), and Little Red Schoolhouse.
Ferns, Ferns, Ferns & Canyon Tours!
Once again, Cowles Bog Trail, Miller Woods, and Hoosier Prairie (all in northwestern Indiana) are jumping with gymnastic ferns. And they’re starting to change to their fall colors. If you’d like to experience a beautiful fern-lined canyon, call Sagawau Canyon in Lemont, Illinois and sign up for their next canyon tour.
See a Summer Sunset:
Saganashkee Slough in Palos Hills, Illinois is sensational for sunsets, as our celestial star—a bright, burning brass ball—slowly sinks in the sky to start a sultry summer eve.
PHOTO SECTION
September—The Season of Gold (and much more!)
In one of the last dramatic displays of the summer season, sawtooth sunflowers bloom in expanses of towering gold at Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester, Illinois.*
Gentians, Gentians, Gentians!
At Powderhorn Prairie in Chicago, Illinois, blue bottle gentians survive under the shadow of the dense September prairie, where plants, like this sawtooth sunflower, can tower twelve feet into the air.*
Bottle gentian (or closed gentian) is fully dependent on bumblebees for its survival. The petals of this unusual flower are effectively closed to other insects, but the strong bumblebee is able to muscle its way in through the tip. Late in the season, when fewer plants are blooming, bottle gentian relies on the slim pickings for pollination, hoping bumblebees won’t mind the extra effort.*
Gorgeous fringed gentians bloom in September. However, the flowers are diurnal, meaning that the the blooms only open up with the sun and are closed at night and, sometimes, on cloudy days.*
Asters, Asters, Asters!
New England aster is just one of the many species of aster that bloom this time of year.*
Ferns, Ferns, Ferns and Canyon Tours!
Royal ferns in the light fog of the savanna at Hoosier Prairie in Schererville, Indiana.*
In the Cowles Bog area, you’ll find many species of fern. Here, a forest of royal ferns thrives in a wetland that has formed at the base of a high dune.*
Lush ferns line the walls of Sagawau Canyon in Lemont, Illinois. But you can only see it if you sign up for their upcoming canyon tours. Register soon. They fill up quickly.*
Visit the Tallgrass Prairie
Big bluestem grass gives the true meaning to the term “tallgrass prairie.”*
Check Out the Sunsets at Saganashkee Slough
Relax with a golden sunset at Saganashkee Slough in Palos Hills, Illinois.*
* Photo is representational and was not recorded this year. Bloom times vary from year to year.
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
