Chicago Nature NOW! Alert
June 10, 2025
“Weekly Wildflower Forecasts Featuring
Chicago’s Best Weekend Getaways & Nature Walks”
Plan the Best Nature Walks & Outdoor Getaways Around Chicago!
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WILDFLOWER FORECAST & HIGHLIGHTS to help you plan your outdoor adventures into Chicago’s Woodlands:
Around this time, magnificent shows of sand coreopsis and spiderwort are possible. Yet, there are other performances going on, like that of the melting blossoms of Ohio spiderwort! But this platform isn’t just about flowers. It’s about having a genuine nature experience, which includes being curious and expecting the unexpected. Explore these preserves and discover the many flowers from the list below. No matter what you find, if you’re open to nature’s unpredictability, as well as its gifts, you’ll open up your life to a new world of understanding and wonder. In other words, if a flower show isn’t as grand as you expected. That’s an opportunity to look more closely and to learn about what is there, not to dwell on what is not.
Like last week, pay attention to the magnificent display of sand coreopsis at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion. This is one of those “can’t miss” experiences that actually happen quite a lot around Chicago. The performance is so dramatic that my picture of it was featured in the world famous 2020 Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendar (see Photo Section).
The flamboyant pale purple coneflower (our first Plant of the Week) is another performance to look for. The best shows take place at Bluff Spring Fen, Belmont Prairie, on the slopes outside the fence at Shoe Factory Road Prairie, and to some extent at Theodore Stone Preserve and Middlefork Savanna.
In June, the melting flower of Ohio spiderwort stages a monthlong show at various savannas and prairies throughout the region. The flower dissolves soon after it first opens. Yes, you read that correctly. Click here to read my poem about it. And if a flower that turns to liquid isn’t weird enough, you can now find porcupine grass (our second Plant of the Week) with a seed that drills itself into the soil. Watch my real-time video of the drilling seed below. Look for this grass and its seeds at Belmont Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Bluff Spring Fen, Pembroke Savanna, Miller Woods, and Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie. If you visit Pembroke Savanna or Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, look for the plumes of June grass that glow brightly in the spotlight of a low sun.
The pearly trumpet-shaped flowers of foxglove beardtongue should also be starting in our local prairies, especially at Spears Woods and Bluff Spring Fenn. I love this plant because, in the fall, their seeds smell exactly, and I mean “exactly,” like vomit! In stark contrast, you can now experience a most wonderful fragrance by dropping to your knees and lowering your nose into the pink blossom of pasture rose. Over several weeks in late spring, it blooms barely inches from the ground. During that time, whenever we’re together, I partake in a sacred ritual. I drop to my knees and bow in reverence, nose to petal. However, last year, I didn’t notice the poison ivy growing right next to the flower. I immediately felt a tingling on my upper lip, but it was too late. It was a small price to pay for the many years of delight that this flower has brought me.
SPRING 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!”):
Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion: The spectacular, sunny show of golden sand coreopsis could now be underway. Though you can find them shining under the trees, breathtaking expanses of the flower are commonly found in the sun-soaked sand prairie to the east. Blooming alongside the coreopsis, you may see the tiny white sparkles of sand cress and sandwort, the fluffy white plumes of New Jersey tea, and lots of porcupine grass. In the shade of the black oak savanna, downy phlox and pasture rose add beautiful splashes of pink amidst the fading blue-and-white blossoms of wild lupine, and three-petaled blossoms of Ohio spiderwort that turn to a purple liquid in the heat of the day. Along your trek, look for hoary puccoon, hairy puccoon, and, if you’re observant, Indian paintbrush. While you’re here, consider the short drive north to Chiwaukee Prairie.
Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin: This is often the time to experience the breathtaking displays of pale purple coneflower. Also, look for the white blossoms of white wild indigo and daisy fleabane along with newly blooming foxglove beardtongue and wild quinine. Ohio spiderwort is blooming in the mornings. And keep your eye out for fragrant pasture rose at the base of the southeast kame.
Wolf Road Prairie in Westchester: This is only a “Go!” for the morning hours to experience the wonderful performance of Ohio spiderwort. However, the blue flowers will be gone by afternoon, especially if it’s hot. Along the way, you should also see the tall and fluffy purple meadow rue, white wild quinine, daisy fleabane, the occasional purple milkweed, and small displays of the heart-stopping yellow prairie sundrop. The textures and colors of the foliage adds to excitement, including the blue-greens of rattlesnake master and hundreds of prairie dock hearts.
Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove: Like Wolf Road Prairie, this preserve should be a “Go!” during the morning hours to see the ephemeral blooms of Ohio spiderwort. Their purple flowers open around sunrise, but only last a few hours until they shrivel away into a purple liquid. Very cool, huh? Click here to learn about spiderwort’s miraculous melting flowers. The fantastic show of pale purple coneflower and scurfy pea may also be taking place. Porcupine grass may be showing its long miraculous seeds that drill themselves into the soil. Again, “very cool!” Watch the seed drill in my video. And look for the gorgeous leaves of prairie dock and compass plant that glow brightly when the sun is behind them.
Spears Woods: This preserve can often present a wonderful show in the mornings of Ohio spiderwort. Joining these melting blue blossoms may be the many whites of foxglove beardtongue, white wild indigo, and dramatic displays of wild quinine throughout the prairies. Along the narrow prairie trail, you should also see the stunning purple milkweed, sprinklings of black-eyed Susan, and the glorious and happy yellow blossoms of prairie sundrop. Thanks to spring’s prescribed fire, the prairie is green and clean, uncluttered by last year’s tan skeletons. Spears Woods is one of the most beautiful sites in the region, where your walk will take you through woodlands, prairies, and wetlands.
Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest: This preserve consists of prairie, wetland, and oak savanna. Check for sparkling expanses of white-petaled meadow anemone along with blue Ohio spiderwort.m And the tall purple meadow rue with fluffy yellowish flowers and purple stems can sometimes be abundant about a quarter-mile north of the entrance.
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park: Ohio spiderwort should be blooming throughout the preserve along with nice expanses of nice displays of daisy fleabane with golden highlights of hairy puccoon. The intoxicating pasture rose may also be flowering alongside porcupine grass and June grass that glows in the low sunlight.
“GO, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD”:
Somme Prairie Grove in Northbrook: This preserve has a lush feel to it. In the woodland, you may still find some yellow flat-topped umbrellas of golden Alexander along with the occasional flat-topped white flowers of cow parsnip. The latter is a little toxic and can irritate the skin. So, no touchy-feely with this plant. You’ll find a variety of flowering species in bloom under the sun, possibly golden balsam ragwort, ivory buttons of bastard toadflax, fading shooting star, the delicately elegant stout blue-eyed grass, and the heart-stopping red Indian paintbrush. Wow! Along the way, look for any remaining creamy blooms of cream wild indigo. And don’t forget to appreciate the lush green textures that come from the foliage of forbs, sedges, and grasses, including the floppy hairdos of prairie dropseed and the heart-shaped leaves of prairie dock. should be in the wet areas. The flowering cauliflower heads of wild quinine may now be blooming along with a smattering of white wild indigo. By this time in June, the wetland blooms of blue flag iris and yellow water buttercup may now be gone.
Miller Woods (at Paul H. Douglas Environmental Center for Education) in Indiana Dunes National Park: The preserve is large and provides a nice long hike to the beach. The most prominent blooming flower will probably be both hairy puccoon and spiderwort. Along your hike, you’ll see two-flowered Cynthia, wild columbine, pasture rose, downy phlox, and energetic sprays of acrobatic bracken fern. And then there are the beavers! See photo and caption below to learn where to find them.
Shoe Factory Road Prairie in Hoffman Estates: Though not officially a hill prairie, this gravelly prairie on a hill gets a lot of sun and also many wildflowers. The next big show comes from prairie coreopsis in mid- to late June. Right now, you might find some downy phlox , porcupine grass, and some remaining patches of golden Alexander and hoary puccoon. Throughout the preserve, you’ll find various lush textures and green hue from forbs, sedges, grasses, and bloomers-to-be, including the floppy hairdos of prairie dropseed, heart-shaped leaves of prairie dock, desert-looking rattlesnake master, and fern-looking leadplant.
PLANTS OF THE WEEK: PALE PURPLE CONEFLOWER & PORCUPINE GRASS
Pale Purple Coneflower
Pale purple coneflower is favorite of mine. I just love how the petals droop downward. The plant has deep taproot, allowing it to survive drought and to thrive in gravel and dolomite limestone prairies. In the warm light of rising or setting sun, the flowers turn a stunning orange pink. Here at Belmont Prairie, I picked out this scene from a thousand coneflowers: a miniature, slow-motion rodeo that was taking place upon one prickly flower head. I watched as a tiny ant rode the back of a slinking inchworm.*
Sometimes the petals of pale purple coneflowers are colored pale white. Here, a combination of pink and white coneflowers populate the kame at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin, Illinois.*
The predawn clouds take on the colors of the pale purple coneflower at this dolomite limestone prairie at Theodore Stone Preserve in Hodgkins, Illinois. You can usually find this majestic plant growing most prominently at Bluff Spring Fen, Belmont Prairie, and on the slopes outside the fence at Shoe Factory Road Prairie,*
Each day, Mother Nature chooses from an array of natural elements and then fashions them into new works of art. Most Junes at Belmont Prairie, dazzling mosaics like this go on exhibit. Assembled from over one hundred pale purple coneflowers, the final work, not the individual pieces, draws our attention.*
June brings pale purple coneflower, scurfy pea, and porcupine grass to Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove.*
Porcupine Grass and its Miraculous Drilling Seeds
The seeds of porcupine grass are located at the tip of long sharp needles that fall off the plant and then slowly drill themselves into the soil. You can find porcupine grass at Belmont Prairie, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Bluff Spring Fen, and Powderhorn Marsh & Prairie.*
Watch my video of porcupine grass drilling itself into the soil right before your eyes!
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PORCUPINE GRASS.
PHOTO SECTION
Sand Coreopsis
The showy golden sand coreopsis is not a common plant in Illinois, but it looks familiar because we often see cultivated double-flowered and bicolored versions in our neighbors’ gardens . It’s easy to grow and can spread fast. This image of the world class display of and coreopsis was featured in the 2022 Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendar. Here, blossoms of sand coreopsis spread their golden joy along the banks of the Dead River at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion.*
The turning earth is the dimmer switch, gradually recasting every dim dewdrop, petal, and blade of grass into a galaxy of blazing bulbs and lustrous lamps. On this late-spring morning at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, blooms of golden sand coreopsis and New Jersey tea are set aglow alongside shimmering spider webs that cling to last year’s grasses.*
The Melting Flowers of Ohio Spiderwort
In late May or early June, Ohio spiderwort begins a performance that will last a month or longer, starring a cluster of buds that releases only a couple of flowers each day. Each morning, a new bud opens into a delicate blue or purple flower. You may find spiderwort, right now, at Wolf Road Prairie, Belmont Prairie, Bluff Spring Fen, Pembroke Savanna, Powderhorn Prairie, Miller Woods, Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, and more.
As the day wears on, each blossom begins to wither—then miraculously melts into a gem of royal jelly. An enzyme in the flower causes it to slowly decompose, and hot weather speeds up the process. It’s noon, and this flower is already shriveling.*
By mid-afternoon, this spiderwort bloom was melting blue between my fingertips. Do you notice my purple fingers? I was arrested earlier that morning.
This is the scene from Wolf Road Prairie, as blossoms of Ohio spiderwort open to meet the new day.*
At Miller Woods (Indiana Dunes National Park), spiderwort and ferns cover the side of the dunes.*
Pasture Rose is a Flower that Must be Smelled
Pasture rose grows here in the sand prairie at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve. But you can also find it at other preserves, including Bluff Spring Fen and Pembroke Savanna. The fragrance of pasture rose is transcendent—a spiritual experience.*
Foxglove Beardtongue (and its contribution to the wonderful world of scent)
The flowers of foxglove beardtongue resemble the snout of a dragon with a mouth that opens and closes as you squeeze the sides. This explains why it’s part of the snapdragon family. The flowers have no smell that I can detect. But come autumn, the seeds smell EXACTLY like vomit! Be still my heart.* In June, foxglove beardtongue blooms at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin and many other preserves around the region.
The spring prairie at Spears Woods in Willow Springs puts on a show of foxglove beardtongue.*
At Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin, Illinois, pearl blossoms of foxglove beardtongue catch the morning rays and a new day awakens—one as splendid and picturesque as any place on Earth.*
June Grass
June grass and hoary puccoon glow in the morning light of the sand savanna at Pembroke Savanna Nature Preserve in Hopkins Park.*
Hoary Puccoon
The golden blooms of hoary puccoon can be found, here, at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve and many other preserves around the region including Miller Woods, Powderhorn Marsh and Prairie, Wolf Road Prairie, Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Shoe Factory Road Prairie, and more.*
Blue Flag Iris
Blue flag iris can bloom in the regions better wetlands in late May and early June, including here at Spears Woods in Willow Springs.*
Blue flag iris blooms in the late-May wetland at Spears Woods in Willow Springs. But you can see it in good wetlands throughout the area.*
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.*
In May at Chiwaukee Prairie, golden Alexander blooms amidst the heart-shaped leaves of prairie dock.*
Green glow describes leaves that glow a bright green from sunlight shining through them. Here, we see a special kind of green glow that results in a shadow play, as sunlight shines through a translucent leaf of prairie dock, as golden Alexander casts its distinctive silhouette.*
Indian Paintbrush
Here at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Indian paintbrush brightens up the foggy morning landscape. You can also find this flower at Gensburg-Markham Prairie and Somme Prairie Grove.*
Wild Columbine
Wild columbine reflects the afternoon light at Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park.
Stout Blue-Eyed Grass
The sublime blooms of stout blue-eye grass may now be aflower at Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park, Illinois. And they bloom at these other preserves: Illinois Beach Nature Preserve, Chiwaukee Prairie, Miller Woods, and Somme Prairie Grove.*
The Charismatic Foliage of Compass Plant & Prairie Dock
These are the large leaves of the prairie’s most iconic plants. The heart-shaped leaf is that of prairie dock, and the long-lobed leaf is its cousin compass plant.
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
