Prairie Plants
An Identification Guide
The majority of the plants growing in the Prairie Garden were native to mid-central North America prior to the arrival of European settlers.
Some species are found throughout the garden, others occur focally. Please consult the aerial diagram for general locations.
Flowering plants are listed in the approximate order of their bloom appearance during the growing season.
Flowering herbaceous plants which are not grass-like.
Bloodroot
Common Name: Bloodroot
Scientific Name: Sanguinaria canadensis
General Location*: SE
Approximate Bloom Dates: March-May
Bloom Color: White
Height: 6 inches
Interesting to Note: This plant most often grows in open woodlands but is the first plant to flower in our prairie garden in the spring. A member of the poppy family, this plant can be toxic. The red juice from the roots, from which the common and scientific names are derived, was used by Native Americans as a dye for baskets, clothing, and body paint, as well as an insect repellent.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Downey Yellow Violet
Common Name: Downey Yellow Violet
Scientific Name: Viola pubescens
General Location*: X2 NW
Approximate Bloom Dates: April-May
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 4 inches
Interesting to Note: There are many species of violet in North America and around the world. Yellow violets are less common and are seen most often in open woodlands. This flower is one of the first to bloom in the prairie garden. In the late 19th century, certain species of the violet family were used as perfume and breath mints. Violet blossoms are edible and can add interest and drama to your salads or can be candied and used to decorate cakes and other desserts.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Common Blue Violet
Common Name: Common Blue Violet
Scientific Name: Viola sororia
General Location*: several areas along edges of paths
Approximate Bloom Dates: April-May
Bloom Color: Blue
Height: 4 inches
Interesting to Note: There are many species of violet in North America and around the world. The common blue violet (Viola sororia) is often seen around the edge of the paths in this garden. Violets are sometimes considered to be weedy but they add color and an early source of nectar for pollinators in the spring. Violets can have a range of color from blue to pink to white. The Garden Pansy and Johnny Jump Up flowers are in the Viola family and many hybrids and cultivars have been developed. In the late 19th century, certain species of the violet family were used as perfume and breath mints. Violet blossoms are edible and can add interest and drama to your salads or can be candied and used to decorate cakes and other desserts.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Mayapple
Common Name: Mayapple
Scientific Name: Podophyllum peltatum
General Location*: N
Approximate Bloom Dates: May
Bloom Color: White
Height: 12 inches
Interesting to Note: There is a colony of May Apple in the Prairie Garden, although this plant is often seen in open woodlands. The leaves, roots, and seeds are poisonous if ingested in large quantities. The ripe golden-yellow fruits are said to loose their toxic quality but we don’t recommend eating them. Modern medicine uses a chemical derived from this plant (podophyllin) to treat viral warts.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Wild Strawberry
Common Name: Wild Strawberry
Scientific Name: Fragaria virginiana
General Location*: NE east side
Approximate Bloom Dates: May-June
Bloom Color: White
Height: 6 inches
Interesting to Note: The modern garden strawberry was bred from a cross of this native plant with a similar European species. A low growing plant, we have removed taller plants in this area to allow it to thrive. The small fruits of the wild strawberry (if you can find them before the birds do) are thought by some to be even more delicious than the hybrids.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Shooting Star
Common Name: Shooting Star
Scientific Name: Dodecatheon media
General Location*: SE east
Approximate Bloom Dates: April-June
Bloom Color: White to lilac
Height: 12 inches
Interesting to Note: A gem of the early spring prairie which also grows in open woodland, the Shooting Star is an enchanting plant. Rising from a rosette of low basal leaves, a stalk holds several flowers, the swept-back petals of which attach to the stamens protruding from the center of the flower giving the sense of speeding motion. Bumble bees, the chief pollinators, must force their tongues between the united stamens to reach the stigma of the pistil. A similar species with lavender flowers (D. amethystinum) grows in our area on damp limestone cliffs along the upper Mississippi River valley and is becoming quite rare.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Rose Verbena
Common Name: Rose Verbena
Scientific Name: Glandularia canadensis
General Location*: Middle of west section
Approximate Bloom Dates: May
Bloom Color: Magenta, rose-pink
Height: 6 inches
Interesting to Note: This short spring bloom grows widely in North America and is often utilized in rock gardens. In our prairie garden it is soon obscured by taller plants but if you visit in May you might spy a few specimens.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Golden Alexanders
Common Name: Golden Alexanders
Scientific Name: Zizia aurea
General Location*: W northeast corner
Approximate Bloom Dates: April-June
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 2-3 feet
Interesting to Note: A member of the carrot family, Golden Alexanders is a cheery bloom in the late spring prairie. It is a host plant of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly. This native plant must be distinguished from Wild Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) a similar appearing but taller and later blooming invasive plant, often seen growing in Midwestern roadside ditches, that can cause a severe skin rash when juices from the plant get on the skin and a toxin is activated by sunlight ultraviolet rays.
Since these plants are easily confused we recommend you handle such plants you encounter with care.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Prairie Smoke
Common Name: Prairie Smoke
Scientific Name: Geum triflorum
General Location*: North under entry sign, West side near path intersection
Height: 6-8 inches
Bloom color: pink to light red
Bloom time: April-May
Interesting to Note: This alluring short plant has three nodding bell-shaped red to pinkish 3/4 to 1 inch blossoms on each flower stem (hence the species name triflorum) which appear in the late spring. The defining display, which can last for weeks, is pink feathery 2 inch extensions from the seeds which hover above the fern-like basal leaves. When a colony of plants is viewed from a distance, this feature gives the appearance of smoke or mist. The plant slowly creeps by rhizomes and is a wonderful addition, with other short plants, in a dry site or rock garden. This plant likes full sun and does not do well in the shade of taller species. Another common name is old man’s whiskers.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass
Common Name: Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass
Scientific Name: Sisyrinchium campestre
General Location*: West side at path intersection
Height: 8-10 inches
Bloom color: pale blue
Bloom time: May
Interesting to Note: This striking small plant has 1/2 to 3/4 inch, pale-blue, 6 petal-like, flowers arising from slender stems and leaves. Not a grass at all, but a member of the iris family, this plant gives early nectar to spring pollinators when other prairie flowers have not yet started blooming. Blue-eyed grass is hardier than it first appears, and can tolerate dry soils and be an attractive addition to sunny rock gardens.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Cream False Indigo
Common Name: Cream False Indigo
Scientific Name: Baptisia bracteata
General Location*: Central under large sign. North-east corner
Height: 1-2 feet
Bloom color: Cream
Bloom time: May
Interesting to Note: This member of the legume family is attractive and interesting in four seasons and deserves to be more widely planted in gardens. One of the first prairie plant to bloom, it gives needed nectar to Bumblebee Queens emerging from hibernation. The mounded, low-growing plant has blueish-green foliage and cascading flower spikes appearing in May. Its foliage and large seed pods turn black and contrast with fall prairie colors. The plant can take a while to get established and grows a long taproot, but it is long-lived and worth the wait. The foliage can be toxic to herbivores but this also means it is deer resistant.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Smooth Spiderwort
Common Name: Smooth Spiderwort
Scientific Name: Tradescantia ohiensis
General Location*: all over
Approximate Bloom Dates: May-July
Bloom Color: Blue
Height: 2-3 feet
Interesting to Note: This plant is so named for its mucilage-like sap that “strings” like a spider web silk. The flowers, found at the end of a stem, open a few at a time in the morning; the petals then wilt and turn to a jelly-like fluid accounting for other names: Job’s tears and widow’s tears. Other flowers then follow over days for an extended bloom period. Some Native Americans reportedly used the plant as a remedy for spider bite, an example of the superstitious concept of “belief in signs,” an idea that plants could heal conditions that they resemble.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
"Red" Spiderwort
Common Name: "Red" Spiderwort
Scientific Name: Tradescantia virginiana(?)
General Location*: NW and by the “Root systems” sign
Approximate Bloom Dates: May-July
Bloom Color: Magenta
Height: 1-2 feet
Interesting to Note: This little plant which often blooms in front of the sign on the north side of the garden is a bit of a mystery. A “red Spiderwort” was planted by Marlyn Bausman in 1983 in this area which he identified as Tradescantia rosea, a plant native to the SE Appalachian Mountain area. We think this maybe T. Virginiana, a short spiderwort native to the eastern US. Tradescantia genus plants can show variable blossom colors and are difficult to speciate and are often crossbred for the garden plant trade. Our plant could be a hybridized garden escape. If any of our botanically trained visitors would like to help identify this plant we would be appreciative.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Penstemon
Common Name: Penstemon (3 phenotypes in the garden)
Scientific Name: Penstemon species
General Location*: all over
Approximate Bloom Dates: June
Bloom Color: White to pale pink
Height: 2 feet
Interesting to Note: Marlyn Bausman planted 5 types of Penstemon plants, at least some of which may have been hybridized cultivars. Since 1983, some have continued to merrily self-sow throughout the garden. The genus name derives from the Greek for “five stamens,” one of which is sterile, long, and hairy resembling a bearded tongue, hence a common name for this plant, “beardtongue”. There are over 230 species of Penstemon in North America and so far we have not speciated these plants. These handsome herbaceous perennials feature lance-shaped foliage and spikes of tubular flowers that bees and hummingbirds visit in the spring and are popular in home gardens.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Prairie Groundsel,
Ragwort
Common Name: Prairie Groundsel, Ragwort
Scientific Name: Packera plattensis
General Location*: NE-SE west side
Approximate Bloom Dates: May-June
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 8-12 inches
Interesting to Note: This short perky little plant with bright yellow flowerheads brightens the early prairie season. It flowers and produces dandelion like seed heads before the taller plants tower over it. The plant is highly toxic to cattle and all mammals. The scientific name honors a Canadian botanist, John Packer; the species name means from the Platte (river area of Nebraska.)
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Prairie Alumroot
Common Name: Prairie Alumroot
Scientific Name: Heuchera richardsonii
General Location*: NE-SE west side (one plant)
Approximate Bloom Dates: May-June
Bloom Color: Yellow-green
Height: 12 inches
Interesting to Note: This is a short understated plant and we have found only one specimen in our garden. Inconspicuous yellow-green flowers arise from geranium-like basal leaves. If you find it, look for the tiny brilliant orange stamens that extend beyond the petals of the flower. This plant is related to the many hybridized garden Heuchera such as coralbells. Hummingbirds seek out this plant. Native Americans and pioneers used a powder made from the roots as an astringent to close wounds.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
White False Indigo
Common Name: White False Indigo
Scientific Name: Baptisia leucantha
General Location*: all over; mostly SE north end
Approximate Bloom Dates: late May-June
Bloom Color: White
Height: 4-5 feet
Interesting to Note: This showy legume often stands out above surrounding prairie grasses. The early spring shoot resembles asparagus but the plant is toxic. The long shoots of white flowers are an important source of nectar in the spring. Many species of this genus contains a blue dye that resembles indigo, which becomes noticeable in autumn as the plants blacken on drying. Native American and pioneer children were said to use the seed pods as rattles. The genus name, Baptisia, derives from the Greek “to dip,” a nod to the process of dyeing cloth and also the root word for the practice of baptism.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Queen of the Prairie
Common Name: Queen of the Prairie
Scientific Name: Filipendula rubra
General Location*: NW W and south end
Approximate Bloom Dates: June
Bloom Color: Pink
Height: blooms 4-5 feet
Interesting to Note: This showy species needs damp soil and is rare or threatened throughout its historical range and is an indicator of high quality natural areas where it exists. A plume of pink blooms resembling cotton candy rises above basal palmate (hand like) leaves. The blooms provide no nectar but some insects utilize its pollen. In our garden the plant has not bloomed in droughty years and has been disease-prone when dry. Filipendula cultivars are widely grown in gardens. We had one “artificial intelligence” plant identification application key the leaves out as “marijuana” so if you see that sort of leaf here you are probably looking at this plant! We hope you will see it blooming one year and we do too!
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Daisy Fleabane
Common Name: Daisy Fleabane
Scientific Name: Erigeron annuus
General Location*: NE side, scattered elsewhere
Approximate Bloom Dates: late May-July
Bloom Color: White
Height: 2-3 feet
Interesting to Note: Daisy Fleabane may be considered a weed by some, however it is a native wildflower. It is considered a “pioneer species” and it loves recently-disturbed sites. It is said to have gone to Europe and become weedy, reversing the usual pattern of North America hosting European “weeds.” The plant is an annual, reseeding every year.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Yarrow
Common Name: Yarrow
Scientific Name: Achillea millefolium
General Location*: all over
Approximate Bloom Dates: June-July
Bloom Color: White
Height: 1-2 feet
Interesting to Note: Yarrow is a common plant, growing worldwide in the northern hemisphere. It can be aggressive, spreading readily by seed and by rhizomes, but it is utilized by many insects so it has its place in the prairie environment. Yarrow has been used as a medicinal plant by many cultures. It does seem to have the property of stopping bleeding when used topically (although we don't recommend it be used for this) and the genus name refers to the Greek hero, Achilles, who by legend treated his soldiers’ wounds with the plant. The species name (millefolium - “thousand leaves”) refers to the feathery finely divided leaves.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Purple Meadow Rue
Common Name: Purple Meadow Rue
Scientific Name: Thalictrum dasycarpum
General Location*: SE east side, one large clump
Approximate Bloom Dates: June-July
Bloom Color: White
Height: 3-5 feet
Interesting to Note: Purple Meadow Rue is a dense, clump-forming plant often at prairie/woodland edges as in our garden, where there is one prominent group of plants. The plant features very attractive lacy, fine-textured, medium green, compound foliage (superficially resembling columbine or maidenhair fern) and terminal, wiry-branched sprays (panicles) of tiny, white flowers which appear in early summer. Individual flowers are not particularly striking, but the mass effect of bloom can be pleasing. Stems can be purple, hence the name, however our specimen does not show this feature. The plant is mostly dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants).
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Turk's Cap Lily
"Red Michigan Lily"
Common Name: Turk's Cap Lily, "Red Michigan Lily"
Scientific Name: Lilium michiganense
General Location*: West south end, only one plant identified
Approximate Bloom Dates: mid-June to July
Bloom Color: Red-orange
Height: 3 feet
Interesting to Note: Marlyn Bausman planted 3 native lily plants in 1983 (“Turk’s cap lily”— Lilium superbum, “Red Michigan lily”— Lilium michiganense, and “Canada lily”— Lilium canadense,) two of which have recently bloomed here (2022-2023.) These 3, easily-confused, striking and exotic-appearing, native orange lilies each have six swept-back petals that are reminiscent of a turban. L. superbum has green streaks on the insides of the petals that form a “green star” while L. michiganense lacks this feature. We are finding that these plants do not bloom every year and that deer enjoy eating their buds.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Turk's Cap Lily
Common Name: Turk's Cap Lily
Scientific Name: Lilium superbum
General Location*: SE south side
Approximate Bloom Dates: July
Bloom Color: Orange
Height: 5 feet
Interesting to Note: Lilium superbum is the largest and most spectacular of the native lilies; up to 40 flowers have been recorded on a single plant. The recurved sepals and petals, which presumably resemble a type of cap worn by early Turks, and the showy extruded stamens, are distinctive features. L. superbum has green streaks on the insides of the petals that form a “green star” while L. michiganense lacks this feature. We are finding that these plants do not bloom every year and that deer enjoy eating their buds.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Prairie Coreopsis
Common Name: Prairie Coreopsis
Scientific Name: Coreopsis palmata
General Location*: East center
Approximate Bloom Dates: June-July
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 1.5 to 2 feet
Interesting to Note: “Among the many prairie wildflowers with showy yellow flowerheads, Prairie Coreopsis has the advantage of flowering somewhat earlier in the summer than most of them. It also blooms before the warm-season prairie grasses develop rapidly in response to hot summer weather, allowing its flowerheads to be seen from a distance by flower-visiting insects.” (http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info) The plant can run by rhizomes but is usually well behaved with competition from other plants. The species name refers to the resemblance of the leaves to a hand with fingers.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Common Milkweed
Common Name: Common Milkweed
Scientific Name: Asclepias syriaca
General Location*: all over
Approximate Bloom Dates: June-July
Bloom Color: Pink
Height: 3 feet
Interesting to Note: Common milkweed with its pleasing fragrance and long bloom period is an important host plant for the Monarch butterfly and is a notable nectar source for many insects. The plant contains toxic compounds that when absorbed by Monarch larvae, make the larvae and adult butterflies distasteful to birds and other predators. There are several species of milkweed, some of which are quite rare and are indicators of high quality native prairie. Common milkweed is easily grown by seed and can aggressively spread by rhizomes but it deserves a place in native plant gardens.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Wild Quinine
Common Name: Wild Quinine
Scientific Name: Parthenium integrifolium
General Location*: West side by intersection. North side under entry sign
Height: 3-5 feet
Bloom color: White
Bloom time: June-September
Interesting to Note: Wild quinine is a handsome upright plant with attractive pure white flowers that look like tiny cauliflowers. The bloom time is long adding to its attraction as a garden plant. The leaves are rough and somewhat hairy and those features, plus a bitter taste, allow for some deer resistance. Tea from its leaves was once used to treat fevers, accounting for the common name— quinine (a chemical, derived from the bark of the Peruvian cinchona tree) which was once used to treat malaria. Another common name was American feverfew. The plant is not common in the wild, usually found only in high quality native prairies.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Ox-Eye, False Sunflower
Common Name: Ox-Eye, False Sunflower
Scientific Name: Heliopolis helianthoides
General Location*: all over
Approximate Bloom Dates: June-July
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 4-5 feet
Interesting to Note: Heliopolis helianthoides is one of the earliest tall (3-4 feet) yellow blooms on the prairie. It is a short-lived perennial that is a member of the aster family. Unlike true sunflowers and most asters, both its disk and ray flowers are capable of producing seed. The plant can grow well in dry locations. It blooms profusely through the summer on thin stems above the foliage and is popular in flower gardens.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Tall Thimble Weed
Common Name: Tall Thimble Weed
Scientific Name: Anemone virginiana
General Location*: NE east side (one plant)
Approximate Bloom Dates: June-July
Bloom Color: white
Height: 2.5 to 3 feet.
Interesting to Note: (front photo credit to Christer T Johansson, Wikipedia) The Thimbleweeds have multi-month visual interest. The white septals of the flower come first followed by developing seeds in a thimble-shaped structure, then followed by a fluffy seed head, This plant is a member of the buttercup family and prefers partial shade.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Black-Eyed Susan
Common Name: Black-Eyed Susan
Scientific Name: Rudbeckia hirta
General Location*: Central west side
Approximate Bloom Dates: June-July
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 2 feet
Interesting to Note: Everyone loves Susan with the dark back eyes. This native prairie opportunist thrives in disturbed areas, generally preferring drier soils and exists as an annual, biennial or short-lived perennial. The plant has naturalized through out the continent and exists as many garden cultivars.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Purple Coneflower
Common Name: Purple Coneflower
Scientific Name: Echinacea purpurea
General Location*: Central near paths
Approximate Bloom Dates: July
Bloom Color: Purple
Height: 3-4 feet
Interesting to Note: Echinacea purpurea’s native range was just south of Dubuque Iowa. Pale Purple coneflower (E. pallida) and Narrow-leaved coneflower (E. augustifolia) existed in this location. These plants are handsome and attract many pollinators. They give a subtle fragrance when warmed by the sun. The genus name refers to the spiny seed head that looks like a sea urchin. Native Americans reportedly used the greener seed heads as hair brushes; but as the seed heads dry they become quite sharp and prickly and not something one would want around tender scalps. Some think the plant stimulates the immune system. There are many garden cultivars.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Butterfly Weed
Common Name: Butterfly Weed
Scientific Name: Asclepius tuberosa
General Location*: North by sign, West near path intersection
Height: 2 feet
Bloom color: Orange
Bloom time: July-August
Interesting to Note: This plant is one of the most striking and beloved prairie forbs and true to its common name is a butterfly magnet. Like others in the milkweed family, it is a host plant for the Monarch Butterfly but this plant does not have the milky sap common to other milkweeds. The plant, when mature, has a thick 12 inch-long taproot that is difficult to transplant. The spring growth is late to emerge so don’t give up on this plant if you have it in your garden. The spindle-shaped seed pods have chocolate-colored seeds with silky plumes that the wind can carry for miles. Flowers are long lasting. The genus name Asclepias comes from Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and milkweeds have been used in folk remedies although they can be toxic and lend a protective bitter taste to Monarch butterflies.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Rattlesnake Master
Common Name: Rattlesnake Master
Scientific Name: Eryngium yuccifolium
General Location*: West side at path intersection
Height: 4 feet
Bloom color: white
Bloom time: July-September
Interesting to Note: Once you see this plant you will never forget it and there is nothing else that you will confuse it with. The round bristly flower heads rise on stout stems that are hollow and can serve as nest cavities for solitary bees. The silvery-blue foliage and flowers are said to give a honey-like fragrance on warm sunny days. The basal foliage is reminiscent of the yucca plant (hence the species name yuccifolium). A member of the parsley/carrot family, the plant looks nothing like its cousins, but like them is a host for the Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Deer and rabbits leave this plant alone and it is easily grown in your garden but is uncommon in natural areas. Many indigenous people and pioneer remedies were ascribed to this plant including as an antidote to snake venom.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Prairie Dock
Common Name: Prairie Dock
Scientific Name: Silphium terebinthinaceum
General Location*: SE west side
Approximate Bloom Dates: July
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: Flower stalk (7-8 feet) / Leaves (2 feet)
Interesting to Note: Prairie Dock is a wonderfully strange-looking plant that looks like it might be more at home in the tropics or on the Pleistocene prairie along with mastodons. It has huge rough and leathery ovate or heart-shaped basal leaves, up to 2′ long, with very tall flower stalks, showing marble-like buds that open into yellow sunflower-like blooms. The large leaves gave rise to another common name: “elephant ears.” Slow to establish, once it does it is very hardy with long tap roots that survive fire and other disturbances. The seeds are eaten by goldfinch birds. The species name means “like turpentine” apparently named by a botanist that thought the plant has that odor. Grow one in your garden and amuse your whole neighborhood.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Illinois Bundle Flower
Common Name: Illinois Bundle Flower
Scientific Name: Desmanthus illinoensis
General Location*: Central by large sign. Northeast corner
Height: 3-5 feet
Bloom color: White
Bloom time: July- August
Interesting to Note: This plant of the legume family is better known for its fern-like leaves and interesting seed pods than its flowers. Related to warm climate Mimosa plants, the doubly compound leaves are similar in appearance to “sensitive plants” of that group that can fold upon touch. The round, 1/2 inch in diameter, fuzzy-appearing blooms are composed of 50 or more tiny green flowers. Seed heads are constructed of several bundled and twisted crescent-shaped seed pods. Both the foliage and seeds are high in protein (up to 38%) making this plant attractive to deer and rabbits and many birds utilize its seeds— to the point that keeping the plant persisting in gardens can be challenging. Added by transplants grown from seed in 2024.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Yellow Coneflower,
Gray-Headed Coneflower
Common Name: Yellow Coneflower, Gray-Headed Coneflower
Scientific Name: Ratibida pinnata
General Location*: Central N + a few scattered
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 4-5 feet
Interesting to Note: This easily grown plant shows downward drooping petals surrounding a “cone” which is actually a disk of flowers. When the center cone is crushed it gives a distinctive anise scent. This is an excellent cut flower and nectar source. Because of it’s tired-looking petals it has also been called “Weary Susan,” a name which probably described many hard-working prairie pioneer women.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Cup Plant
Common Name: Cup Plant
Scientific Name: Silphium perfoliatum
General Location*: All over
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 5-6 feet
Interesting to Note: We have mixed feelings about this plant that dominates areas of our garden. While it has an interesting structure and provides nectar and seeds (and even a water source) for wildlife, it has spread aggressively by roots and seed in our fertile soil and shades out many other lower plants. We are trying to actively manage this plant and reduce its”footprint” in our garden. Cup plant’s square stems with surrounding leaves form a “cup” that collects rainwater. This area can give a refreshing drink but can also be fouled by collected debris and drowning insects and give certain mosquitoes breeding water. Some botanists have speculated that the water cups form a protective adaptation to control insects that may crawl up the stems to prevent them from getting to the seeding areas.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Wild Bergamot
Common Name: Wild Bergamot
Common Name: Wild Bergamot, bee balm, horse mint
Scientific Name: Monarda fistulosa
General Location*: All over
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: light purple
Height: 4-5 feet
Interesting to Note: This showy perennial of the mint family is visited by many long-tongued insects and hummingbirds that take nectar from its tubular-shaped blossom structures for which the species name “fistulosa” was given. Its aromatic leaves contain many essential oils, including the antiseptic thymol, the primary active ingredient in some modern commercial mouthwash formulas.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
White Vervain
Common Name: White Vervain
Common Name: White Vervain
Scientific Name: Verbena urticifolia
General Location*: Mainly west
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: White
Height: 5 feet
Interesting to know: White vervain can be weedy and has an unimpressive small white flower that quickly turns to many small seeds that reportedly some Native American tribes gathered, roasted, ground and used as flour. The plant is utilized by many insects for nectar and as a leaf food source and its long-standing seed heads give food for winter birds. Its botanical name, urticifolia, refers to the resemblance of its leaves to another common plant, nettle (Urtica spp.) but this plant does not sting one’s skin like nettle. The plants often have a dusky gray appearance in the fall.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Blue Vervain
Common Name: Blue Vervain
Scientific Name: Verbena hastata
General Location*: East center
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: Blue
Height: 5 feet
Interesting to Note: Blue Vervain has showy upright blue flower spikes that bloom from bottom up in July. Often considered weedy, it usually doesn’t become aggressive in native prairie settings. The plant offers many seeds for birds. The species name, hastata, means “spear-shaped” in Latin.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Common Evening Primrose
Common Name: Common Evening Primrose
Scientific Name: Oenothera biennis
General Location*: N and E
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-September
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 4-5 feet, sometimes higher on fertile soil
Interesting to Note: The flowers of this night-flowering biennial open in the evening and close by noon although they may stay open on cloudy days. Due to the night blooming habit, much of the pollination of this plant may be accomplished by night-flying moths. The plant takes 2 years to complete its life cycle, with basal leaves becoming established the first year, and yellow flowers proceeding up the stalk over a long period in the second year. The roots are edible during the first year, and the innumerable tiny seeds are important as bird feed and were utilized as a food source by some Native Americans. Seeds are said to remain viable in the soil at least 70 years.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Culver's Root
Common Name: Culver's Root
Scientific Name: Veronicastrum virginicum
General Location*: Several
Approximate Bloom Dates: June-August
Bloom Color: White
Height: 4-6 feet
Interesting to Note: Apparently named for an 18th century herbalist doctor (Dr. Culver or Coulvert) who recognized the plant’s laxative properties, this plant lives on while its eponymous promoter is long gone. So too is Saint Verónica who lent her name to another genus of plants (Veronica) which Culver’s Root is supposed to falsely resemble. This is apparently the only plant in the genus Veronicastrum. Culver’s Root wonderfully offers candelabra-like spikes of white flowers, sometimes with a purple or pink cast, that open from the bottom up. The flowers are an important source of nectar for bees and their upright stems last long into winter giving structure to the dormant prairie landscape.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Compass Plant
Common Name: Compass Plant
Scientific Name: Silphium laciniatum
General Location*: N
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: See below
Interesting to Note: This relative of Cup Plant and Prairie Dock (also present in this garden) is an iconic plant of the tall grass prairie. Compass plant sends up towering flower spikes (7 feet or more) bearing sunflower-like yellow flowers from 2 foot high basal leaves. The leathery, oak-leaf shaped foliage is oriented more or less north-south, perhaps collecting all the sunlight possible while minimizing water loss, a feature noted by prairie pioneers who gave the common name. It may well take a decade for this plant to flower when grown from seed. The sap from its stems was said to have been chewed like gum by Native American and pioneer children alike.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Sweet Joe Pye Weed
You can read a lengthy and interesting scholarly paper about the person, “Joe Pye,” by clicking the button below.
Common Name: Sweet Joe Pye Weed
Scientific Name: Eutrochium purpureum
General Location*: All over
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: Pale pink to pale purple
Height: 5-7 feet
Interesting to Note: There are two Joe Pye Weed varieties in our garden. Sweet Joe Pye Weed (E. Purpureum) on the left side of the photo and Spotted Joe Pye Weed (E. maculatum) on the right. E. Purpureum has paler flowers, a vanilla scent to leaves and flowers and prefers more shade in savanna or woodland edges settings. Joe Pye weeds (of which there are several similar appearing varieties and subspecies) are tall erect clump-forming plants with attractive upright flower clusters. The genus name, Eutrochium, is derived from two Greek words. Eu means “well.” Troche means “wheel-like” and refers to the plants’ leaves which whorl around the stem. The common name may refer to a Native American or pioneer healer, Joe Pye.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Spotted Joe Pye Weed
You can read a lengthy and interesting scholarly paper about the person, “Joe Pye,” by clicking the button below.
Common Name: Spotted Joe Pye Weed
Scientific Name: Eutrochium maculatum
General Location*: All over
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: Dark pink to purple. Purple stems, sometimes with spots at bottom.
Height: 5-7 feet
Interesting to Note: There are two Joe Pye Weed species in our garden. Sweet Joe Pye Weed (E. Purpureum) on the left side of the photo and Spotted Joe Pye Weed (E. maculatum) on the right. E. maculatum has darker flowers, and prefers a more sunny location.
Joe Pye weeds (of which there are several similar appearing varieties and subspecies) are tall erect clump-forming plants with attractive upright flower clusters. The genus name, Eutrochium, is derived from two Greek words. Eu means “well.” Troche means “wheel-like” and refers to the plants’ leaves which whorl around the stem.
The common name may refer to a Native American or pioneer healer, Joe Pye.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Mountain Mint
Common Name: Mountain Mint
Scientific Name: Pycnanthemum virginianum
General Location*: All over
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: White
Height: 2-3 feet
Interesting to Note: This attractive plant forms small rhizomatously spreading clumps of upright white flowers, sometimes with a purple cast or small purple spots. The genus name derives from the Greek for “dense” and “flower” and aptly describes the crowded flower heads. Mountain Mint is highly attractive to many bees and wasps. The plants, particularly the heads, have a very strong spearmint fragrance when crushed. The common name “mountain” is a bit of a misnomer as the plant does not grow at higher altitudes. It is, however, an upland plant that can handle some dry soils unlike culinary mints which often like damper places.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Sweet Indian Plantain
Common Name: Sweet Indian Plantain, False Indian Plantain
Scientific Name: Hasteola suaveolens
General Location*: NW N north side
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: Cream-white
Height: 4-6 feet
Interesting to Note: Sweet Indian Plantain (Hasteola suaveolens) has striking triangular-shaped leaves that are reminiscent of arrowheads. This plant is uncommon throughout its range and prefers damp areas with mild shade- often occurring in floodplains or along prairie rivers. The plant has a delicate fragrance and in our garden is highly attractive to many wasps and bees in spite of its understated appearance. The plant can spread by rhizomes and be aggressive in gardens.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Tick Trefoil
Common Name: Tick Trefoil, Beggar-weed, Beggar’s Lice, Tick Clover
Scientific Name: Desmodium species
General Location*: East
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: Pink
Height: 2-3 feet
Interesting to Note: This plant was not sown here but it volunteered. Desmodium species are numerous and are confusing to identify. The flattened, hairy pods have the irritating habit of sticking to clothing and animal fur, hence the common names referring to annoying arachnoid creatures and beggars. Their seeds, however, are good food sources for wild turkeys and other birds. Legumes, Desmodium plants fix nitrogen and often have three leaves like many legume plants (“Trefoil” means “three-leaved.”) Some Desmodium species are used in agriculture to repel insect pests, inhibit the growth of weeds, enrich the soil, and create fodder for livestock, but many consider them weeds to be avoided.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Great St. John's Wort
Common Name: Great St. John's Wort
Scientific Name: Hypericum pyramidatum
General Location*: East east side
Approximate Bloom Dates: July- August
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 5-6 feet
Interesting to Note: This genus has many species, some of which are native and some of which are of European origin. The common name derives from the fact that the flowers are said to first bloom on St. John’s Eve, around June 24 th. Some species are shrubby. Many medicinal properties were attributed to these plants, but they can be toxic and we don't recommend their use outside the garden.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
New England Aster
Common Name: New England Aster
Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
General Location*: All over
Approximate Bloom Dates: September-October
Bloom Color: Dark purple
Height: 3-5 feet
Interesting to Note: This showy late blooming aster is an important nectar source for migrating Monarch Butterflies. The flower color is is usually deep purple but is variable, ranging from lavender to blue to white. A pink variety of this species is sometimes grown in gardens. The hairy leaves that encroach upon and nearly encircle the stem allow one to identify this plant when not in bloom.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Panicled Aster
Common Name: Panicled Aster
Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum lanceolatum
General Location*: All over
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-October
Bloom Color: White
Height 4-5 feet
Interesting to Note: One of many similar appearing late summer to early fall white asters, this plant spreads by underground roots to form colonies.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Heath Aster
Common Name: Heath Aster
Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum ericoides
General Location*: All over
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-October
Bloom Color: White
Height 3-4 feet
Interesting to Note: Heath aster is a perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family native to North America. The genus name Symphyotrichum comes from the Greek word “symph” which means come together and “trich” or hair in reference to the hairy-looking flower anthers. One of several late season white asters this is one of the blooms that bees use to “top-off” their nectar collection year.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
"Blue Aster"
Common Name:
“Blue Aster,” probably Sky-blue Aster
Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
General Location*: Center under sign, North-east corner
Height: 1.5 to 2 feet
Bloom color: light blue
Bloom time: August- October
Interesting to Note: There are several prairie and open woodland blue asters that are difficult to speciate. Included in this group are smooth Aster (Symphyotrichum laevis), Short’s aster (Symphyotrichum shortii), Blue Wood Aster (S. cordifolium), Drummond’s Aster (S. drummondii), and Lindley’s Aster (S. ciliolatum). We still have work to do in differentiating what grows here. This delicate, cheery and showy plant has heart shaped leaves at the base that narrow and become shorter further up the stems that divide and carry numerous one half to 3/4 inch blooms with delicate blue to lavender petals with yellow centers that turn reddish with age. The plant blooms into fall giving nectar to the end of season insects. This is a wonderful non-aggressive plant for rock gardens and low prairie gardens. Added from seedlings grown in 2024.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Canada Goldenrod
Common Name: Canada Goldenrod
Scientific Name: Solidago canadensis
General Location*: All over
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-September
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 4-5 feet
Interesting to Note: A ubiquitous native plant, this goldenrod can be invasive and problematic in prairie plantings as demonstrated in the photograph to the left. Spreading both by seed and rhizomes it can become overwhelming, forming near monocultures. We are actively trying to reduce its footprint in the garden. There are many other goldenrod species- many of which are better “behaved” in native plant gardens.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan
Common Name: Sweet Black-Eyed Susan
Scientific Name: Rudbeckia subtomentosa
General Location*: North-east corner, west side
Height: 4-6 feet
Bloom color: Yellow
Bloom time: August to October
Interesting to Note: There are several flowers in the Rudbeckia genus with yellow petals and dark centers but R. subtomentosa is the author’s favorite. The plant is long-lived with multiple strong stems arising from firm anchoring roots. Each stem can give a branching display of 8-25, 2-3 inch diameter flowers that are long lasting and persist in wind and hot weather. Taller and with less-hairy, more deeply divided leaves than common Black Eyed Susan (R. hirta), the plant gives a pleasant sweet odor reminiscent of sweet grass. R. subtomentosa can tolerate dense soils and some shade and makes an excellent cut flower and taller background garden addition that is easy to start from seed.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Tall Bellflower
Common Name: Tall Bellflower
Scientific Name: Campanula americana
General Location*: South-east side
Height: 5 feet
Bloom color: Blue
Bloom time: August to October
Interesting to Note: A single specimen of this plant volunteered in the shady end of the prairie garden in 2024 in its preferred moist woodland-edge habitat. Tall Bellflower is a biennial that because of its strongly self-sowing behavior can give a bright “perennial” presence in shady edges of gardens. In the first year there is a tight rosette of heart shaped leaves. During the second year a 3-5 foot flower spike rises that is covered by 5 petalled flowers that bloom from the bottom up and often attract hummingbirds. We hope this plant is happy here and returns in coming years.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Showy Goldenrod
Common Name: Showy Goldenrod
Scientific Name: Solidago speciosa
General Location*: NE center
Approximate Bloom Dates: September- October
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 4-5 feet.
Interesting to Note: This is indeed a showy plant that blooms later than most other goldenrods. It is better behaved than Canada Goldenrod and does not spread by rhizomes, but rather forms small clumps of rigid flower spikes, often with purplish stems. Pruning in June (as in the photos) will cause more bushy growth. Since this plant blooms late into the year, it is a wonderful source of nectar for migrating Monarch butterflies and the last bees of the season. Contrary to folk tales, goldenrods do not cause “hay fever:” Those irritating allergies are caused by the pollen of wind-pollinated ragweed plants.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Clammy Ground Cherry
Common Name: Clammy Ground Cherry
Scientific Name: Physalis heterophylla
General Location*: N NE along paths
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-September
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 1-2 feet
Interesting to Note: This is a sometimes weedy member of the nightshade family. The leaves and stems have small hairs with terminal glands that give an unpleasant moist feel (hence clammy.) The yellow flower has a purplish center. Its fruits develop within inflated husks (similar to a tomatillo) and look like a small yellow tomato. The ripe fruit is edible and can be made into jams and pies but the unripe fruit, leaves and stems of this plant are poisonous.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Brown-Eyed Susan
Common Name: Brown-Eyed Susan
Common Name: Brown-Eyed Susan
Scientific Name: Rudbeckia triloba
General Location*: Several
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-September
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 3-5 feet
Interesting to Note: This taller and smaller flowered cousin of Black-Eyed Susan can be distinguished by its tall maroon-colored bushy branches bearing numerous small flowers (2-4 inches in diameter) with brown to dark purple centers. This is a rugged sometimes weedy short-lived perennial that can tolerate mild shade and is often seen in partly-shaded roadsides. Its leaves often show three divisions or lobes (triloba). It can be aggressive in garden plantings.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Cream Gentian
Common Name: Cream or Yellow Gentian
Scientific Name: Gentiana flavita
General Location*: Central- west of path
Height: 1-2 feet
Bloom color: Cream
Bloom time: August to October
Interesting to Note: This interesting plant is similar to the Blue Gentian (G. andrewsii) (by which it grows in this garden) but it tends to bloom a little earlier in the season. There are upright bottle shaped flowers which are more open than Blue Gentian and have small fine teeth at their tips. The leaves are smooth like Blue Gentian and the flowers are also pollinated by Bumblebees. This plant is not common in the wild. A population can sometimes be seen in the small native prairie remnant just below Julien Dubuque’s Monument in the Mines of Spain. Apparently added to this garden by a seeding in 2021.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Blue Gentian, Bottle Gentian
Common Name: Blue Gentian, Bottle Gentian
Scientific Name: Gentiana andrewsii
General Location*: West central (one plant)
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-September
Bloom Color: Blue
Height: 1-2 feet
Interesting to Note: We have seen one specimen of Blue Gentian in this garden that was apparently planted by the garden’s founder in the early 1980s. Gentian species often have bottle-like, cylindrical flowers that are nearly closed at the tips in tight clusters at the top of the stem and sometimes in the axils of the upper leaves. The main pollinators are bumble bees that are the only insects strong enough to pry their way into the flowers. Seeds are very tiny and growth of plants from seed experiences high seedling mortality.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
White Snakeroot
Common Name: White Snakeroot
Scientific Name: Ageratina altissima
General Location*: Several, mainly shaded E
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-September
Bloom Color: White
Height: 2 feet
Interesting to Note: This attractive, common plant decorates the woodland edge with white blooms in late summer to early fall. The plant spreads easily through seed and rhizomes. White Snakeroot contains a toxin, tremetol, which can cause poisoning in mammals and has been passed in milk and dairy products to sicken humans. “Milk sickness” outbreaks occurred in the Midwest during the 19th century and this condition is thought to be the unfortunate cause of death of Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy, when he was 9 years old.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Yellow Jewel Weed,
Touch-Me-Not
Common Name: Yellow Jewel Weed, Touch-Me-Not
Scientific Name: Impatiens pallida
General Location*: W shade. Along paths
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-September
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 2-3 feet
Interesting to Note: This self seeding annual is often seen in damp areas with more shade but it grows in this garden. Some say the juices of the plant will counteract the sting of stinging nettle (which is handy since both plants often grow in the same area.) The author has observed this remedy to work. Seeds are borne in a green capsule that when ripe explodes on touch sending the contained seed several feet, hence a common name: Touch-me-not.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Blue Lobelia
Common Name: Blue Lobelia
Scientific Name: Lobelia siphilitica
General Location*: W central
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-September
Bloom Color: Blue
Height: 2-3 feet
Interesting to Note: This is a blue counterpart of the red Cardinal Flower, which grows along wetlands in the Mississippi River. Blue Lobelia also prefers moist soil but will tolerate some upland areas and we have seen one specimen grow in the prairie garden. The species name is based on the idea that it was a supposed cure for syphilis. The root contains alkaloids which are toxic to grazing animals. The blue blossoms are a nice counterpoint to the yellows and purples of the later summer prairie.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Biennial Gaura
Common Name: Biennial Gaura
Scientific Name: Gaura biennis
General Location*: W west side
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-September
Bloom Color: Pink
Height 6-7 feet
Interesting to Note: During late summer to early fall delicate flower spikes of this biennial rise above the surrounding plants and wave in the breeze. Appearing somewhat lanky and weedy the plant does offer interest and blooms later in the year when many flowers have passed their bloom period. Pink blossoms rise up long stalks and are flowed by seed capsules. Biennial Gaura likes disturbed ground and can add early blooms to a newly planted prairie reconstruction. We think this plant was added here in a a seeding in 2020 and first bloomed in 2022. It will be interesting to see if it returns in 2024.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Anise Hyssop
Common Name: Anise Hyssop
Scientific Name: Agastache foeniculum
General Location*: West side near path intersection
Height: 2.5 to 3.5 feet
Bloom color: purple
Bloom time: July - September
Interesting to Note: This member of the mint family has up to 6 inch long flower spikes bearing long-lasting bright purple blossoms of varying hues. The foliage has whitish coloration of leaf undersides, has an anise / licorice scent and has been used in herbal teas and pot pourri. Deer leave this plant alone but its flowers are a rich source of nectar for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The closely related Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia), also present in this garden, is taller, has green undersides of its leaves and no anise scent. Planted here in 2023.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Purple Giant Hyssop
Common Name: Purple Giant Hyssop
Scientific Name: Agastache scrophulariifolia
General Location*: W north edge (one plant)
Approximate Bloom Dates: August-September
Bloom Color: White-lavender
Height: 5-6 feet
Interesting to Note: This plant seems to have been added by seed in 2020. This member of the mint family has rather unimpressive pale purple flowers over a long period of blooming that seem to be a fantastic nectar source for many bees and butterflies. The “Hyssop” mentioned in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible is also a mint and the North American plants named as hyssops must have reminded pioneer people of that biblical plant.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Graminoids: herbaceous plants with a grass-like morphology.
Big Bluestem Grass
Common Name: Big Bluestem Grass
Scientific Name: Andropogon geradii
General Location*: West
Height: 3-8 feet
Interesting to Note: Big Bluestem was a dominant grass of the Tallgrass prairie, occupying a wide varieties of soil and moisture habitats which influenced its height. The plant is warm-season grass, not reaching its maximum height until mid summer. Flowers and seed rise from a 2-3 foot bunch of leaves that rise and delicately droop at their ends. The leaves often show blue-ish green to maroon leaves which continue to turn beautiful shades of russets and purple in the fall. This plant was sometimes called Turkeyfoot so named for the finger-like seed heads that somewhat resemble a turkey’s foot. In original prairies, grasses often dominate comparing up to 80% of plant mass. In our prairie garden grasses are much less numerous.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Little Bluestem Grass
Common Name: Little Bluestem Grass
Scientific Name: Andropogon scoparius
General Location*: West near western entrance
Height: 1-3 feet
Interesting to Note: One of the iconic plants of the mixed grass prairie and drier areas of the tallgrass prairie this long-lived bunching grass has a powdery blue cast in the right light. The genus name means “man’s beard” because of the hairy appearance of its seed heads. The plant gives a warm reddish-purple cast in the fall and is an attractive counterpoint to showy forbs. Many insects utilize the leaves and the seeds are eaten by songbirds. Bumble bee queens nest at the base of bunch grasses, like Little Bluestem, where they are protected until they emerge in the Spring.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Canada Wild Rye Grass
Common Name: Canada Wild Rye Grass
Scientific Name: Elymus canadensis
General Location*: All over
Height: 2-5 feet
Interesting to Note: Canada Wild Rye is a good ground cover in prairie plantings that usually gives way to other plants as they get established. The relatively large, coarse-appearing seeds are frequently eaten by birds. The rough leaves and seeds often mature before other prairie grasses. The sharp seeds are usually avoided by grazing mammals and pets should not be allowed to chew on them.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Prairie Brome Grass
Common Name: Prairie Brome Grass
Scientific Name: Bromus kalmii
General Location*: Central near paths
Height: 1-3 feet
Interesting to Note: This is a short-lived perennial grass that can be a good early soil stabilizer in prairie plantings. The attractive heavy seed heads cause the stems to gracefully droop over. The seeds are good wildlife food.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Inflated Narrow-Leaf Sedge
Common Name: Inflated Narrow-Leaf Sedge
Scientific Name: Carex grisea
General Location*: SE edge
Height: 1-3 feet
Interesting to Note: This is a common sedge that can take some shade. Like other sedges, the stem is triangular. “Sedges have edges.”
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Side Oats Grama Grass
Common Name: Side Oats Grama Grass
Scientific Name: Bouteloua curtipendula
General Location*: West near western entrance
Height: 1-2 feet
Interesting to Note: As the common name suggests, oat-like seeds hang from one side of this common component of the mixed grass prairie or dry portions of the tallgrass prairie. This is a good forage grass for cattle but it does not do well in the shade of other plants.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Prairie Dropseed Grass
Common Name: Prairie Dropseed Grass
Scientific Name: Sporpbolus heterolepis
General Location*: Near West entrance
Approximate Bloom Dates: August September
Height: 1-2 feet
Interesting to Note: Prairie Dropseed gives a delicate mop of fine leaves from which arise similarly delicate seed stalks and seeds that fall in early fall giving food to ground foraging birds. This plant is a beautiful counterpoint to short forbs and should be considered in every native plant garden.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Small and medium-sized plants with persistent woody stems.
Lead Plant
Common Name: Lead Plant
Scientific Name: Amphora canescens
General Location*: N
Approximate Bloom Dates: Late June
Bloom Color: purple
Height: 2-3 feet
Interesting to Note: We have one specimen of Lead Plant in this garden- it was planted 40 years ago in this very spot. Lead Plant is one of the most conspicuous shrubs of the upland prairie. Leaving the shrubby branches intact (that is without mowing or burning) will promote larger plants and more blooms. A legume, it can also fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil to add fertility to the prairie. It flowers in early summer, from gray spikes that bloom bottom to top with bright purple blossoms. The plant’s deep fibrous roots, which can extend as much as 15 feet into the soil, made pioneer plowing difficult, causing early settlers to call it "Devil's Shoestrings. The plant’s leaves have a gray cast that might have given rise to the name. In our area, where early lead mining occurred, there is a folk tale that its presence indicated that lead ore lay below.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Gray Dogwood
Common Name: Gray Dogwood
Scientific Name: Cornus racemosa
General Location*: mainly NE and SE sections
Approximate Bloom Dates: June-July
Bloom Color: White
Height: When mowed, 3-4 feet. Full height 6-12 feet.
Interesting to Note: Unfortunately, you will see lots of this native, but aggressively-growing plant in our prairie garden. Gray dogwood is problematic in many prairie reconstructions. The seeds, contained in glossy milky white berries, eaten by birds, are deposited when they drop their waste. The plants grow and spread by rhizomes eventually forming dense thickets of plants 6-12 feet tall that can shade out native prairie species. This is a normal part of the “war” between woody and prairie species at their edges in natural areas and prairie reconstructions like this garden. Fire can help control this plant but we do not have enough fuel (usually provided by grass stems) here to make for a hot enough fire. Herbicide treatment would damage too many of our prairie plants and digging-out the rhizomes is impossible. So we are left with spring mowing which will probably only just allow us to keep the current uneasy status quo ”truce.”
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Burr Oak
Common Name: Burr Oak
Scientific Name: Quercus macrocarpa
General Location*: NE side, East of the cement path, above the small waterfall
Height: up to 80 feet. Width: up to 80 feet.
Interesting to Note: By fortunate happenstance, a Burr Oak, Iowa’s state tree and an iconic prairie and savanna (open woodland) woody plant grows adjacent to the prairie garden. In the pre-settlement era, vast open woodlands, that seemed parklike to Europeans, grew in this area of Iowa, SW Wisconsin and NW Illinois. The spreading branches of scattered great oaks gave dappled sunlight to carpets of native flowers. The Burr Oak has a deep taproot and is drought resistant and its thick, corky bark is relatively fire tolerant so it often survived periodic prairie fire. This tree can grow to 400 years old. If you want to experience a near-by huge pre-settlement Burr oak up-close, turn left onto 32nd street when you leave the Arboretum and visit the mammoth tree at the bike trail circle where old 32nd street ended at the NW Arterial, pictured to the left. This tree is very likely 300+ years old and was a big tree when Iowa became a state in 1846. Sadly, the Burr Oak is subject to several fungal blights now. Enjoy them while you can and consider planting one for your great-grandchildren.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
While not native prairie plants, these species (which still grow in the garden) were noted or planted by the garden’s founder in the 1980s. They are included here for historical interest.
Harison's Yellow Rose
Common Name: Harison's Yellow Rose
Scientific Name: A hybrid, possibly Rosa foetida x Rosa pimpinellifolia
General Location*: North side, bilaterally adjacent to path entrance
Height: 3-5 feet
Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Late May - Early June
Interesting to Note: Harison’s Yellow Rose was first hybridized about 1824 in the private garden of Richard and George Harison (father and son) at their home in New York City. Two other roses from their collection had crossbred, probably by chance, producing a new, resilient plant with bright yellow flowers and a mild, pleasing fragrance. The rose became so admired that nurseries started offering specimens for sale between 1830 and 1835.
Harison’s Yellow became one of the cherished old roses that families emigrating west in the mid-1800s would dig up and carry to their new homesteads to preserve a bit of the “civilized” life they were leaving behind. For this reason, Harison’s Yellow is sometimes called the Oregon Trail Rose or the Pioneer Rose, among other monikers. For protection during the long journey, the rose roots were carried in buckets, tin cans, or teacups, wrapped in damp cloths or even rooted in raw potatoes. When the water supply was scarce, a pioneer woman might end up sharing her drinking water with her rose! But the most charming tale alleges that rose roots were sewn into the hems of the women’s long skirts so that the roots would be dampened by the morning dew as the women trudged through the prairie grass. Once planted, Harison’s Yellow proved to be resistant to drought, cold, poor soils, and pests, while its long, needle-like thorns discouraged cattle from snacking.
The specimen in our garden was planted by Marlyn Bausman, one of the founders of the Arboretum, most likely in the 1980s, and has not only survived, but spread, forming suckers on its own roots. We have recently transplanted some of those roots to border both sides of the Prairie Garden entrance path.
(Photos and information courtesy of Kennie Harris)
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Mock Strawberry
Common Name: Mock Strawberry
Scientific Name: Potentilla indica
General Location*: N edge
Approximate Bloom Dates: June
Bloom Color: Yellow
Height: 4 inches
Interesting to Note: Marlyn Bausman, the founder of this garden noted this plant in the early 1980s and thought it might be a rare native plant: Waldsteinea fragariodes (“Barren strawberry”). However, this is an invasive Asian plant, “Mock strawberry” (Potentilla indica). This is a ground-hugging plant that spreads via stolens (also called runners). The upper leaflet surfaces are medium to dark green and hairless. Rather than the white flowers of true garden strawberries, mock strawberry flowers are yellow. The plant is not at all “barren” but bears red, seedy and tasteless berries. This plant is difficult to weed out in our garden so here it is, doing its thing for 40 years.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
Bouncing Bet or Soapwort
Common Name: Bouncing Bet or Soapwort
Scientific Name: Saponaria officinalis
General Location*: SE South, one cluster of plants
Approximate Bloom Dates: July-August
Bloom Color: White to pink
Height: 1.5 to 2.5 feet
Interesting to Note: When the author first found this plant in the Prairie Garden, he thought it might be a native prairie phlox, but this is Saponaria officinalis, an invasive, non-native plant from Europe and Asia. Old records of the Arboretum show that Marlyn Bausman, the founder of this garden, planted it in the early 1980s and we have no idea why, perhaps he just liked this plant’s back-story. Juice of the leaves and stems contains poisonous saponins (soap-like substances) that facilitate bubbling and have been used as a mild soap. “Bouncing Bet” was a long-ago name given to a washer-woman (apologies—no names for washer-men are apparently documented). You can picture Elizabeth washing her clothes on a washboard with a solution made from this interesting plant.
*General Location: Please refer to aerial photo.
