This is a small prairie, less than 1 acre, that faces southwest, at the top of our southwestern bluff. These photos were taken in 2003 and 2004.
Looking back into the prairie.
It’s separated from Big View Prairie by a woods of large oaks and birches. At one time it was probably part of Big View prairie with the area between them being oak savanna. The western edge slopes very steeply down into thick, overgrown woods, with prairie plants growing under the brush. This small prairie has several plants that don’t grow anywhere else on our land.
Some of the flowers growing under the sumac: Gray Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis), Aromatic Aster (Aster oblongifolius), and Great Plains Ladies Tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum)
Great Plains Ladies Tresses is a native orchid that grows on dry prairies.
Plant list:
Amorpha canescens – Leadplant
Andropogon gerardii – Big Bluestem
Anemone cylindrica – Thimbleweed
Antennaria – Pussytoes
Arabis lyrata – Sandcress
Aster ericoides – Heath Aster
Aster oblongifolius – Aromatic Aster
Aster oolentangiensis – Sky Blue Aster
*Astragalus canadensis – Canada Milk-vetch
Bouteloua curtipendula – Side-oats Grama
Campanula rotundifolia – Harebell
Comandra umbellata – Bastard Toadflax
Dalea purpurea – Purple Prairie Clover
*Gentiana alba – Cream Gentian
*Gentianella quinquefolia – Stiff Gentian
Linum sulcatum – Yellow Flax
Lithospermum canescens – Hoary Puccoon
Lobelia spicata – Spiked Lobelia
Schizachyrium scoparium – Little Bluestem
Sisyrinchium campestre – Blue-eyed Grass
Solidago nemoralis – Gray Goldenrod
Solidago ptarmicoides – White Goldenrod
Solidago rigida – Stiff Goldenrod
Spiranthes magnicamporum – Great Plains Ladies Tresses
Sporobolus heterolepis – Prairie Dropseed
*Stipa spartea – Needlegrass
Viola pedata – Birds Foot Violet
Zigadenus elegans – White Camas
* – plants that are only found on this prairie
Updates: