Site History

Prairie History

Prairie Facts

References

Plant Species

Perennial

Bloom:  June to October 

5-10 white ray flowers and yellow disk flowers 

1-2 feet tall 
 

Amorpha canescens Pursh
-  Lead-plant 

Bloom: mid-June to mid-July 

Dense lavender florets, silvery green leaves 

18 inches to 3 feet high 

Parts of the plant have been used in folk medicines 

A yellow tea can be made from the leaves 

Because of its long, stringy roots, Lead plant is also called prairie shoestring 
 

Andropogon gerardii Vitman
-  Big Blue-stem, Turkey-foot 

Bloom:  August to Sept. 

Reddish seedheads in fall 

3 to 8 ft tall 
 

Anemone cylindrica A. Gray
-  Long-headed anemone, thimbleweed 

Bloom: mid-June to mid-July 

Greenish white flowers, petal like 

12 to 24 inches tall 

Tea from the roots is said to be helpful for dizzy spells. 
 

Asclepias tuberosa L.
-  Butterfly milkweed, Butterfly-weed, Orange milkweed

Bloom: mid-June to mid-August 

Brilliant orange-red, sometimes yellow, sometimes white flowers 

1-2 ft. 

Attracts butterflies and monarchs lay eggs on it 

Has a poisonous substance that detracts birds so larvae are not eaten 
 

Aster novae-angliae L. 
-  New England aster 

Bloom: late August to October 

Deep violet to rose petals with golden disk center 

2-4 ft. tall 

Member of the Daisy family 
 

Aster oolentangiensis Riddell 
-  Azure aster, Prairie heart-leaved aster, Sky-blue Aster

Bloom: Fall

Purple flower 

2-3 ft 
 

Ceanothus americanus L.
-  New Jersey tea, Red-root

Bloom:  late June to mid-August 

White flowers 

1-3 ft. tall 

Foliage has a subtle scent, is attractive to deer, and was used for tea in Revolutionary War times 
 

Coreopsis palmata Nutt.
-  Finger tickseed, Prairie coreopsis, Prairie tickseed, Stiff tickseed 

Bloom: June to mid-August 

Yellow flowers 

1-3 ft. tall
 

Corylus americana Walter
-  American hazelnut 

Shrub that grows to a height of 3 to 6 feet 

Spring bloom 

Small nut at the ends of the branches
 

Dalea candida var. candida Michx.ex Willd.
(Petalostemum candidum) 
-  White prairie clover, Slender white prairie clover 

Bloom:  July to mid-August 

White flowers 

1-3 ft. 

Taproot makes fine tasting tea 
 

Geum triflorum Pursh
-  Prairie-smoke, Old-man's whiskers

Bloom: late April to June 

Deep rose flower 

8 to 14 inches 
 

Helianthus occidentalis Riddell 
- Western Sunflower, Few-leaved sunflower, Naked-stemmed sunflower 

Bloom:  August to October 

Yellow flower 

1-3 ft. 
 

Liatris aspera Michx. 
-  Rough Blazing-star, Tall gay-feather, Lacerate blazing-star 

Bloom:  August to Sept. 

Bright magenta-purple flowers, smooth white or pink bracts 

2-4 ft. 

Produces corms, or underground storage structures, which were dug for winter meals long ago 

Tea was made from the leaves to treat stomachaches and snakebites 
 

Lithospermum canescens (Michx.) Lehm.
-  Hoary puccoon 

Bloom: March-June 

Yellow-orange flower 

15-45cm 
 

Monarda fistulosa L. 
-  Bee balm, Wild bergamot 

Bloom:  early July to August 

Lavender flowers 

2-3 ft. 

Its tea is soothing to an upset stomach, it is a member of mint family and it is apparently distasteful to plant eating insects 
 

Phlox pilosa L.
-  Prairie phlox, Downy phlox

Bloom: May to June 

Purplish-rose sometimes white flowers 

1-2 ft. 

Phlox is Greek for flame 
 

Ratibida pinnata (Vent.) Barnhart 
-  Yellow coneflower, Globular coneflower

Bloom:  July to August 

Yellow with gray cone that darkens with maturity 

3-5 ft. 
 

Rudbeckia hirta L. 
-  Black-eyed Susan 

Bloom:  July to August 

Orange yellow flower with deep brown center disk

1-3 ft. 

Used by early Americans as a kidney stimulant. Research shows it has antibiotic properties 
 

Salix humilis Marshall
-  Prairie willow, Upland willow 

3 Meters tall 

Bloom: May- early June 
 

Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash
-  Little bluestem, Prairie beard grass, Broom beard grass 

Bloom:  August 

Rusty red leaves with bluish red seed head 

2-4 ft. 
 

Shepherdia argentea (Pursh) Nutt.
- Silver Buffalo-berry, Buffalo-berry 

Thorny shrub 

6-10' tall 

Bloom:  April-May 
 

Sisyrinchium campestre Bicknell
-  Prairie blue-eyed grass 

Bloom: May to June 

Deep blue, white, with a yellow eye 

8 to 10 inches 

Is one of Thoreau's favorite plants. 
The flowers bloom only on sunny mornings 
 

Solidago rigida L. 
-  Rigid goldenrod, Stiff goldenrod

Bloom:  late August to early October 

Bright yellow gold flowers 

2-4 ft. 

Has a rubbery sap from which Thomas Edison had hoped to make a rubber substitute 
 

Solidago speciosa Nutt. 
-  Showy goldenrod 

Bloom:  late August to Early October 

Yellow gold 

2-5 ft. 
 

Sorghastrum nutans  (L.) Nash
-  Yellow Indian grass 

Bloom:  August to Sept. 

Bronze seed head 

3-5 ft. 
 

Stipa spartea Trin.
-  Needle grass, Porcupine grass 

Bloom: June 

Straw colored leaves 

2-4 ft. 

Needles on flower heads are sharp enough to stick into bare feet and hands 
 

Symphoricarpos albus (L.) Blake
-  Snowberry 

Bloom: June-July 

Leafy clusters of snow-white berries 

3-6' tall 
 

Tradescantia ohiensis  Raf.
-  Common spiderwort, Smooth spiderwort, Blue-jacket

Bloom:  June to August 

Brilliant royal blue, sometimes white flowers 

2-3 ft. 

Flowers open every morning and at noon the petals contract and shrivel into a fluid jelly that trickles like a tear if touched. 

Have been planted around nuclear reactors to monitor radiation levels. In the presence of radiation its stamens change from blue to pink.
 

Viola pedata L.
-  Bird's-foot violet 

Bloom: May to June 

Pale violet 

2-5 inches tall
 

Viola x palmata L.
-  Early blue violet 

Bloom: April-May 

4-6 inches 

Purple Flower