Prairie flowers

While the spring ephemerals are long dormant, the long days of summer have brought lots of flowers to Asylum Lake's restored prairie.

Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) attracted lots of honey bees to its purple blossoms.

We didn't see any butterflies on this Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) although we did see Monarchs on some Common Milkweed.

Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) inspired, according to some, Western Michigan University's school colors.

Wild Lupine

Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis) is a late Spring wildflower of open prairies and meadows.  The spire of purple flowers on a single plant is beautiful and a field of lupines is impressive.  This wildflower grows throughout the eastern US and but is rare in some parts of its range.  Wild Lupines are a critical food source for the endangered Karner Blue butterfly.    

Lupines, like other prairie plants, need full sun to survive.  Historically, wildfires kept fields open. Today, preserves often use controlled burns to limit the incursion of brush and trees. 
 
Wild Lupines, near Kalamazoo, are currently at peak blossom.  Yesterday, we visited the Maas Preserve on the White Pine Trail just north of Rockford and it was full of lupines.

Compass Plant

Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum ) is an impressive prairie wildflower, with yellow flowers growing on stalks that can be over 8 feet high.  The flowers are similar to those of other Silphiums, like the Cup Plant, but the Compass Plants leaves are distinctive.  The two-foot long, deeply cut leaves create a striking profile for this plant even without its tall flowerstalk.  The leaves also give the Compass Plant its name since they tend to align on a north-south axis.  Research by botanists at Iowa State provides evidence that this leaf orientation uses sunlight and water most efficiently.  Deep roots (over 12 feet long [pdf]) allow the compass plant to thrive even during dry summers. 

Compass Plant is listed as a Threatened species in Michigan.  It is more widely distributed in the central and plains states.  The plants pictured here were blooming at the Kalamazoo Nature Center's restored prairie.

Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is, perhaps, our best-known prairie flower.  Native to North America, its bright yellow flowers bloom early in the summer and can continue throughout the season.

A related species of Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida, is also native to our area (and much of the eastern US).  It became a popular garden flower through an interesting path.  Rather than being directly adopted from the wild, the most popular horticultural variety "Goldsturm" crossed the Atlantic twice.   A German horticulturalist found an attractive variant in a Czech garden and developed it for commercial purposes in Germany.  From Europe, it returned to US gardens.

I'm not absolutely sure which Black-eyed Susan is in the photo.

Bur Oak

The Burr Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is a tree of the open grassland. They're native to the Great Plains and prairies and are a characteristic species of the oak savanna. They evolved to survive the frequent grassfires of these ecosystem, with thick corky bark that provides fire resistance.

Brown-Eyed Susan

Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) are blooming in Kalamazoo, well after their better-known cousins, the Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). Brown-Eyed Susan are widely distributed throughout the Central and Eastern states, but are only found in scattered counties in Michigan.

Prairie Flowers

While the Kalamazoo Nature Center is my favorite spot for Spring wildflowers, I don't always think of it for summer blooms. I visited earlier this week and the prairie flowers were spectacular. Black-eyed Susan were at their peak. Monarch butterflies were drinking nectar from the Wild Bergamot. Butterfly Milkweed and Common Milkweed were in flower, along with both purple and yellow coneflowers.
Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta


Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea



Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea



Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa


The prairie flowers can be easily seen from the Prairie View parking lot (on Westnedge about a half mile south of the main entrance) and from the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. To walk the prairie, start at the Interpretive Center, cross the bridge over Trout Run stream, then head uphill. The bright colors of the prairie make quite a contrast from the cool dark woods.



Kalamazoo Nature Center
7000 N. Westnedge Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Little Bluestem

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is an interesting prairie grass. At only 3 feet tall, it's much shorter than Indian Grass, Big Bluestem or Switch grass. In Fall, clumps of Little Bluestem can be striking, as the fluffy seedheads catch the light, drawing your eye to the orange-colored stems.

Indian Grass

Grasses define the prairie, yet in summer the bright blooms of coneflowers and sylphiums disproportionately attract the eye. Now, the petals have dropped and the brilliant yellows of summer have been succeeded by the muted tones of Fall and the true dominance of the prairie grasses becomes obvious.

Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) is one of the most important plants of the Tallgrass Prairie. The grass grows over six feet high and its roots extend six feet underground.

New England Aster

New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) are one of the last wildflowers of the season. Now is the time to enjoy the the aster's pretty purple flowers among the tall prairie grasses and goldenrod. This afternoon the bees seemed to be stocking up for winter.

Rattlesnake Master

Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a striking plant of tallgrass prairie. The spiky flowerheads hold their distinct shape after the blossoms dry. In Michigan, it is protected as a threatened species.

Bergamot

Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is currently in bloom. It's also known as Bee Balm and is a good source of nectar for bees and butterflies. I think of it as a tallgrass prairie wildflower but its native range is much wider.

Cup Plant

Mid-summer is peak time for prairie flowers and Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) is one of the most impressive. Clusters of large yellow flowers top stems that can be over 6 feet tall. The height and its unusual leaves distinguish it from other tallgrass wildflowers. The opposite leaves meet at the stem, forming a cup. This morning there was enough dew to fill it.

Butterfly Milkweed

While the woodland wildflowers of Spring tend to attract more attention, the summer prairie wildflowers are much showier. Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is one of my favorites. Its striking orange flowers stand out among the numerous yellow blooms of the tallgrass prairie. It blooms for weeks and, as its name suggests, attracts butterflies. While the nectar feeds the adult butterflies, the plant itself is a good food source for Monarch caterpillars.

Yellow Coneflower

Yellow Coneflowers, ratibida pinnata, make a striking impression among the tall prairie grasses.