Cicadas and Other Prairie Wonders

“Calm and serene, the sound of a cicada, penetrates the rock.”—Matsuo Basho

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They’re heeeeerrrrreeeee.

Periodical cicada (Magicicada sp.), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Hello, cicadas.

Periodical cicada (Magicicada sp.), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

On the prairies in my part of northern Illinois, cicadas are everywhere this week. You may even find their exuviae, which they leave behind after emerging.

Periodical cicada (Magicicada sp.) exuvia, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Soon, their singing will be the soundtrack to our summer. You won’t be able to shut out the sound! But for a few more days, the world is fairly cicada song-free. They are still a bit of a novelty. Each one is a marvel.

But while you’re admireing the cicadas, don’t miss the other mid-May prairie wonders. It might be a savanna sparrow, singing its three-part buzzy trill.

Savanna sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Or the early southern spreadwing damselflies, now thought to be migratory.

Southern spreadwing damselfly (Lestes australis), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

Go out in the morning to see spiderwort, with its alienesque buds and short-lived flowers which attract bumblebees and long-tongued bees.

Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Maybe you’ll spy a day-flying eight-spotted forester moth resting in the undergrowth. The caterpillars use grapes and virginia creeper as host plants.

Eight-spotted forester moth (Alypia octomaculata), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

Or if you’re lucky, you’ll see an odd-ball eastern forktail andromorph female damselfly, which showed up on one of my dragonfly data collection routes this week. It’s only the second time I’ve seen this unusual variation on a common damselfly species.

Eastern forktail andromorph female damselfly (Ischnura verticalis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Along the prairie paths, you may discover edible valerian—sometimes called “tobacco root” or “common valerian”— which is turning pink and going to seed.

Common valerian (Valeriana edulis var.cilata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

You’ll notice that bastard toadflax has begun its transformation from bloom to seed.

Bastard toadflax (Comandra umbellata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

And look at that blue-eyed grass! Such tiny little seeds in process.

Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium augustifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Pale purple coneflowers are just days away from flowering.

Pale purple coneflower (Enchinacea pallida), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

The aptly-named hairy beardtongue is in full bloom.

Hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

And the meadow anemones and american vetch pair up to make a floral arrangement that beats anything a florist could pull together.

American vetch (Vicia americana) and meadow anemone (Anemone canadensis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Look closely in the tallgrass. See the spittlebug foam?

Spittlebug foam (probably from Philaenus spumarius), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Smoosh that froth with your fingers (ewww!), and you’ll find the tiny pale insect inside. The spittlebugs feed on everything from daisies to goldenrod. The “froth” helps keep the insect moist, and protects it from predators.

Nearby, the first common whitetail dragonflies perch, ready for flight.

Common whitetail dragonfly (Plathemis lydia), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Their emergence is eagerly awaited in the wetlands by hungry green frogs…

Green frog (Lithobates clamitans), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

…and ravenous bullfrogs.

American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

They’ll add their froggie songs to the cicada chorus, punctuated by cries from the scolding, vigilant red-winged blackbird.

Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

The red-winged blackbird is highly protective of his nest sites. He would like you to stay off the prairie. But hey! Don’t listen to him.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

You won’t want to miss a day in the magical last half of May.

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Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) was a Japanese haiku master. You can read more about him at the Poetry Foundation here, then have fun creating some haikus of your own.

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Join Cindy for a class or program in June:

Wednesday, June 5, 7-8:30 p.m. — “Bison Tails and Tallgrass Trails.” ONLINE only! Bensenville Public library. Free and open to the public. For registration details, call the library here.

Wednesday, June 12, 7-8 p.m. —“Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden’s Frequent Fliers” at Des Plaines Public Library, Des Plaines, IL. (In person) Free and open to the public. For registration details, visit here.

Thursday, June 13, 10-11:30 a.m. —“A Tallgrass Prairie Hike,” Hilltop Gardeners Garden Club, Oswego, IL (offsite, private event).

Thursday, June 13, 6:30-8 p.m.— “Potawatomi Prairie Perspectives” with Gina Roxas, Executive Director of the Trickster Center, and Cindy in conversation. (The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, Prairie Visitor Station– held outdoors, weather permitting). Registration and ticket costs here.

More programs and classes at http://www.cindycrosby.com.

Special thanks to Joyce Gibbons for showing me the southern spreadwing damselfly, and helping me with damselfly ID this week.

The Merry Prairie Month of May

“The earth laughs in flowers.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

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May is out of the starting gate, and oh my goodness! Look at what it’s brought to the tallgrass prairie.

Wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL (2021)

Here a wild hyacinth in bloom; over there another wild hyacinth…

Wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2021)

…and look! A whole expanse of them sweetly scenting the afternoon air.

Wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2021)

Wood betony spins its yellow tubular flowers across the prairie. It is “hemiparasitic,” meaning it helps check the vigorous growth of prairie grasses, and opens up spaces for more diversity on the prairie. Such a bizarre little bloom, isn’t it?

Wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis), with a bumble bee (Bombus sp.), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL. (2020)

Daniel Moerman, author of Native American Ethnobotany, tells us that some Native American tribes called this plant a “love medicine root” for its use as a love charm. Its less attractive name, “Canadian lousewort,” referred to its indigenous use to delouse animals, especially among the Cherokee people, who also ate the cooked leaves.

Wood betony (Pendicularis canadensis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2023)

Prairie violets, those kissing cousins of our more common blue violet, Viola sororia, lift their heads above the prairie mud. The April rains have helped them bloom, bloom, bloom. I love their fuzzy flower centers.

Prairie violet (Viola pedatifida), Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve, Downers Grove, IL. (2023)

You might find it hybridizing with the common blue violet, with some interesting leaves as a result.

Hybridized prairie violet (Viola sp.), Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve, Downers Grove, IL.(2019)

Nearby, the long-lived common valerian (Valeriana edulis var. ciliata) is like a air traffic control tower, with dozens of tiny insects zipping all around. It loves the sunny, moist open prairie, and shows its pleasure by spreading by seeds.

Common valerian (Valeriana edulis var. ciliata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2022).

I love it for its unusual blooms, and it’s silvery-edged leaves.

Common valerian (Valeriana edulis var. ciliata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2022).

Soon, it will go to seed.

Common valerian (Valeriana edulis var. ciliata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2021)

Prairie alum root is also in bloom in some places on the prairie, its tiny flowers mostly overlooked.

Prairie alum root (Heuchera richardsonii), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL (2021).

But after all, it’s best known for its crinkly leaves. I planted it alongside my patio, where it looks lovely all through the growing season.

Prairie alum root (Heuchera richardsonii), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL. (2023)

Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa) is pretty in pink—and other natural variations of white, pink, or lavender.

Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2021)

Its clusters of tube-like blooms and flat petals, sometimes with interesting markings on the flower’s throat, create little bouquets offered to hummingbirds, butterflies, skippers, and long-tongued bees.

Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2022)

Later, the hairless smooth phlox (Phlox glaberrima interior) will follow in pink and lavender. There are plenty of garden varieties of phlox, but I love the native prairie species the best.

Marsh phlox (Phlox glaberrima interior), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2022)

Nearby, the herbaceous late horse gentian shows tiny reddish brown blooms in its leaf axils.

Late horse gentian, sometimes called “wild coffee,” (Triosteum perfoliatum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2019)

The gold marble fruits, which show up later in the season, have seeds inside which supposedly resemble coffee beans.

Late horse gentian, sometimes called “wild coffee,” (Triosteum perfoliatum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2020)

Oddly, it’s in the honeysuckle family, not the gentian family. Another reason to remember that common names can trip us up.

Late horse gentian, sometimes called “wild coffee,” (Triosteum perfoliatum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2018)

Is there a better way to spend this first full week of May than going for a prairie hike? Who knows what you’ll discover!

Shooting star (Primula media), Beach Family Cemetery Prairie, Ogle County, IL (2022)

Don’t wait another moment—go outside and see.

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Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American poet and essayist, and the leader of the mid-19th Century Transcendentalist movement. His close friends included Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Bronson Alcott. Among his best known works is Nature and Other Essays.

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Join Cindy for a class or program this spring!

Tuesday, May 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m.-“Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden’s Frequent Fliers,” presented by the Joliet Garden Club, Barber and Oberwortmann Horticulture Center, 227 North Gougar Rd., Joliet, inside the main greenhouse. Open to the public.

Wednesday, June 5, 7-8:30 p.m. — “Bison Tails and Tallgrass Trails.” ONLINE only! Bensenville Public library. Free and open to the public. For registration details, call the library here.

Wednesday, June 12, 7-8 p.m. —“Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden’s Frequent Fliers” at Des Plaines Public Library, Des Plaines, IL. (In person) Free and open to the public. For registration details, see here.

Thursday, June 13, 10-11:30 a.m. —“A Tallgrass Prairie Hike,” Hilltop Gardeners Garden Club, Oswego, IL (offsite, private event).

Thursday, June 13, 6:30-8 p.m.— “Potawatomi Prairie Perspectives” with Gina Roxas, Executive Director of the Trickster Center, and Cindy in conversation. (The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, Prairie Visitor Station– held outdoors, weather permitting). Registration and ticket costs here.

More programs and classes at http://www.cindycrosby.com.