Great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Now, they begin to wither and go to seed.
White trout lilies (Erythronium albidum), Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
The trout lilies, like so many of our spring wildflowers, depend on ants for seed dispersal, as do trilliums, violets, and many others. As the spring woodland wildflowers begin their march off of center stage, it’s time for the tallgrass prairie wildflowers to shine.
Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Let’s go for a hike and take a look.
At a glance, the prairie looks like nothing but green, green, green. But come closer.
We pull this invader from the prairie each spring, hoping to slow it down, as we do another member of the mustard family, dame’s rocket. And of course, we pull the garlic mustard—that terror of the woodlands and natural areas. There’s a lot of chatter right now about garlic mustard control. Should we leave garlic mustard alone? Bag it after we pull it? Or wait and hope the garlic mustard aphid shows up to help control the populations? For now, our stewardship group yanks it and piles it. We’ll see what the future holds.
Meanwhile, something is munching the new prairie dock leaves. Two somethings! Interesting.
Two insects on prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.iNaturalist suggests these are goldenrod leaf miner beetles (Microrhopala vittata), but Iwouldn’t swear to it.
Nearby, prairie violet is out in full regalia.
Prairie violet (Viola pedatifida), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
The prairie violets are one of several violets native to our tallgrass prairies. Unlike the native common blue violet (Illinois’ state flower), the prairie violet has deeply lobed leaves.
Prairie violet (Viola pedatifida), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
On the Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove, you’ll see it paired with the native wild strawberry.
Prairie violet (Viola pedatifida) and wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
The Belmont Prairie in Downers Grove wasn’t burned this spring, so I have to look deep in the grasses to find the violet wood-sorrel.
Violet wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
That color! Such a pale lavender.
Violet wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
The leaves of the violet wood-sorrel are as charming as the flowers.
Violet wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
Blue-eyed grass is another charming prairie wildflower.
Blue-eyed grass (probably Sisyrinchium albidum), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
Ironically, it is neither blue here, nor is it a grass. It’s in the Iris Family. And look at all those pollinators!
Blue-eyed grass (probably Sisyrinchium albidum), Belmont Prairie, Downer’s Grove, IL.
But it’s the hoary puccoon that I can’t stop oohing and aahing over today.
Hoary puccoon (Lithospermumcanescens), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
The ants seem to appreciate the hoary puccoon as much as I do.
Hoary puccoon (Lithospermumcanescens), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.(Ant may be in the Formica Family).
My old friend, bastard toadflax, has opened.
Bastard toadflax (Comandra umbellata), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
What a beautiful day!
Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
Wildflowers and grasses on the prairie are waking up!
Why not go see?
****
The opening quote is from William A. Quayle (1860-1925) in The Prairie and the Sea (1905). An excerpt appears in John T. Price’s The Tallgrass Prairie Reader, University of Iowa Press, 2014).
*****
Illinois’ Wild and Wonderful Early Bloomers—Thursday, May 11, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Sponsored by the Hilltop Gardeners Garden Club, Oswego Public Library, Oswego, IL. Free and open to the public. For more information closer to the date, check here.
Dragonflies and Damselflies: Frequent Fliers of the Garden and Prairie, Tuesday, May 16, 10-11:30 via Zoom with the Garden Club of Decatur, IL (closed event for members). For information on joining the club, visit here.
I’m excited to moderate “In Conversation Online with Robin Wall Kimmerer,” June 21, 2023, 7-8 pm via Zoom. Brought to you by “Illinois Libraries Present.” Number of registrations available may be limited, so register here soon!
“To the uninitiated, the idea of a walk through a prairie might seem to be no more exciting than crossing a field of wheat, a cow pasture, or an unmowed blue-grass lawn. Nothing could be further than the truth.”—Dr. Robert Betz
****
This whirlwind week has overflowed with good people and natural area visits. From a wildflower program at Lowell Park in Dixon, IL, where the Rock River Garden Club was warm and welcoming and there were more Dutchman’s breeches than I’ve seen in one place ever…
Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), Lowell Park, Dixon, IL.
…and bluebells chiming in…
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Lowell Park, Dixon, IL.
…and wild ginger covering ravines, each with its jug-like flower ready for pollinators. The coloration suggests flies and beetles visit, but I discovered there’s a pretty intense argument about just who pollinates who among botanists. We do know it can self-pollinate, a great hedge against fate.
Wild ginger (Asarum canadensis), Lowell Park, Dixon, IL.
Also last week, a prairie program for the terrific Algonquin Garden Club members and volunteers at Dixie Briggs Prairie in Algonquin, IL…
Blue jay (Cyanocittacristatta), Dixie Briggs Prairie, Algonquin, IL.
…keeping me company as I hiked for a short while after the talk was over.
On Thursday, I strolled with students between thunderstorms to look for spring wildflowers in the Morton Arboretum’s beautiful woodlands.
Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) East Woods, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.(2017)
And Saturday, listened to scientists present their findings on prairie at an all-day Science Symposium at Nachusa Grasslands on Earth Day.
Science Symposium at Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.
Sunday, I talked to an amazing turnout of 200 supporters of The Land Conservancy of McHenry County about the prairie and its art, literature, and music. We discussed talented artists like Liz Anna Kozik and Julie Farstad who bring prairie to new audiences through their work, and musicians such as Peter Ostroushko or the Tallgrass Express who celebrate it in music.
It was a big week. I am inspired by the love so many have for our prairies, gardens, and natural areas. I’m grateful to be able to talk about the natural world, and swap knowledge with others on how best to appreciate and care for it.
By Monday evening, however, I feel a need to be alone and recharge. The best antidote to tiredness? A hike on the tallgrass prairie. Of course.
I drive to The Morton Arboretum. Most folks are out for a stroll in the Daffodil Glade, which has held its blooms through this mercurial weather week.
Daffodil Glade, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
I cruise by, intent to reach the place I love most.
Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
The sky is a-swoop with barn swallows, boomeranging in graceful arcs. Our “Tuesdays in the Tallgrass” stewardship season kickoff is in the morning, so I scout for work opportunities for our band of volunteers. Garlic mustard? Check.
The non-native garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
No shortage of it to pull. I scan the front planting beds. They definitely need a good weeding after the rains this week. And yes –the prairie dropseed in the display beds needs divided—it’s threatening a take-over.
I count the plants in bloom…one…five…ten… and more. Success. Stewardship is usually about small victories and incremental progress. Today, we made progress.
Not far away I see shooting star about to burst into flower. The cream gentian is up.
The hairy beardtongue only has its leaves but I know what’s on the way. And wow, look at that woodland phlox on the edge of the prairie. Such color!
Woodland or wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
New Jersey tea, one of our prairie shrubs, has tiny leaves.
New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Prairie dock’s velvet leaves belie how scratchy they’ll become in maturity.
Prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
And look—over there—the queen of the prairie leaves are up!
Queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
I reacquaint myself with the pussy toes. Hmmm. I have to consult my field guide to figure out which species it is. Each year, I puzzle over the same question. Each year, I have to relearn the name again. It’s always a pleasure.
Field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
The plant makes little silver patches across the just-burned prairies.
Field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
A red-winged blackbird calls to another across the prairie. The dying sun backlights the plants. Everything seems washed in green.
Mixed prairie plants with tall coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Amazing how a short evening hike on the prairie can be so restorative.
The opening quote is from biology professor of Northeastern Illinois’ Dr. Robert Betz (1923-2007), from an essay called “What is a Prairie?” included in Torkel Korling’s The Prairie: Swell and Swale (1972). Dr. Betz is best known for his iconic work at Fermilab, establishing its prairie plantings. He was also known by his colleagues for his love of White Castle hamburgers. Betz was a pioneer in prairie restoration, and the author of a 14-page booklet Plants of the Chicago Region (1965) and The Prairie of the Illinois Country (published posthumously in 2011).
*****
Spring Wildflower and Ethnobotany Walk— Saturday, April 29, 8:30-10:30 am at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL, and Thursday, May 4, 5-7 p.m. Registration information here.(Both walks are SOLD OUT, ask to be put on a waiting list) Walks move indoors for a classroom program if weather prohibits meeting outside.
Illinois’ Wild and Wonderful Early Bloomers—Thursday, May 11, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Sponsored by the Hilltop Garden Club, Oswego Public Library, Oswego, IL. Free and open to the public. For more information closer to the date, check here.
Dragonflies and Damselflies: Frequent Fliers of the Garden and Prairie, Tuesday, May 16, 10-11:30 via Zoom with the Garden Club of Decatur, IL (closed event for members). For information on joining the club, visit here.
I’m excited to moderate “In Conversation Online with Robin Wall Kimmerer,” June 21, 2023, 7-8 pm via Zoom. Brought to you by Illinois Libraries Present. Numbers may be limited, so register here soon!
April in the Midwest is not for the faint of heart. We woke up Monday in the Chicago Region to blustery winds, falling snow, and temperatures which plunged down, down, down.
After joking with friends earlier last week that we had gone straight from winter to summer—we’d even put the hummingbird feeder out— the weather gods must have taken notice. Take that!
Hummingbird feeder with no takers, Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Ah, well. It’s spring in Illinois.
The 100-acre Schulenberg Prairie where I’m a steward was burned last week. I was glad to see it, although the prescribed fire was later in the season than usual and nipped some of the newly-emerged plants.
Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
I don’t think it will set back the rattlesnake master much.
There were some casualties. Oh, the pasque flowers! They are always one of our first prairie wildflowers to bloom each spring. The name comes from the Hebrew “pasakh” for “Passover” and is also known as “Easter flower” for its bloom season. The flowers were right on time this year before the prescribed burn.
Pasque flowers (Pulsatilla patens), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL (2016).
If you are a long-time reader of Tuesdays in the Tallgrass, you’ll remember we were down to one or two of these beautiful specimens a half dozen years ago. We collected seed from the mother plant, as well as sourced more seed from a generous forest preserve. Then the Arboretum’s wonderful greenhouse staff grew the seeds out for us. Pasque flower germinates poorly, so we were delighted to have 30 plants to place on the prairie.
Pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens) seedlings, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
So it’s a bit of a heartbreak to see them after the fire.
It’s the life of a prairie steward. Three steps forward. Two steps back. The fire was critical to the health of the prairie, so most plants will benefit. Poor pasque flowers! One of the hazards of being an early spring prairie bloomer. We’ll see if any other pasque flower plants made it as the weeks unfold.
As consolation, Jeff and I dropped in at the Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie in Glenview, IL, this past week. It’s one of my favorite prairies to visit.
Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
This evening it’s quiet, except for a rowdy flock of red-winged blackbirds and grackles. Almost 60! They move in large groups from tree to tree. The late slant of sun polishes the grackles’ blue and black to a high sheen.
Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
It seems unfair that a flock of grackles is called “a plague.” As we enter the fourth year of the pandemic, we have an inkling of what a “plague” is like, and this ain’t it. Another name for their flocks: An “annoyance” of grackles. Ha! I like the red-winged blackbird’s group names better: a “cloud,” “cluster,” or a “merl.”
We see a few house finches as we hike, hanging out on top of a birdhouse that I don’t believe was intended for them. The males are pretty in their raspberry breeding plumage.
House finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
Bird names aside, we revel in naming some of the prairie plants we see still standing on the unburned prairie. Switchgrass.
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
Wild bergamot.
Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
Dogbane, sometimes called Indian hemp.
Dogbane or Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum), Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
Prairie dock, with a thicker-than-usual stem. Interesting! I wonder why?
Prairie dock (Silphium terabinthinaceum), Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
As we hike, we notice two visitors on the trail peering through their binoculars at…something. I look into the wetlands, but can’t see anything unusual.
Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
Fortunately, they are—like so many birders—friendly and generous with their knowledge. “Look over here,” one of them says, pointing.
And then I see it. Virginia rail!
Virginia rail (Rallus limicola), Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
The reclusive bird with “Ticket! Ticket!” call has always evaded my camera. I click shot after shot, unable to believe my luck.
Virginia rail (Rallus limicola), Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
But that’s not all…
Sora!
Sora (Prozana carolina), Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
Another bird I’ve not been able to get a photo of. Even though, as Cornell University tells us, it is “the most abundant and widespread rail (a family of small to mid-sized birds) in North America.” What bizarre calls this bird has! (Be sure and click to listen to several of the recordings to hear the “whinny” call.) We linger, watching and listening.
Thanking the generous birders profusely, we make our way back to the parking lot, admiring the now-closed interpretive center as we go.
Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center, Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
It was a short prairie hike.
But what a wealth of delights that April—this mercurial month—had for us on the prairie this week.
Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, Glenview, IL.
Who knows what else we’ll see this month on the prairies?
I can’t wait to find out.
****
The opening quote is from T.S. Eliot’s (1888-1965) “The Wasteland.” Read more about his life at the Poetry Foundation, or listen to Eliot read his words here.
*****
Join Cindy for a Program or Class this Spring
The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction—Tuesday, April 18, Algonquin Garden Club, 12:30-2 p.m. (Closed event for members)
Spring Wildflower and Ethnobotany Walk—Thursday, April 20, 8:30-10:30 am or Saturday, April 29, 8:30-10:30am at The Morton Arboretum. Registration information here.(Both walks SOLD OUT, ask to be put on a waiting list)
The Tallgrass Prairie in Popular Culture –Sunday, April 23, 2-5 p.m. The Land Conservancy’s 32nd Annual Celebration, High Tea at the McHenry Country Club, Woodstock, IL. Tickets are $45-$70 — available here. If you live in the area, please support the great work this organization does for prairies and our natural lands.
I’m excited to moderate “In Conversation Online with Robin Wall Kimmerer,” June 21, 2023, 7-8 pm via Zoom. Brought to you by Illinois Libraries Present. Numbers may be limited, so register here soon!
“Winter is an opportune season in which nature’s legions have time to ready themselves for a new debut come spring and beyond.“–Allen Young
******
February can’t make up her mind. Freezing temps and blustery winds? Hot sunshine and snowmelt? Every morning is a weather package to unwrap, full of surprises.
Sunrise from Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
On a brutally cold afternoon with abundant sunshine this week, I trek through the snow on the Schulenberg Prairie. I’m a steward here so I’m excited to see the fence along the north edge of the prairie has been taken down. The new 18 acres purchased for natural areas is being cleared. It’s satisfying to see an overgrown area, full of buckthorn and honeysuckle, in the process of restoration.
Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.New acreage is at the far treeline, center.
Ten degrees. Five bluebirds hang around the edges of the prairie in the savanna, their sapphire plumage startling against the bright snow.
As I hike toward the bridge, I hear a sound, like the sizzle of hot oil in a skillet. Water running! Willoway Brook isn’t completely frozen.
Bridge over Willoway Brook, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
I hang over the bridge railing. Yes, there is open water. But look at that ice!
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
So many winter patterns…
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
…flat discs…
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
…and ice crystals.
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
How astonishing! I forget my frozen nose and fingers as I look for other marvels in the water. A fallen angel in the center of the stream, or a flying bird?
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Reed canary grass conjures ice sculptures by the stream’s edges.
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
In other areas along the shoreline, the ice lays on the water surface like plastic wrap on Jell-O.
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Wonder after wonder. I imagine the dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, waiting under the ice for spring. I think of them, and their bright colors aloft in only a few months.
Calico pennant dragonfly (Celithemis elisa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL (undated).
Soon. Very soon.
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
I feel joy thinking of the dragonflies to come. And delight in the ice and snow of the prairie today. One prairie. Many facets over the seasons. Always something interesting going on.
Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Just think. I almost stayed home by the fireplace today, with my stack of library books and warm afghan. I would have missed all this.
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
However, the fireplace sounds good now, as my toes are frozen and my face chapped from the Arctic breezes blowing through the tallgrass.
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
I give the prairie a last look. Then shiver. Brrrr! Despite the sunshine, the wind is unstoppable. You can feel its bite and snap against exposed skin.
Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Time to head home.
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
I hike through the savanna to the parking lot. Will my car start? Fingers crossed.
Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Thankfully, it does. The heater full blast feels good, and as I sip hot peppermint tea from my thermos I begin to thaw. But what a joy it has been, to hike the prairie in February.
Unknown asters and prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
The prairie and its wonders are out there, waiting for you.
Why not go see?
****
The opening quote is from Allen M. Young from Small Creatures and Ordinary Places. These are thoughtful essays, celebrating katydids, butterflies, bats, odonates, cicadas, mice, hornets and more. I particularly enjoyed his passages on winter. Young also revised the “Golden Guide to Insects” for today’s readers—remember those little Golden Nature Guides you had as a kid? I still have one or two on my shelf. Young is the curator of zoology and vice-president of collections, research and public programs at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Check out Small Creatures here.
*****
Winter Prairie Wonders — Tuesday, February 7, 10-11:30 a.m. Discover the wonders of the prairie in winter as you hear readings about the season. Enjoy stories of the animals who call the prairie home. Hosted by the Northbrook Garden Club in Northbrook, IL. Free to non-members, but you must register by contacting NBKgardenclub@gmail.com for more information.
Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden’s Frequent Fliers –— Wednesday, February 8, noon-1:30 p.m. Hosted by Countryside Garden Club in Crystal Lake, IL. (Closed event for members)
The Tallgrass Prairie: Grocery Store, Apothecary, and Love Charm Shop— Thursday, February 9, 12:30-2 p.m. Hosted by Wheaton Garden Club in Wheaton, IL (closed event for members).
Illinois’ Wild and Wonderful Early Bloomers— February 20, 7:15-8:45 p.m. Hosted by the Suburban Garden Club, Indian Head Park, IL. Free and open to non-members. For more information, contact Cindy through her website contact space at http://www.cindycrosby.com.
See Cindy’s website for March programs and classes.
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Bell Bowl Prairie in Rockford, IL, needs your help! Find out more on saving this threatened prairie remnant at SaveBellBowlPrairie.
“How utterly astonishing our instant here (a time scented with dim remembering).”—Stephen Rowe
*****
It’s no coincidence that the weather has finally taken a turn and become, well, winter-like. In January, the prairie moves into its deep frosty mode. Hiking for the next eight weeks likely means cold hands, a less colorful landscape, more gray skies, and occasional brutal winds with few trees to block them.
Fermilab natural areas, Batavia, IL.
No wonder a lot of us opt for a book about prairie and a hot mug of tea, sitting by the fireplace and eschewing any physical effort! But the joys of the winter prairie are worth getting up off your duff and hoofing it out to the trails.
Not convinced? Here are a four ideas to get us outside to appreciate the winter tallgrass prairie.
Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
1. Think “subtle” rather than “eye-popping.” “There’s not much going on out at the prairie right now, right?” That was a question from a staff member where I volunteer as a prairie steward; asked when the wildflowers had long stopped blooming, and the prairie was settled in for the winter. Of course, I answered, “There’s always a lot going on out on the prairie!” Yet, to tune in to what’s happening in the winter is like fiddling with a fussy TV antenna. You do know what that is, right? Or maybe you have to be a certain age…. . The winter prairie takes patience, time, and the willingness to pay attention.
It’s long been said that the tallgrass prairie is a landscape that whispers rather than shouts. It doesn’t smack you in the face like the Rocky Mountains, or a Florida sunset. And yet. The tallgrass prairie is more than just a quick shot of postcard-type beauty. There is enchantment in the singular…
Round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata), Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
…and awe in the sweep of the prairie landscape.
Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL. Wilson Hall in the background.
The grace and loveliness of the prairie—-especially in winter–sneaks up on you as you walk the trails.
So many tales the tallgrass has to tell you! The prairie is waiting for you to read its stories. All you have to do is show up. Look. Listen. And let the stories unfold.
Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
3. Take your cell phone. What? Yes, you heard that right. Winter prairie wildflowers and grasses may look completely different than their summer personas.
Load the free app iNaturalist on your phone before you go, and you’ll increase your knowledge of prairie plants in their January mystery guises.
Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
If you hate the idea of a phone on your hike, take your camera. You can always snap a photo of mystery plants, load them on your laptop or desktop or tablet, and use iNaturalist to take a photo of your image when you are back home to ID them. I also made a resolution to do more eBirding in the new year, so I use my free mobile eBird app to tally the birds I see on my prairie hikes. Again, if you don’t want to take your phone for birding, you can note what you see on a piece of paper and log the data at home. Fun!
Prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
4.Prepare before you go. Dress for the weather. That means something to keep your head covered. Comfortable footwear. Warm socks to keep your feet warm. Mittens or gloves will keep your fingers toasty. I like fingerless gloves, as I’m tapping my phone app iNaturalist to check a plant ID, or (this year) keeping an eBird list of the feathered fliers I see as I hike. Sometimes, I tuck a “Hot Hands” pouch into my gloves, or a reusable heat cartridge in my pocket for extra warmth (there are many versions of these, I have the Zippo rechargeable hand warmers that were a wonderful gift from my family).
Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
It’s worth the prep. If you are cold, wet and miserable, you’ll rush through your walk, unable to concentrate on what you see. Bundle up!
Before you leave home, make a thermos of something hot and delicious to enjoy when you are back in the car. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate taste amazing when you have just come off the trail, rather than waiting for that hot drink until you are back home. I like to sit in the car for a bit, drink my coffee, and reflect on my hike as I defrost. Maybe you do, too.
Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
What tips do you have for enjoying the winter prairie? I’d love to hear them in the comments section. Please share! The winter prairie is out there, waiting for you.
Ready to hike?
Let’s go.
*****
The opening quote is from Stephen Rowe (1945-), co-author with David Lubbers of Abiding: Landscape of the Soul. Rowe is a contemporary philosopher and educator.
*****
Join Cindy for a Class or Program this Winter
Just a few tickets left! The Tallgrass Prairie in Popular Culture—Library Lecture, Friday, January 20, from 10-11:30 a.m. Explore the role the tallgrass prairie plays in literature, art, music—and more! Enjoy a hot beverage as you discover how Illinois’ “landscape of home” has shaped our culture, both in the past and today. This is an in-person program in the beautiful Sterling Morton Library; masks are optional but recommended. Offered by The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL; register here.
Nature Writing Workshop— Four Thursdays (February 2, 9, 16, and 23) from 6-8:30 p.m. Join a community of nature lovers as you develop and nurture your writing skills in person. Class size is limited. Masks are optional. For more information and to register visit here.
Looking for a speaker for your next event? Visit www.cindycrosby.com for more information.
Fermilab is a protected government area, so a guard checks my driver’s license at the gate, then makes me a guest tag to stick on my coat. He smiles as he hands me a map and waves my car through the checkpoint. I’m off to the interpretive trail…
You might wonder: What is tallgrass prairie doing at a place where phrases like “quantum gravity” and “traversable wormhole” are the norm?
Prairie dock (Silphium terabinthinaceum), Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
So glad you asked! The prairie was the dream of Dr. Robert “Bob” Betz, a Northeastern Illinois biology professor who was dubbed by the Chicago Tribune as “a pioneer in prairie preservation.” In 1975, Betz heard that Fermilab’s then-director Dr. Robert Wilson was looking for ideas on how to plant its thousands of acres in the Chicago suburbs.
As Betz tells the story in his book, The Prairie of the Illinois Country (published in 2011 after his death), he enlisted the help of The Morton Arboretum’s legendary Ray Schulenberg and Cook County Forest Preserve’s David Blenz to go with him to meet with Dr. Wilson to pitch the prairie project.
Dr. Wilson, Betz said, listened to their ideas. He then proposed the interior of the accelerator ring for planting. “How long would it take to restore such a prairie?” Wilson asked the trio.
Prairie dock (Silphium terabinthinaceum), Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
Betz admitted it might take five years. Ten. Twenty or more.
White wild indigo (Baptisa alba macrophylla) Fermilab Natural Areas, Batavia, IL.
Betz writes that Dr. Wilson was quiet for a few seconds, “… and then he turned to us and said, ‘If that’s the case, I guess we should start this afternoon.’ “
What vision these men had! Their dream, coupled with the work of countless volunteers and staff, has birthed this restoration of Illinois’ native landscape across Fermilab’s vast campus today.
I wonder what Dr. Betz would think if he could hike with me this morning, and see the array of tallgrass prairie plants that shimmer under the winter sky…
It’s a restoration, hearkening to the past, but also the landscape of our future, holding hope for a healthier, more diverse natural world. Because of the work of Dr. Betz and the people who took time to introduce him to prairie in a way that seeded in him a life-long passion for saving and restoring the tallgrass, we can continue to learn about our “landscape of home” here, even as science moves us into the future.
Dr. Robert Betz (1923-2007) caught “prairie fever” after a nature outing with the also-legendary Floyd Swink (Plants of the Chicago Region, first edition 1969). Once Betz was hooked, he became a force of nature in Illinois for prairie conservation and restoration. At the end of his book, The Prairie of the Illinois Country, he writes: “Fortunately, in spite of all the tribulations the Prairie of the Illinois Country has undergone during the past 150 years, its remnants are still with us. But to continue the work that began decades ago to save, protect, restore, and enlarge these remnants, future generations must make a real effort to educate the public about their importance as a natural heritage and ecological treasure…. Hopefully, what this may mean in the future is there would be a plethora of people infected with the author’s ‘prairie fever.‘”
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For more information on Dr. Betz’s work at Fermilab, check out Fermilab’s natural areas here, and Fermilab’s Batavia National Accelerator Laboratory here. Read more about Dr. Betz in his obituary here, or in this article by former Fermi staff member Ryan Campbell here. A tremendous thanks to all the stewards, staff, and volunteers who keep the Fermilab Natural Areas healthy and thriving. As Dr. Betz wrote, it is an “ecological treasure.”
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Save Bell Bowl Prairie!
Bell Bowl Prairie at the Chicago-Rockford International Airport is once again under siege. Help save this important remnant prairie! See simple things you can do here. Thank you for keeping this ecological treasure intact.
“To everything, turn, turn, turn; there is a season, turn, turn, turn… .” —Pete Seeger
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Now the mercury in the thermometer slips below 30 degrees, although the sun may shine bright in a bright blue sky. Leaves from the savanna float along on Willoway Brook, which winds through the Schulenberg prairie. It’s a time of transition. A time of reflection.
Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
The first substantial snowfall arrived last night in the Chicago region. This morning, it turned the world blue and black in the dawn light.
Early morning, first snowfall, Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
The projects we’ve put off outdoors seem more urgent now. No more procrastinating.
Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Winter is on the way. And this morning, we feel it’s already here.
Snow on prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), early morning, Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
In the garden, the garlic cloves are tucked into their bed of soil with leaves mounded over them as protection against the cold. Next July, as I harvest the sturdy garlic bulbs and scapes, I’ll look back and think, “Where did the time go?” It seems after you turn sixty, the weeks and months just slip away.
…and also to the bok choy I’ve let stand in the garden, hoping to harvest it over Thanksgiving.
Bok choy (Brassica rapa subspecies chinensis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Both will take a light frost and flourish in cooler temperatures. But, they didn’t survive the the dip into the 20s very well on Monday morning. I should have covered them! Ah, well. Too late, now. Although I clean up my vegetable garden beds, I leave most of the prairie plants in my yard standing through winter; little Airbnb’s for the native insects that call them home over the winter. The prairie seeds provide lunch for goldfinches and other birds. I think of last winter, and how the goldfinches and redpolls clustered at the thistle feeders while snow fell all around.
Rare irruption of common redpolls (Acanthis flammea) in March, 2022, feeding with American goldfinches (Spinus tristis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL. Jeff and I counted hundreds of redpolls congregating at a time.
A few miles away on the Schulenberg Prairie, the tallgrass is full of seeds. The prairie tries to see how many variations on metallics it can conjure. Gold…
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
…silver…
Common Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Transitions demand that we pay attention. Expend a little energy.
Sure, they can be rough.
Prairie dock (Silphium terabinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
But bring on the change.
Hello, snow. I’m ready for you.
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The song “Turn, Turn, Turn!” was written by American folk singer Pete Seeger (1919-2014) and performed in the 1950s, then made popular by The Byrds in 1965. If you’re familiar with the Book of Ecclesiastes, in the old King James Version of the Bible, you’ll see the lyrics are almost verbatim from the third chapter, although in a different order. The Limeliters (1962), Pete Seeger (1962), Judy Collins (1966), Dolly Parton (1984), and others have also performed the song. According to Wikipedia, the Byrds version has the distinction in the United States of being the number one hit with the oldest lyrics, as the words are attributed to King Solomon from the 10th Century, BC.
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Join Cindy for her last program of 2022!
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) 100 Years Around the Arboretum. Join Cindy and Library Collections Manager Rita Hassert for a fun-filled evening and a celebratory cocktail as we toast the closing month of the Arboretum’s centennial year. In-person. Register here.
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Watch for the annual “Reading the Prairie” book review round-up next week! Just in time for the holidays.
“But what pencil has wandered over the grander scenes of the North American prairie? …I have gazed upon all the varied loveliness of my own, fair, native land, from the rising sun to its setting, and in vain have tasked my fancy to imagine a fairer. — Edmund Flagg
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Gray clouds slide across the sky. Low temperatures send us to our closets, looking for heavy sweaters and winter jackets.
Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
I’m tempted to stay inside. Duck out of any hiking.
Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
But! Autumn is in full swing.
Native prairie and pollinator neighborhood planting, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Who would want to miss it?
Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata), College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
October loves to surprise us. One day, it’s all sunshine and warmth, the next, there’s a hint of the Midwest winter to come.
College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
On the prairie this month, it’s all about the seeds. Fluffy seeds.
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Seeds in crackly coats.
Tall cinquefoil (Drymocallis arguta), College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Seeds soft as silk.
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Seeds with the promise of a new generation.
Compass plant (Silphium laciniatum), College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Sure, there are still wildflowers in bloom.
Tall coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris), College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
And leaves full of color.
Compass plant (Silphium laciniatum), College of DuPage Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Some leaves more beautiful than the flowers.
Prairie dock (Silphium terabinthinaceum), College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Forget the trees. The prairie stars in October’s fall color show.
College of DuPage, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL.
What a beautiful season to hike the tallgrass!
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and New England aster (Symphotrichum novae-angliae), neighborhood planting, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Why not go see?
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The opening quote is from The Tallgrass Prairie Reader, edited by John T. Price (University of Iowa Press), from Edmund Flagg, who wrote about the Illinois prairie in 1838.
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Upcoming Programs and Classes
Thursday, October 20, 2022 (10:15-11:30a.m.)—The Garden’s Frequent Fliers: Dragonflies and Damselflies, Lincolnshire Garden Club, Vernon Hills, Illinois. Closed event for members. For information on joining this garden club, please visit their website here.
Saturday, November 5, 2022 (10-11:30 am) —Winter Prairie Wonders, hosted by Wild Ones of Gibson Woods, Indiana, in-person and via Zoom. Cindy will be broadcasting from Illinois. For more information on registering for the Zoom or for in-person registration, visit them here.
Saturday, November 12, 2022 (1-2:30 p.m.)Add a Little Prairie to Your Garden, hosted by the Antioch Garden Club, Antioch, IL. Free and open to the public, but you must register. For information and to inquire about registering for the event, visit the Wild Ones here.
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) 100 Years Around the Arboretum. Join Cindy and Library Collections Manager Rita Hassert for a fun-filled evening and a celebratory cocktail as we toast the closing month of the Arboretum’s centennial year. Register here.
“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”—Yogi Berra
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Autumn settles in for the long haul. Carmine and gold kiss the green-leaved trees overnight. Overhead, cerulean blue skies dotted with puffs signal mercurial weather.
Mackerel sky, Glen Ellyn, IL.
We wake this weekend to a light, patchy frost.
Ohio goldenrod (Solidago ohioense) with frost onCrosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
It zaps my basil and okra in the garden, but the zinnias…
Zinnias (Zinnia elegans ‘Cut and Come Again’), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
….and the kale don’t seem to mind too much.
Mixed kale (Brassica oleracea sp.), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
The prairie planting shrugs it off.
Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
What’s a little frost? No big deal. It’s all par for the season.
White wild indigo (Baptisia alba macrophylla), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
As the weather turns chilly, our hibernation instincts kick in. Put on a jacket and go for a walk? Or curl up with a book on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate? And yet, there are so many reasons to hike the tallgrass prairie in October. Here’s a little motivation to get us up off the couch and outside this week.
1. That color! The prairie draws with a full box of crayons in October, everything from blues…
Smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Pale Indian plantain (Arnoglossumatriplicifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
You might even discover autumn’s palette in a single leaf.
Prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
2. Flights of Fancy. Sure, the pollinator season is winding down. But the prairie still hums with life. Common eastern bumblebees lift off from every wildflower.
Common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Late monarchs still cycle through the prairie and my garden. Hurry! Hurry.
Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum (2021).
Everything in the season says “It’s late!” An empty nest, invisible during the growing season, signals the transition. I think of an old poem by John Updike, “the year is old, the birds have flown… .” The prairie shifts gear from growth to senescence.
Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
3. Stunning Seeds. Next year’s prairie floats on the breezes.
Pale Indian plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Other seeds wait to drop into the rich prairie soil.
The late summer prairie wildflowers are caught in the transition; some in seed, some in bloom, some still somewhere in between.
Blazing star (Liatris aspera) with sky blue asters (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
So much change! So much to see. And that’s just a taste of what’s waiting for you…
Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
…when you go for a hike on the October prairie.
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The opening quote is from baseball great Yogi Berra (1925-2015), who was known for his “Yogi-isms.” Another one of my favorites: “You can observe a lot by watching.”
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Join Cindy for a class or program this Autumn!
Tuesday, October 11, 2022 (7-8:30 p.m.)—The Tallgrass Prairie; An Introduction hosted by Twig & Bloom Garden Club, Glen Ellyn, IL. This is a closed event for members. For information on joining the club, visit their Facebook page here.
Friday, October 14, 2022 (10-11 a.m.)—-A Brief History of Trees in America. Discover the enchanting role trees have played in our nation’s history. Think about how trees are part of your personal history, and explore trees’ influence in American literature, music, and culture. Hosted by the Elgin Garden Club and the Gail Borden Public Library District, Main Branch, 270 North Grove Avenue, Meadows Community Rooms. In person. Free and open to the public, but you must register. Find more information here.
Thursday, October 20, 2022 (10:15-11:30a.m.)—The Garden’s Frequent Fliers: Dragonflies and Damselflies, Lincolnshire Garden Club, Vernon Hills, IL. This is a closed event for members only. For information on joining this club, please visit their website here.
Nature Writing II –Four Thursdays–October 27, November 3, 10, and 17, 2022, (9 to 11:30 a.m., in-person). Offered by The Morton Arboretum. Experiment with a variety of styles and techniques as you continue to develop your own voice. The same qualities of good writing apply to everything from blogs to books! No matter your background or interest, become the writer you always dreamt you could be. Register here.
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Save Bell Bowl Prairie! Click here to see what you can do to help persuade airport officials to preserve this important Illinois prairie remnant.
Beautiful Schulenberg Prairie Photo Exhibit! Local friends—don’t miss the MAPS special exhibit: “Seasons of the Schulenberg Prairie”, commemorating its 60th year. Sponsored by The Morton Arboretum from October 12-16. Free with Arboretum admission. For details, click here.
“Tallgrass in motion is a world of legato.” — Louise Erdrich
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September closes out the month with sunny afternoons. Crisp evenings. Nights dip into the 40s. Flannel shirts make their way to the front of the closet, although my sandals are still by the door. It’s a time of transition.
Wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) and Ohio goldenrod (Oligoneuron ohioense), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
About an hour before sunset this weekend, I saw a sundog to the west from my front porch. So bright!
Sundog, Crosby’s house, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Down south, hurricane season is in full swing. Here, in the Midwest, the air teases with the promise of… frost? Already?
Common mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) with an unidentified insect (possibly Neortholomus scolopax), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Surely not. And yet. Who knows?
Sky blue aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
In the garden, the green beans have succumbed to fungal rust. Although my beans have flirted with it before, I think my decision to grow pole beans too densely on a trellis without good air circulation likely led to the disease. My bean season has come to an end, it seems. Ah, well. Wait until next year.
The cherry tomatoes continue to offer handfuls of fruit…
…and the mixed kale, planted this spring, seems delighted with the cooler weather.
Mixed kale (Brassica oleracea), Crosby’s garden, Glen Ellyn, IL.
In the herb garden, the sweet basil, thyme, dill, and Italian parsley are at their peak.
Italian parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Crosby’s garden, Glen Ellyn, IL.
The promise of coming frost means the rosemary needs to come inside. Rosemary is a tender perennial in my garden zone 5B, and needs to spend the winter by the kitchen sink.
Meanwhile, while the prairies in my region are dominated by tallgrass, our backyard prairie patch is adrift in panicled asters, new England asters, and—sigh—Canada goldenrod going to seed. Where have my grasses gone? A few lone cordgrass stems are about all I see. I’m a big fan of goldenrod, but not Canada goldenrod, that greedy gold digger. At least the pollinators are happy.
In the midst of the tangle of asters, a lone prairie dock lifts its seed heads more than six feet high. Most of my Silphiums–prairie dock, compass plant, and cup plant—kept a low profile this season. There are several prairie dock plants in the prairie patch, but only one flowered.
Prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Despite the Canada goldenrod run amuck in the backyard, I’m delighted with the three new goldenrods I planted this season in the front: Ohio goldenrod, stiff goldenrod, and showy goldenrod. Of the three, the showy goldenrod has surprised me the most. Such splendid blooms! I’ve seen it on the prairie before, almost buried in tallgrass, but in the home garden it really shines.
Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) with a common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
The bumblebees are nuts about it.
Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) with three common eastern bumblebees (Bombus impatiens), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
As I amble around the yard, admiring the colors with which autumn is painting the world, there’s a glimpse of red. A cardinal flower? Blooming this late in the season? It’s escaped the pond border and found a new spot on the sunny east-facing hill. What a delightful splash of scarlet, even more welcome for being unexpected.
October is so close, you can almost taste the pumpkin spice lattes and Halloween candy. The prairie plantings shimmer with seed. The natural world is poised for transition. A leap into the dark. Shorter days. Longer nights. A slow slide into the cold.
Blazing star (Liatris aspera), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
The opening quote is from Louise Erdrich (1954-) and her essay “Big Grass” in The Tallgrass Prairie Reader (2014) edited by John T. Price (and originally from a Nature Conservancy collection Heart of the Land: Essays on Last Great Places, 1994). It’s one of my favorite essays in prairie literature.
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Join Cindy for a program or class this autumn!
Friday, October 14, 2022 (10-11 a.m.)—-A Brief History of Trees in America. Discover the enchanting role trees have played in our nation’s history. Think about how trees are part of your personal history, and explore trees’ influence in American literature, music, and culture. Hosted by the Elgin Garden Club and the Gail Borden Public Library District, Main Branch, 270 North Grove Avenue, Meadows Community Rooms. In person. Free and open to the public, but you must register. Find more information here.
Cindy Crosby is the author, compiler, or contributor to more than 20 books. Her most recent is "Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural, Cultural, and Personal History" (Northwestern University Press, 2020). She teaches prairie ecology, nature writing, and natural history classes, and is a prairie steward who has volunteered countless hours in prairie restoration. See Cindy's upcoming online speaking events and classes at www.cindycrosby.com.
Tuesdays in the Tallgrass 