Tallgrass Prairie Changes

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis

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It’s difficult to let go of the things we know and love.

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

I think of this as I hike the prairie this week, looking back at the summer season. I love the heat and spark of June. July. August. The vibrant color. The sound sizzle. The zip and buzz of insects in constant motion.

I struggle with change. Transitions can be daunting.

Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

And now, autumn. In Illinois, the forecast promises us one last week of warm temperatures before the cold settles in. But you can see the seasonal changes. Wildflowers and grasses in seed. Goldfinches have already traded their warm season wardrobe for the duller garb that will let them blend into the fall and winter woodlands and prairies.

Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) on stiff goldenrod (Oligoneneruon rigidum), Crosby’s front yard prairie planting, Glen Ellyn, IL.

You can see the autumnal changes in the Cup Plants, crisped and brittle…

Cup Plant (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

…the dotted swiss swatches of Prairie Dock leaves…

Prairie Dock (Silphium terabinthinaceum), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

…the neatly packaged Golden Alexanders’ seed capsules…

Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea), Crosby’s front yard prairie planting, Glen Ellyn, IL.

…and Rough Blazing Stars’ pom-pom seed puffs, which will gently blow apart in winter’s glacial breezes.

Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera), Crosby’s front yard prairie planting, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Change is in the air.

Although the numbers of prairie creatures and backyard wildlife I see have dropped off, there is still plenty of activity. As the prairie paths warm in the sun, they are the perfect place for garter snakes to catch a few rays.

Common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

Illinois’ snakes are cold blooded, which simply means their body temperature takes its cues from the environment. Snakes here will soon enter “brumation,” a sort of hibernation from which they’ll emerge in the spring. Many folks I know are happy about seeing less snakes; this prairie dweller is not a universal favorite. I can’t help but admire this one as I watch it seamlessly slip from the path and disappear into the grasses.

Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

As the prairie and garden slide into dormancy, it’s a joy to find the last bright butterflies of the season. I’ve not spotted a Monarch for several days. But in my still-vibrant backyard zinnia patch, an American Painted Lady stopped by this weekend to fuel up for the cold.

American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

In Illinois, these beautiful butterflies are seen from April to October. My terrific field guide, Butterflies of Illinois , tells me the last generation of American Painted Ladies like this one will either hibernate as an adult (although they won’t survive very cold temperatures) or the caterpillars will overwinter in the chrysalis stage. Each year, I learn, migrants of this species from the south will help repopulate Illinois.

Soon, all the butterflies will be gone. The skies will seem a little emptier for their absence.

Clear Creek Fords, Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

As each new season comes along, I want to hold the previous one tight. Savor every moment. Resist change.

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

It’s difficult to let go of the past. It’s impossible to know what’s ahead.

Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

Thinking of the future this week is especially daunting. Walking helps.

Nachusa Grassland, Franklin Grove, IL.

And—-each season, I remind myself that once I move through the transition, so many wonders will unfold. They are out there, just waiting for me to go see them.

Waterfall Glen, Darien, IL.

Why not go for a hike this week? I tell myself to get out there. Embrace the transition. Anticipate the change. I know I’ll be glad I did.

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The opening quote is by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), the British author of many children’s books and adult fiction and apologetics. He’s probably most beloved by readers for his “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, which I read aloud to my kids, and now my grandkids.

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Join Cindy for a class or program to close out 2023!

11/1 — 11am-12:30 pm: “Winter Prairie Wonders” hosted by Town and Country Gardeners in Libertyville, IL. (Closed event for members). To learn more about the club, click here.

11/6 — 11am-12:30pm: “Dragonflies and Damselflies” hosted by Elmhurst Garden Club (Closed event for members). To learn how to join this garden club, click here.

11/10 –1-2:30pm: “A Brief History of Trees in America” hosted by Lombard Garden Club. Free and open to the public! For more information, click here.

11/15 –7-8:30 p.m.: “A Brief History of Trees in America” hosted by the Downers Grove Organic Garden Club. Free and open to the public! For more information, click here.

12/1 — 10-11:30 a.m.: “Bison Tales and Tallgrass Trails” at the Morton Arboretum’s beautiful Sterling Morton Library in Lisle, IL. (SOLD OUT — call and ask to be put on a waiting list.)

12/12 6:45-8 p.m.: “Winter Prairie Wonders” hosted by the Buffalo Grove Garden Club. Free and open to the public! For more information, click here.

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A note to readers: Jeff and I are celebrating our 40th anniversary by visiting 40 natural areas over the summer and fall. Thanks to everyone who has sent ideas! So far, we’ve enjoyed visiting the following places: Kayaking at #1 Rock Cut State Park (Rockford, IL); hiking at #2 James “Pate” Philip State Park (Bartlett, IL); #3 Potato Creek State Park (North Liberty, IN); #4 Indiana Dunes State Park (Porter County, IN); #5 Indiana Dunes National Park (Beverly Shores, IN); kayaking Silver Lake at #6 Blackwell Forest Preserve (Wheaton/Warrenville, IL); hiking #7 Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve (Downers Grove, IL), #8 Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve (Winfield, IL), #9 Bluff Spring Fen (Elgin, IL), #10 Herrick Lake Forest Preserve (Wheaton, IL); Jeff’s family reunion at #11 Hawthorn Park (Terre Haute, IN); hiking #12 Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, IN) and at #13 Shades State Park, Waveland, IN; hiking and bison viewing at #14 Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN; hiking at #15 Hidden Lake Forest Preserve (Downers Grove, IL), #16 Peck Farm Park (Geneva, IL), #17 Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, IL); #18 Busse Woods Forest Preserve, Elk Grove, IL; #19 Nachusa Grasslands (Franklin Grove,IL); reading in a swing along the Rock River at #20 Lowell Park (Dixon, IL); cabin overnight and hiking at #21 White Pines State Park (Mt. Morris, IL); hiking to the overlook at #22 Castle Rock State Park (Oregon, IL); enjoying the views at a prairie remnant gem #23 Beach Cemetery Prairie (Ogle County, IL); #24 Springbrook Prairie (Naperville, IL); watching eagles and hiking at #25 Starved Rock State Park (Oglesby, IL); watching the dragonfly migration at #26 Matthiessen State Park (Oglesby, IL); river overlook at #27 Buffalo Rock State Park (Ottawa, IL); #28 monarch and dragonfly migration at Wolf Road Prairie (Westchester, IL); and hiking #29 Russell R. Kirt Prairie at College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn, IL); hiking #30 Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (Wilmington, IL), #31 Fermilab Prairies (Batavia, IL); and #32 Danada Forest Preserve (Wheaton, IL); #33 Fullersburg Woods (Oak Brook, IL); #34 Dick Young Forest Preserve (Batavia, IL); #35 Lyman Woods (Downers Grove, IL); #36 Harlem Hills Prairie Nature Preserve (Loves Park, IL); #37 Greene Prairie (Madison, WI; #38 Curtis Prairie (Madison, WI); and #39 Waterfall Glen (Darien, IL).  Thanks to everyone who sent suggestions last week! Our last adventure will be posted next Tuesday.

Goodbye, August Prairie

“It was that day when the end of summer intersects perfectly with fall.” —Ann Patchett

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High daytime temperatures which hovered around 100 degrees last week have given way to nights in the 50s. Grateful, we open our windows to the cool breaths of air.

Eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis), The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Hiking sounds like fun again.

Wolf Road Prairie, Westchester, IL.

Let’s go see what the prairies are up to.

Hiking Wolf Road Prairie, Westchester, IL.

A few tattered tiger swallowtails hang around the thistle nectar bar, possibly humming “staying alive, staying alive.”

Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on pasture thistle (Cirsium discolor), Wolf Road Prairie, Westchester, IL.

If you’re an insect, there is so much to be done at the end of August on the prairie. Avoid birds. Answer any final mating calls. Eat. Eat some more.

Eyes seem to watch us from behind every leaf.

Silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Wolf Road Prairie, Westchester, IL.

Overhead, green darner dragonflies swirl, fueling up for migration.

Green darner dragonfly (Anax junius) and a jet over Wolf Road Prairie, Westchester, IL.

In a few weeks, the swarms of dragonflies and troupes of monarchs will be gone.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) on pasture thistle (Cirsium discolor), Wolf Road Prairie, Westchester, IL.

I wonder what they’ll be up against as they make their journeys, with Hurricane Idalia unleashing her winds and rain in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Fly safe, little ones.

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After leaving Wolf Road Prairie, we realize we still haven’t had enough tallgrass for the day. I look at Jeff, and he looks at me. Russell R. Kirt Prairie is close to our house. Let’s go!

Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Once there, I scan the skies. Not a single monarch in sight this afternoon, despite the excellent work going on to record them on special wipe-off boards at the trailheads (kudos!).

Monarch sighting board, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.

But other little creatures are everywhere. Can you find one?

Biennial gaura (Oenothera gaura) and an unknown critter, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.

But the dragonflies—wow—they fill the prairie airspace here. Maybe we should be counting them! Green darners. Black saddlebags. Wandering gliders.

Wandering glider dragonfly (Pantala flavescens), Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL. (2016)

We admire the wildflowers and grasses as we hike the circular paths, then head for home.

Green darner dragonfly (Anax junius) over Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.

In our backyard, the birds continue their assault on the zinnias. I planted extra flowers this season, so I don’t begrudge them the seeds.

American goldfinch (Spinus tristis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Well…not too much, anyway.

The sparrows splash in the birdbath, and a bedraggled squirrel stops by for a fountain drink.

Eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

It should be a peaceable kingdom. But… not so much. Hummingbirds battle the wasps and bees at the nectar feeder.

Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) and pure green sweat bee (Augochlora pura), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

I should swap the little feeder out for the bigger one that has the bee guards. I’ve been too lazy lately to do it. As I watch, the hummingbird gives up and tries the the zinnias.

But someone else got there first.

Black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) on Cut-and-Come-Again Zinnia (Zinnia elegans ‘Cut-and-Come-Again’), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

There’s always the hyssop by the patio. They love that. But wait!

American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) on purple giant hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

What’s a hummingbird to do? Ah well. Soon, they’ll be headed south, foraging through gardens and prairies as they go. They add such pizazz to the prairies and our backyards. I miss them already.

August has been such an amazing month. So many intriguing wildflowers!

Purple rattlesnake root (Nabalus racemosus), Wolf Road Prairie, Westchester, IL.

So many fascinating creatures.

American rubyspot damselfly (Hetaerina americana) DuPage River, Lisle, IL.

As the wildflowers go to seed…

Pasture rose (Rosa carolina), Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.

…and the grasses begin their rule on the prairies…

…there is an endless supply of discoveries to be made. What a beautiful world it is, at the end of August.

Wolf Road Prairie, Westchester, IL.

Why not go see?

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Ann Patchett (1963-) is the award-winning author of Bel Canto (2001) and many other bestselling works of fiction, most recently Tom Lake (2023). As a child, she didn’t learn to read until third grade. Patchett lives in Nashville, TN, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.

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Upcoming Programs and Classes

September 6 — The Tallgrass Prairie: Grocery Store, Apothecary, and Love Charm Shop, hosted by Field and Flower Garden Club, Lake Barrington, IL. (Closed event for members)

September 11— Literary Gardens, hosted by the Long Grove-Killdeer Garden Club, Barrington, IL (Closed event for members)

September 21-– The Tallgrass Prairie in Art, Music, and Literature, hosted by the Lincolnshire Garden Club (Closed event for members).

September 26 — Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden’s Frequent Fliers, 1-2:30 p.m., hosted by the Itasca Garden Club (Itasca Park District Recreation Center). Free and open to the public!

September 27 — Literary Gardens, 7-8:30 p.m., hosted by the Barrington Public Library (Barrington, IL). Free and open to the public! For more information and to register, call 847-382-1300.

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A note to my wonderful readers: Jeff and I are celebrating our 40th anniversary by visiting 40 natural areas over the summer and fall this year. Please let us know where you think we should head to next. Thanks to everyone who has sent ideas! So far, we’ve enjoyed visiting the following places:

Kayaking at #1 Rock Cut State Park (Rockford, IL); hiking at #2 James “Pate” Philip State Park (Bartlett, IL); #3 Potato Creek State Park (North Liberty, IN); #4 Indiana Dunes State Park (Porter County, IN); #5 Indiana Dunes National Park (Beverly Shores, IN); kayaking Silver Lake at #6 Blackwell Forest Preserve (Wheaton/Warrenville, IL); hiking #7 Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve (Downers Grove, IL), #8 Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve (Winfield, IL), #9 Bluff Spring Fen (Elgin, IL), #10 Herrick Lake Forest Preserve (Wheaton, IL); Jeff’s family reunion at #11 Hawthorn Park (Terre Haute, IN); hiking #12 Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, IN) and at #13 Shades State Park, Waveland, IN; hiking and bison viewing at #14 Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN; hiking at #15 Hidden Lake Forest Preserve (Downers Grove, IL), #16 Peck Farm Park (Geneva, IL), #17 Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, IL); #18 Busse Woods Forest Preserve, Elk Grove, IL; #19 Nachusa Grasslands (Franklin Grove, IL); reading in a swing along the Rock River at #20 Lowell Park (Dixon, IL); cabin overnight and hiking at #21 White Pines State Park (Mt. Morris, IL); hiking to the overlook at #22 Castle Rock State Park (Oregon, IL); enjoying the views at a prairie remnant gem #23 Beach Cemetery Prairie (Ogle County, IL); #24 Springbrook Prairie (Naperville, IL); watching eagles and hiking at #25 Starved Rock State Park (Oglesby, IL); watching the dragonfly migration at #26 Matthiessen State Park (Oglesby, IL); river overlook at #27 Buffalo Rock State Park (Ottawa, IL); #28 monarch and dragonfly migration at Wolf Road Prairie (Westchester, IL); and hiking #29 Russell R. Kirt Prairie at College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn, IL). Thanks to everyone who sent suggestions last week.

Night and Day on the Tallgrass Prairie

“It is that range of biodiversity we must care for—the whole thing—rather than just one or two stars.” —David Attenborough

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Good morning from the tallgrass prairie!

Red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) on purple coneflower (Echinacea pupurea), Ware Field, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Look around you.

Blue-form female blue-fronted dancer (Argia apicalis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Look closer.

Halloween pennant (Celithemis eponina) on Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Listen.

American goldfinch (Spinis tristis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

The insect chorus tells you. August has arrived.

Ware Field prairie planting, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Figwort buzzes with activity.

Bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) on late figwort (Scrophularia marilandica), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

The backyard garden hums.

Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) on cut-and-come-again zinnia (Zinnia elegans), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Summer’s rollercoaster hits the top of the seasonal track. Pauses.

Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) and Indian hemp/dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum), Ware Field, The Morton Arboretum, Wheaton, IL.

Hold your breath. Here we go.

Familiar bluet female damselfly (Enallagama civile) munching an unknown insect, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Time begins its gradual descent toward autumn.

Rattlesnake master (Erynguim yuccafolium) with blazing star (Liatris sp.), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

The first New England asters are in bloom. Already?

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae),Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Early goldenrod paints the spaces between white wild indigo, twined with river grapevine.

Early goldenrod (Solidago juncea) and white wild indigo (Baptisia alba) with river grape (Vitis riparia), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

It’s the height of summer.

Great St. John’s wort (Hypericum ascyron), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Let’s hang on to these moments as long as we can.

Stream bluet damselfly (Enallagma exsulans), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Enjoy any day that opens with clean air. Sunshine. Low humidity. We’ll not take them for granted again.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Sooner than we think, summer will be behind us.

Halloween pennant (Celithemis epipona), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Seize the day. While summer lasts.

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Sunset arrives on the tallgrass prairie. Most of us head for home.

Springbrook Prairie, Naperville, IL.(2020)

But last week, I spent a few hours on the prairie after dark. Each summer, our band of prairie volunteers sets up a sheet and special lights to join “National Moth Week” in learning what moth species are out and about. “Moths!” you might say. “Aren’t those the bugs that eat our wool sweaters and damage our crops?”

Well, yes, some moth species might. However, moths are much more than pests. Moths are important pollinators. Each moth species may have different host plants, coloration, and lifestyle habits.

Peppered moth (Iridopsis larvaria), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

A few bats flapped around our moth set-up, then flew off into the savanna as darkness descended. The sheet began to ping with tiny insects. Then, an unexpected arrival. Two Vesper Bluet damselflies!

Vesper bluet damselfly (Enallagma vesperum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Because we monitor and keep data on dragonflies and damselflies during the daylight hours, I had never seen this crepuscular species. It flies in the late afternoons into the evenings, and may mate and oviposit after dark. For this dragonfly chaser, it was like Christmas in July.

And then came the moths.

Some with unusual-shaped wings.

Honest Pero Moth (Pero honestaria), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Pink ones.

Raspberry pyrausta moth (Pyrausta signatalis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Moths apparently wearing fur ruffs.

One of the grass tubeworm moths (Acrolophus sp.), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Moths like stained glass.

Oak besma moth (Besma quercivoraria), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Moths with racing stripes.

Pink-barred pseudeustrotia moth (Pseudeustrotia carneola), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

So many diverse moths! Each one a work of art. I was reminded of how little we know of the prairie—and the world we live in—as it is after dark.

Mothapalooza on the Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

After a few hours, the moth action was just getting started. But we were bushed. We shook out our sheets, packed our gear and headed home, feeling a little more astonished about the natural world. So much variety! So much to learn. And that’s just moths. Think of all the wildflowers, grasses, insects, birds, lichen, fungi, mosses, and other members of the prairie community out there, waiting for us to discover more about them.

Calico pennant dragonfly (Celithemis elisa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

It would take several lifetimes to explore a single prairie—or even—our backyards.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

I don’t know how anyone could ever be bored. Do you?

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Sir David Frederick Attenborough (1926-), whose quote opens this blog today, is the host of numerous nature documentaries, including Planet Earth, and the winner of three Emmy Awards for documentary narration. He’s also the author of many books, including A Life on our Planet. He also has approximately 30 species named for him, including a Namibian lizard (Playtisaurus attenboroughi).

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Join Cindy for a Class or Program in late July and August

August 3 — Dragonflies and Daiquiris, hosted by the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. (SOLD OUT) 6:30-8:30 p.m. Call and ask to be put on a waiting list.

August 5 — Nature and Art Retreat, hosted by The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Founders Room, Thornhill Education Center. Cindy will be leading the writing section. There are only a few spots left!  Register here.

August 9 — Interpretation for Master Naturalists, hosted by the Illinois Extension and The Morton Arboretum (via Zoom). (SOLD OUT)

August 11 — The Tallgrass Prairie for Master Naturalists, hosted by the Illinois Extension and The Morton Arboretum (in person). (SOLD OUT)

August 14 — Dragonflies and Damselflies, hosted by MAPS– The Morton Arboretum Photographic Society, Lisle, IL. Free for MAPS members and their guests. Blended online and in-person program. 7-8:30 p.m. For more information and details, visit here.

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A note to my awesome readers: Jeff and I are celebrating our 40th anniversary by visiting 40 natural areas over the summer and fall this year. Please let us know where you think we should head to next. Thanks to everyone who has sent ideas! We’re almost halfway there. So far, we’ve enjoyed hiking, bison viewing, and/or kayaking at the following:

Kayaking at #1 Rock Cut State Park (Rockford, IL); hiking at #2 James “Pate” Philip State Park (Bartlett, IL); #3 Potato Creek State Park (North Liberty, IN); #4 Indiana Dunes State Park (Porter County, IN); #5 Indiana Dunes National Park (Beverly Shores, IN); kayaking Silver Lake at #6 Blackwell Forest Preserve (Wheaton/Warrenville, IL); hiking #7 Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve (Downers Grove, IL), #8 Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve (Winfield, IL), #9 Bluff Spring Fen (Elgin, IL), #10 Herrick Lake Forest Preserve (Wheaton, IL); Jeff’s family reunion at #11 Hawthorn Park (Terre Haute, IN); hiking #12 Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, IN) and at #13 Shades State Park, Waveland, IN; hiking and bison viewing at #14 Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN; hiking at #15 Hidden Lake Forest Preserve (Downers Grove, IL), #16 Peck Farm Park (Geneva, IL), #17 Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, IL); and #18 Busse Woods Forest Preserve, Elk Grove, IL.

Summer on the Tallgrass Prairie

“In summer, the song sings itself.” —William Carlos Williams

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A word to the wise: When you leave for the weekend, pick all the zucchini in the garden before you go. Or you might come back to this:

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), Crosby’s garden, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Anyone have some good zuke recipes? I think we’re going to need them.

The garden is thriving after the 14 tornados, torrential downpours, and heat of last week. Jeff and I have spent a lot of time pulling weeds in the garden, and tying up tomato branches which bow under the weight of green globes. All this rain and heat are welcome news for the everbearing “Joan” raspberries we planted last season because one of our granddaughters told us she wanted “razzies.”

Joan raspberries (Rubus idaeus ‘Joan J.’), Crosby’s garden, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Another reason to plant whatever your grandkids ask you for. Yum!

The week’s welcome rain came with plenty of weather watching. We dodged a bullet in the Chicago suburbs Friday as we huddled in a downstairs closet under the stairs in the dark, listening to one twister go over with a distant roar. Other than a flat of prairie plants waiting to go into the backyard which blew into the street, we saw no damage. We were lucky.

Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL. We try for 70% natives, 30% “other” —the “other” mostly zinnias and vegetables.

On the Illinois tallgrass prairies, the soaking rains helped fuel the wildflowers.

Unknown insect and bumblebee jostling for position on swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) at a Cook County Forest Preserve, IL.

Look at those yellow blooms! Rosinweed.

Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

Gray-headed coneflowers.

Gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) with compass plants leaves (Silphium laciniatum), Schulengerg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

Early goldenrods.

Early goldenrod (Solidago juncea) with an unknown insect, Shades State Park, Waveland, IN.

Striking black-eyed Susans–almost like an impressionist painting when seen from a distance—

Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.

…are full of sharp contrast close up.

Black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia hirta), Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.

Flowers also come in knock-your-socks-off orange.

Michigan lily (Lilium michiganense) with leadplant (Amorpha canescens) and prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

I like the oddball flowers. This one reminds me of a court jester’s cap.

Spotted horsemint (Monarda punctata), Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.

With the wildflowers come butterflies. I’m seeing larger numbers of monarchs here this week, as if someone pushed a button that told them “GO!”

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Wild indigo duskywings speed across the prairie, sampling non-native red clover and native wildflowers.

Wild indigo duskywing butterfly (Erynnis baptisiae) on red clover ( Trifolium pratense), Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

Pipevine swallowtail butterflies vie for the best nectar.

Pipevine swallowtail butterflies (Battus philenor) on wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, IN.

Widow skimmer dragonflies seem to be everywhere, both aloft and perched.

Widow skimmer dragonfly (Libellula luctuosa), Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

You might even “spot” the occasional spotted lady beetle.

Seven-spotted lady beetle (Cocinella septempunctata) on prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

If you haven’t hiked your local prairie or nature preserve yet in July, why not? Who knows what you might discover.

Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.

It’s all waiting for you. The wildflowers, the birds…

Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia), Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

…the butterflies and the bees.

Unknown bee on purple prairie clover (Dalea pupurea), Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

July is halfway over.

Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) with unknown bee, Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

Why not go see?

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The opening quote is by William Carlos Williams (1883-1963), from his poem, “The Botticellian Trees.” Read more about Williams at the The Poetry Foundation. He was a physician, as well as a poet, and his grandmother had the surprising name of Emily Dickinson (no relation to Dickinson the poet, however). Critics noted his poetry has “a stubborn or invincible joyousness.” That phrase, “stubborn” and “invincible joyousness,” is going to stick with me this week. What a great outlook to cultivate.

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Hello Wonderful Readers: I’ll still be blogging, but I’m taking most of the month of July off from teaching and giving programs to continue my adventures with Jeff, visiting 40 natural areas over the summer and fall for our 40th anniversary this year. Look for classes and programs to resume at the end of July (see http://www.cindycrosby.com for details), and please let us know where you think we should head to next. Thanks to everyone who has sent ideas! So far, we’ve enjoyed hiking and/or kayaking at the following:

#1 Rock Cut State Park (Rockford, IL); #2 James “Pate” Philip State Park (Bartlett, IL); #3 Potato Creek State Park (North Liberty, IN); #4 Indiana Dunes State Park (Porter County, IN); #5 Indiana Dunes National Park (Beverly Shores, IN); kayaking Silver Lake at #6 Blackwell Forest Preserve (Wheaton/Warrenville, IL); hiking #7 Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve (Downers Grove, IL), #8 Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve (Winfield, IL), #9 Bluff Spring Fen (Elgin, IL), #10 Herrick Lake Forest Preserve (Wheaton, IL); Jeff’s family reunion at #11 Hawthorn Park (Terre Haute, IN); hiking #12 Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, IN) and at #13 Shades State Park, Waveland, IN; and bison viewing at #14 Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN. We are a third of the way to our goal!

At Home with the Tallgrass Prairie

“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”— Jim Dent

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Welcome, July!

It’s hot, hot, hot. The thermometer cruises past 90 degrees. My suburban backyard prairie plantings grow lush and tall by the minute, embracing the temperature. So many blooms!

Now starring in my backyard: hot pink.

Queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra).

The first pink party-time flowers of queen of the prairie cause me to yearn for cotton candy, and its burnt-sugar fragrance and melt-on-your-tongue sweet flavor. I see queen of the prairie and remember my first bicycle at age six: hot pink. As I admire the blooms from my kitchen window, I feel an impulse to make a batch of strawberry lemonade. Think pink! The memories flood in. Queen of the prairie flowers are a sure-fire nostalgia trigger.

Queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra).

The blossoms seem to float across the tallgrass like puffs of cumulus. Queen of the prairie is attractive in bud, too! Look at those tiny pink pearls.

Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra).

Nearby, culver’s root glows in the partial shade. The bees adore it. It’s a little leggy in the good garden soil of my suburban backyard, but no less pretty for sprawling.

Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum) with a honeybee (Apis spp.).

Cup plant helps hold it up. It’s aggressively pushed its way into more and more of my prairie planting. Hmmm. Looks like I might need to do some proactive digging and remove a few plants.

Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum).

Not a job for a day with temps in the nineties, I convince myself. Maybe later.

Joe pye weed tentatively lobs its first buds above the leaves. It’s a butterfly favorite. Moths and skippers love it too, as do bees and other insects. See the visitor on the leaf?

Red-banded leafhopper (Graphocephala coccinea) on joe pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum).

Earlier this spring, I moaned about the loss of my new jersey tea shrub. The twigs looked lifeless. But look!

New jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus).

The once dead-looking twigs are flush with leaves, and it’s putting on height next to the house. Maybe it’s not a write-off, after all. New jersey tea is in full bloom on the prairies this month. I close my eyes and imagine these little twigs flush with foamy flowers. Someday. Someday.

New jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

The first week of July is a time to put the seed catalogs away and close down the planting season. It’s difficult to stop planning and planting; to throw in the trowel. The dreams I had for a front-yard pollinator garden? Maybe next year. My hopes for adding big bluestem to the prairie patch? I mark my calendar to put seeds in when the snow flies. Now, it’s time to focus on enjoying what I planted this season.

To pay attention to the creatures my backyard prairie attracts.

Unknown critter on gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

To learn the names of the weeds showing up in large numbers in my prairie plantings. Native? Or aggressive invader? Oops—was that prairie sundrops I yanked out? It was! Ah, well. I can plant more next season.

Blazing star is tipped with new blooms. They’ll continue flowering from the top down, like sparklers.

Cabbage white (Pieris rapae) on blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya).

Prairie smoke, which I planted and lost many years ago, is flourishing in a new spot under the eaves with its prairie neighbors. When I threw prairie smoke plants into the big prairie patch, they trickled out, eventually disappearing. Perhaps they were bullied by the big rough-and-ready cup plants. Here, in the partial shade and dryness of the patio edge, they get lots of personal attention from the gardener. No blooms yet. Next year. I imagine the pink.

Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) Prairie Walk and Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL (2015).

The prairie smoke rubs shoulders with prairie alumroot, as pretty in leaf as it is in bloom.

Prairie alumroot (Heuchera richardsonii).

It doesn’t mind sharing space with whorled milkweed, which promises flowers for the first time this summer in my backyard.

Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata).

An unusual milkweed, isn’t it? From the leaves, you’d never guess it was an Asclepias. But the monarchs know.

Jacob’s ladder is gone to seed, and a few slim first-year plants of prairie coreopsis jostle for position next to the whorled milkweed. But the piece-de-resistance is the butterflyweed, which I tried and failed with at least three times before finding its sweet spot. Look at it now!

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) with a honeybee (Apis spp.).

No monarch caterpillars on it yet. I’m hopeful. Adult monarch butterflies loop through the lawn; lighting on common milkweed plants and nectaring from the rainbow blooms of cut-and-come-again zinnias. The hummingbirds like the zinnias too.

Summer in the backyard (2019).

It won’t be long until the monarchs discover the butterflyweed.

This week, the bee balm—wild bergamot—opened. Hummingbird moths as well as the namesake bees use this pretty flower from the mint family. Bee balm contains thymol, an essential oil. If “prairie” had a taste, it would be the antiseptic bee balm leaves and flowers. So refreshing!

Bee balm (Monarada fistulosa) with a bumblebee (Bombus spp.).

My backyard prairie compass plants, lagging behind the already-open blooms on the bigger tallgrass prairies, are closed fists ready to explode into yellow. When they open, the monarchs will be there, along with long-tongued bees and bumblebees and many other insects.

Compass plant (Silphium laciniatum).

So much is happening in my small suburban prairie patch. It boggles my mind to think of the larger prairie preserves, and the sheer numbers of wildflowers, butterflies, bees and other insects going about their business of living. Whether it is the thousands of acres of prairies like Nachusa Grasslands or the tiny prairie patches such as my backyard, I don’t want to miss a moment. July will be over in the blink of an eye. I want to soak up as much as I can.

For now, in the 90-degree-plus-heat, I’ll pour another strawberry lemonade. Then, I’ll enjoy the view of the prairie from my hammock as I plan my next hike on the prairie preserves.

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The opening quote is from Jim Dent, the author of Hops and History. Prairie in your backyard means less grass to mow, although not less weeds to pull. On hot days like these, it’s good to have an excuse to swing in the hammock with a cold drink and a book, and admire the prairie plantings we made. And –dream a little about next year.

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All photos this week, unless indicated, are by Cindy from her backyard in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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Join Cindy for a class or program this summer!

Beginning Dragonfly and Damselfly ID: online Monday, July 12 and Wednesday, July 14 (two-part class) 10-11:30 am. Offered through The Morton Arboretum. The first session is an introduction to the natural history of the dragonfly, with beautiful images and recommended tools and techniques for identification of species commonly found in northern and central Illinois. Then, put your skills to work outside on your own during the following day in any local preserve, park, or your own backyard. The second session will help you with your field questions and offer more advanced identification skills. To conclude, enjoy an overview of the cultural history of the dragonfly—its place in art, literature, music, and even cuisine! You’ll never see dragonflies in the same way again. To register, click here.

Virtual Summer Prairie Wildflower Walk: online Thursday, July 22, 10-11:30 a.m. Offered through The Morton Arboretum. No matter where you live, join me on Zoom to see the amazing summer tallgrass prairie wildflowers and hear their stories of uses in medicine, folklore, poetry, and even as love charms! Register here.

Tallgrass Prairie Ecology Online: Work through online materials and post your stories about prairie to the discussion boards; learn from other prairie stewards and volunteers about their challenges and success stories.  Join a Live Zoom with Cindy on Wednesday, August 11, from noon-1 p.m. CDT. The coursework is available for 60 days. Register here.