Tall Grass Prairie Flower Pics

ToddsPoint

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Mar 2, 2018
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Todds Point, IL
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I started my tall grass prairie restoration project on 2 acres of pasture behind my house 25 yrs ago. I purchased a wildflower seed mix and also visited a relict prairie with a friend experienced in prairie restoration to obtain seeds. I also pick up seeds where I can find them. Along RR right of ways and along roadsides. It’s taken yrs for some of the seeds to germinate. I now have around 30 species. As the flowers start popping I will add them to this thread. You are welcome to add pics of wildflowers. Native species only!
This is purple milkweed.
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I started my tall grass prairie restoration project on 2 acres of pasture behind my house 25 yrs ago. I purchased a wildflower seed mix and also visited a relict prairie with a friend experienced in prairie restoration to obtain seeds. I also pick up seeds where I can find them. Along RR right of ways and along roadsides. It’s taken yrs for some of the seeds to germinate. I now have around 30 species. As the flowers start popping I will add them to this thread. You are welcome to add pics of wildflowers. Native species only!
This is purple milkweed.
View attachment 2088966View attachment 2088967
Nice photos keep em' coming
 

Pretty cool. Southern Plains were always the prettiest place in spring. Like a carpet of color.
 

This is a foxglove beards tongue. A member of the snapdragon family. A delicate little plant. One of first to flower. Flowers last less than a week and then gone.
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The last pic shows what foxglove beards tongue looks like when it goes to seed.
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Great job! We helped our county DNR folks gather prairie seed last fall. Various tall grasses and milkweed. The seed went to other counties and anyone helping could keep seed. We sowed quite a bit. Only the milkweed came up.
I have milk weed growing on the property. Every year when I'm out detecting I take a few seed pods.
I open one and set in the door arm rest of the truck.
Going down country roads that they don't spray, I open the passenger window, and the fluffy seed goes out the window. I look in the mirror and see them floating around in yhe air.
Even if doesn't germinate, I feel a tad better trying to make things better.
 

I’ve grown Indian blanket before but unfortunately it doesn’t reproduce. A friend dropped me off some seeds for next yr. Hopefully some will catch from this bag. They are so pretty they are worth a try again.View attachment 2089240
Mine reproduce like crazy. I have to constantly thin them out or they would literally take over the entire yard. They go to seed then start sprouting up very near the old plants that die off.
 

#7 This one is called goat’s rue and is a member of the bean family. Many prairie plants have powerful chemicals in their roots. This plant has a chemical called rotenone. The Indians dug the roots of this plant and used it to stun fish! Better living through chemistry.
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So what control method do you use? Around here, some folks mow, others do a burn. I guess nature did both: buffalo grazing and lightning strikes.
 

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