Black-eyed Susan
The buds are starting to open on this prairie wildflower. If we keep getting good rain, they’ll keep flowering until October. You can find Black-eyed Susan blooming now in all … Continued
Lotus Leaves
It’s going to be another month before the lotus starts to bloom, but the leaves emerging from the water are pretty amazing right now. American Lotus is my favorite wildflower … Continued
Timothy Grass
Flower heads dancing in late day light. This remnant of exotic cool-season grass is left over from those who worked the land at the PGT in the early 20th century.
Foxglove Beardtongue
There are masses of this tubular, bright-white flower blooming in the prairies now. Look close and you’ll see bees, bumble bees, and hummingbirds. It’s the most common plant you’ll see … Continued
Great Spangled Fritillary
The coneflowers have started blooming and I’ve been seeing more butterflies. Here’s a Great Spangled Fritillary drinking nectar from a Pale Purple Coneflower. You can see coneflowers in the gardens … Continued
Green Milkweed
I found this wildflower (also called Spider Milkweed) blooming in the prairie last week. It’s easy to overlook because it’s short and has green flowers. Milkweeds are the host for … Continued
Pasture Rose
This native rose doesn’t get tall, rarely more than a foot, but it does have large fragrant flowers. Yesterday I found a bumblebee feeding on one. At the PGT you … Continued
Fragrant Sumac
The berries of this native shrub are turning red now as the hairy clusters ripen. Wildlife enjoys the fruit and the leaves have some of the best fall color of … Continued
Multiflora Rose
This rose, originally from Asia, can be seen blooming now across much of North America. Starting more than a century ago, it was planted across the US — for many … Continued
Sycamore Leaves
In the last few weeks the leaves on the trees have fully emerged. Sycamores are one of our largest and most beautiful trees. I most often find them growing the … Continued