Late Spring on the Tallgrass II

Large-flowered Beard Tongue
Penstemon grandiflorus
(click on photo for a larger image)

Wow, this is the first day it's felt like I remember June used to feel; we got lucky last night and actually had a good rain...first one in 2-3 weeks. Today is warm and humid, and I spent some time this morning feeding black flies and forking thistle in the native pasture.

The prairie is looking real good...the Porcupine Grass is forming it's "quills" and the different "panic grasses" are flowering as well.

But the real attention getter I like is on the gravel esker slope in the north pasture, the Large-flowered Beard Tongue. This is a real bumble bee magnet and I was hoping to get one in action climbing into the flower tube but had no takers this morning. About a half hour ago there was one showing off but I was indisposed at the moment...I do have some video footage of bumble bees and these penstemon, just no still shots. I'd say the Tallgrass season is definitely in full swing now - just gets better all summer long.

Looking forward to it!

June! Where Ya Goin'?!

Daisy Fleabane

How's it happen? Is it just me?! June finally came and now it's about gone! Well, we have till next Tuesday but it still looms as a past deed about to be retrospect.

I'm finally rapping up a long job here and am hoping for some real prairie time and even easel time (!) fairly soon. Meanwhile everything has no regard for my absence and continues full steam ahead.

The prairie remnant pasture here is a good example...during this week we've had more plants come into bloom...just to name a few there's the almost weedy Daisy Fleabane shown at the top of this blog. It's not a particularly attractive plant but the blooms are quaint and from a distance they bring an air of fun.

Butterfly Milkweed

A real favorite, the Butterfly Milkweed is just now blooming here...it is a drop dead gorgeous bloom...unlike other milkweeds, this Asclepias does not have a milky discharge if broken...the Monarch caterpillars love to eat the seed pods on this plant, almost preferring them over leaves.

Pale Penstemon

Our smaller Penstemon, Pale Penstemon is in bloom now, just coming on after it's larger brethren has finished out (the Large-flowered Beardtongue). I like the tubular flowers and so do the Hummingbirds and the Bumble Bees.

"July Afternoon, Compass Plant"
oil on mounted canvas

And now summer must really be here as the Compass Plants have just begun their colors...we waited 5 years for our first bloomers here a couple years back; there's more each year now. This was a small oil painting I did of a Compass Plant last year...ya the title won't fit for a week yet but they bloom through July.

I wanted to mention an event this weekend near here if you have either Saturday or Sunday free. The nature center at Lost Island in Palo Alto County is having a "bioblitz"! The public is welcome and encouraged to participate.

It's a 24 Hour Snapshot/Inventory of Animals & Plants and the public is invited to join scientists as they survey over 7,000 acres of prairie, wetland, lake and timber. Teams will inventory mammals, birds, insects, fish, prairie & wetland plants. Fun stuff!!

I volunteered to help out so am looking forward to it.

You can join us for all or part of this event - it starts at noon on Saturday and goes through Sunday. Register by calling 712-837-4866.

Keep cool out there!

...and More Spring on the Tallgrass

The season continues colder than usual here at Prairie Hill Farm but the blooming is progressing as in years past. A walk through the pasture has a healing effect on tired minds...at least mine!


Yarrow is blooming...a very common prairie plant. I've had some people tell me it isn't a native, yet other knowledgeable prairie folks tell me it indeed is...I have plenty of it so I'll opt to accept it!


A forb I really like is one commonly called Ox-eye sunflower. It's not a sunflower though so sometimes it's called False sunflower - Heliopsis helianthoides. This beauty has almost florescent orange/yellow petals...it'll bloom during the entire summer and even into early fall!


One wildflower of dry gravelly prairies (which ours has much of) that I wish lasted longer in bloom is the Large Flowered Beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus). It has beautiful tubular flowers that Bumble Bees tunnel in and out of all day long. I keep a "nursery" of these forbs on the south side of the old corn crib...they love being in full sun and poor soil on the dry side. I collect from these each year to spread the flowers around more.


Other plants that are really coming on in the prairie remnant here are the sedges and the Prairie Sage. They tend to add texture and tone into the environment here.

I'm still stuck inside, but still take short breaks through the pasture...someday I'll get back to the easel...I hope. Enjoy it if you can...