WW-03238     1995  

Plants in Prairie Communities

Plants of Wet Prairies

The wet prairie plant community develops wherever the water table is high. Areas that are flooded or saturated by groundwater for more than a few days during a normal year are typical of wet prairies. Here the soil is waterlogged within the plant root zone for extended periods of time during the growing season. Local wet prairies develop in depressions where runoff accumulates or where the water table is close to the surface. The soil of wet prairie consists of silt and clay loam with high organic matter and nutrients. Wet prairie soils are poorly drained and are typically dominated by grasses with sedges an important component of the community. Forbs or wildflowers are abundant but usually fewer forb species occur in wet prairies than in mesic prairies. Plants found growing in this environment include:

Wild Garlic Allium canadense Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardi Canada Mayflower Anemone canadensis Indian Hemp Apocynum cannabinum Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata Common Milkweed A. syriaca New England Aster A. novae-angliae Crooked-stemmed Aster A. prenanthoides Purple-stemmed Aster A. puniceus Panicled Aster A. simplex Flat-topped Aster A. umbellatus Blue joint Grass Calamagrostis canadensis Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris Bicknell’s Sedge Carex bicknellii Wooly Sedge C. lanuginosa White Turtle head Chelone glabra Water Hemlock Cicuta maculata False Toad flax Comandra richardsiana Small White Lady’s Slipper Cypripedium candidum Showy Tick-trefoil Desmodium canadense Midland Shooting star Dodecatheon meadia Common Horsetail Equisetum arvense Joe-Pye Weed Eupatorium maculatum Boneset E. perfoliatum White Camas Figadenus elegans Queen of the Prairie Filipendula rubra Wild Strawberry Fragaria virginiana Northern Bedstraw Galium boreale Bottle Gentian Gentiana andrewsii Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Sawtooth Sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus Sweet Grass Hierchloe odorata Yellow Stargrass Hypoxis hirsuta Blue flag Iris Iris versicolor Wild Blue flag Iris I.virginica var. shrevei Path Rush Juncus tenuis Showy Vetchling Lathyrus venosus Prairie Blazing star Liatris pycnostachya

Marsh Blazing star L. spicata Michigan Lily Lilium michiganense Wood Lily L. philadelphicum Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis Great Blue Lobelia L. siphilitica Pale Spiked Lobelia L. spicata Prairie Loose strife Lysimachia quadriflora Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa Mat Muhlygrass Muhlenbergia richardonis Prairie Sundrops Oenothera pilosella Primrose O. rhomiboides Cowbane Oxypolis rigidior Switch grass Panicum virgatum Marsh Betony Pedicularis lanceolata Prairie Phlox Phlox pilosa False Dragonhead Physostegia virginiana Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum virginianum Bristly Buttercup Ranunculus pensylvanicus Gray headed Coneflower Ratibida pinnata Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Sweet Coneflower R. subtomentosa Swamp Saxifrage Saxifraga pensylvanica Great Bulrush Scirpus validus Prairie Dock Silphium terebinthinaceum Riddell’s Goldenrod Solidago riddellii Prairie Cord Grass Spartina pectinata Nodding Lady Tresses Spiranthes cernua Meadow Sweet Spirea alba Steeple Bush S. tomentosa Tall Meadow Rue Thalictrum dasycarpum Prairie Spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata Ohio Spiderwort T. ohiensis Blue Vervain Verbena hastata Ironweed Vernonia fasciculata Culver’s Root Veronicastrum virginicum Blue Marsh Violet Viola nephrophylla Heart leaved Golden Alexander Zizia aptera Golden Alexander Z. aurea

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Plants of Dry Prairies

Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardi

Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpureum

Many dry prairies in the eastern grasslands are often found on steep hillsides or rocky areas that are not economically feasible to develop. Moving westward, dry prairies are more common in general due to the lower rainfall, between 10 and 20 inches per year. These dry prairie communities typically have a shallow soil profile, with a thin layer of organic matter and sandy, well-drained soil with low water-holding capacity. In western areas of the shortgrass prairie, evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation and can cause salts to accumulate in a hard layer three to six feet below the surface. This hardpan of limestone-like calcium carbonate causes the soil to be more alkaline and may be a distinguishing characteristic of the dry prairie community in the shortgrass prairie. This condition is rarely found in the tallgrass prairie, even in dry sites because the rainfall is adequate. Species composition varies in the dry prairie, depending on the soil, geography, topography, and climate. Typical plants found growing in the dry prairie community are:

Western Wheat Grass Agropyron smithii Praire Onion Allium stellatum Lead plant Amorpha canescens Big Bluestern Andropogon gerardi Caroliana Anemone Anemone caroliniana Thimble Flower A. cylindrica Pussy toes Antennaria neglecta Lyre-leaved Rockcress Arabis lyrata Beach Wormwood Artemisia caudata Prairie Sage A. ludoviciana Blunt-leaved Milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis Green Milkweed A. hirtella Oval-leaved Milkweed A. ovalifolia Butterly Flower A. tuberosa Whorled Milkweed A. verticillata Short-green Milkweed A. viridiflora Heath Aster Aster ericoides Smooth Aster A. laevis Aromatic Aster A. oblongifolius Sky Blue Aster A. oolentangiensis       syn. [Aster azureus] Silky Aster A. sericeus Ground Plum Astragalus crassicarpus Downy Wood Mint Blephilia ciliata Sideoats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula Blue Grama B. gracilis Hairy Grama B. hirsuta Buffalo Grass Buchloe dactyloides Sand Reed Grass Calamovilfa longifolia Harebell Campanula rotundifolia Pennsylvania Sedge Carex pensylvanica Yellow Paint Brush Castilleja sessiliflora Partridge Pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Coreopsis Coreopsis palmata White Praire Clover Dalea candidum       syn. [Petalostemum candidum] Purple Prairie Clover D. purpereum       syn. [Petalostemum purpureum] Silky Prairie Clover D. villosum       syn. [Petalostemum villosum] Prairie Larkspur Delphinium virescens Illinois Tick-trefoil Desmodium illinoense Pale Purple Coneflower Echinacea angustifolia Canada Wildrye Elymus canadensis Purple Love Grass Eragrostis spectabilis Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium Flowering Spurge Euphorbia corollata Downy Gentian Gentiana puberula Prairie Smoke Geum triflorum Mock Pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida Longleaf Bluet Hedyotis longifolia       syn. [Houstonia longifolia] Showy Sunflower Helianthus laetiflorus Downy Sunflower H. mollis Oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides

Golden Aster Heterothera villosa       syn. [Chrysopsis villosa] Alumroot Heuchera richardsonii Hairy Hawkweed Hieracium longipilum False Heather Hudsonia tomentosa Path Rush Juncus tenuis Junegrass Koeleria macrantha       syn. [Koeleria cristata] False Boneset Kuhnia eupatoricoides Rough Blazing star Liatris aspera Cylindric Blazing star L. cylindrica Dotted Blazing star L. punctata Hoary Puccoon Lithospermum canescens Caroliana Puccoon L. caroliana Pale Spiked Lobelia Lobelia spicata Wild Lupine Lupinus perennis Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa Dotted Mint M. punctata Muhly Grass Muhlunbergia sp. Primrose Oenothera rhomiboides Prairie Primrose O. rhomiboides Brittle Prickly Pear Opuntia fragilis Prickly Pear O. humifusa Long stalked Panic Grass Panicum perlongum White Penstemon Penstemon albidus Smooth Penstemon P. digitalis Slender Penstemon P. gracilis Showy Penstemon P. grandiflorus Pale Penstemon P. pallidus Seneca Snakeroot Polygala senega Prairie Cinquefoil Potentilla arguta Scurf Pea P. tenuiflora Pasque Flower Pulsatilla patens       syn. [Anemone patens] Prairie Buttercup Ranunculus rhomboideus Upright Coneflower Ratibida columnifera Wild Petunia Ruellia humilis Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium       syn. [Andropogon scoparius] Small Skullcap Scutellaria parvula Common Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium albidum Blue-eyed Grass S. campestre Gray Goldenrod Solidago nemoralis White Upland Aster S. ptarmicoides       syn. [Aster ptarmicoides] Rigid Goldenrod S. rigida Rough Dropseed Sporobolus asper Prairie Dropseed S. heterolepis Porcupine Grass Stipa spartea Prairie Spiderwort Tradescantia ohiensis Hoary Vervain Verbena stricta American Vetch Vicia americana Bird’s Foot Violet Viola pedata Arrow-leaved Violet V. sagittata

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Plants of Mesic Prairies

Pasque Flower Pulsatilla patens

Indian Grass Sorghastrum nutans

The mesic (from the Greek meso or middle, meaning neither wet nor dry) prairie community occurs in fairly level outwash deposits, gently rolling hills, or ground moraine. In some areas loess deposits (the fine wind-deposited material) overlie glacial till. Mesic prairies have lighter soil, receive or retain less water, and have more surface drainage than wet prairies. Most are found on loam and sandy loam soils. Rainwater soaks in but doesn't collect from the surrounding area. Mesic prairies may closely resemble dry communities, but grasses grow more vigorously and there are more flower species. These are ideal growing conditions for native legumes, which enrich the soil with nitrogen for other prairie species. Disturbance by fire, mowing, or grazing is necessary to prevent invasion by brush and trees. Common plants in this type of community include:

Fragrant Hyssop Agastache foeniculum Prairie Dandelion Agoseris glauca Prairie Onion Allium stellatum Nodding Onion A. cernuum Lead plant Amorpha canescens Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardi Canada Mayflower Anemone canadensis Thimble Flower A. cylindrica Pussy toes Antennaria neglecta Spreading Dog bane Apocynum androsaemifolium Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis Sullivant’s Milkweed Asclepias sullivantii Common Milkweed A. syriaca Butterfly Flower A. tuberosa Heath Aster Aster ericoides Smooth Aster A. laevis New England Aster A. novae-angliae Sky Blue Aster A. oolentangiensis       syn [Aster azureus] Crooked-stemmed Aster A. prenanthoides Canadian Milk Vetch Astragalus canadensis White Wild Indigo Baptisia alba Wild Blue Indigo B. australis       syn [Baptisia leucantha] Prairie Wild Indigo B. bracteata       syn [Baptisia leucophaea] Kalm’s Brome Bromus kalmii Poppy Mallow Callirhoe triangulata Harebell Campanula rotundifolia Bicknell’s Sedge Carex bicknellii Mead’s Sedge C. meadii Wild Senna C. hebecarpa Indian Paint Brush Castilleja coccinea New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus Pasture Thistle Cirsium discolor Hill’s Thistle C. hillii False Toad flax Comandra palmata Coreopsis Coreopsis palmata White Prairie Clover Dalea candidum       syn. [Petalostemum candidum] Purple Prairie Clover D. purpureum       syn. [Petalostemum purpureum] Showy Tick-trefoil Desmodium canadense Illinois Tick-trefoil D. illinoense Midland Shooting star Dodecatheon meadia Pale Purple Coneflower Echinacea angustifolia Purple Coneflower E. purpurea Canada Wildrye Elymus canadensis Fire Weed Epilobium angustifolium Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium Flowering Spurge Euphorbia corollata White Camas Figadenus elegans Wild Strawberry Fragaria virginiana Northern Bedstraw Galium boreale Yellow Gentian Gentiana alba       syn [Gentiana flavida] Bottle Gentian G. andrewsii Downy Gentian G. puberula Stiff Gentian Gentianella quinquefolia       syn [Gentiana quinquefolia] Fringed Gentian Gentianopsis crinata       syn [Gentiana crinata] Prairie Smoke Geum triflorum Wild Licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota Longleaf Bluet Hedyotis longifolia       syn [Houstonia longifolia] Sawtooth Sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus

Showy Sunflower H. laetiflorus Maximilian Sunflower H. maximiliani Downy Sunflower H. mollis Western Sunflower H. occidentalis Oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides Golden Aster Heterothera villosa Alumroot Heuchera richardsonii Canada Hawkweed Hieracium canadense Showy Vetchling Lathyrus venosus Roundheaded Bush clover Lespedeza capitata Rough Blazing star Liatris aspera Meadow Blazing star L. ligulistylis Michigan Lily Lilium michiganense Wood Lily L. philadelphicum Hoary Puccoon Lithospermum canescens Caroliana Puccoon L. caroliana Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica Pale Spiked Lobelia L. spicata Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa Dotted Mint M. punctata Violet Wood Sorrel Oxalis violacea Prairie Panic Grass Panicum leibergii Scribner Panic Grass P. oligosanthes Switch grass P. virgatum Wild Quinine Parthenium integrifolium Wood Betony Pedicularis canadensis Smooth Penstemon Penstemon digitalis False Dragonhead Physostegia virginiana Seneca Snakeroot Polygala senega Prairie Cinquefoil Potentilla arguta Rattlesnake Root Prenanthes racemosa Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum virginianum Prairie Buttercup Ranunculus rhomboideus Upright Coneflower Ratibida columnifera Gray headed Coneflower R. pinnata Prairie Rose Rosa sp. Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium       syn [Andropogon scoparius] Rosin Plant Silphium integrifolium Compass Plant S. lacinatum Cup Plant S. perfoliatum Prairie Dock S. terebinthinaceum Common-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium albidum Blue-eyed Grass S. campestre Starry False Solomon’s Seal Smilacina stellata Grass-leaved Goldenrod Solidago graminifolia Missouri Goldenrod S. missouriensis Rigid Goldenrod S. rigida Showy Goldenrod S. speciosa Indian grass Sorghastrum nutans Prairie Cord grass Spartina pectinata Prairie Dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis Porcupine Grass Stipa spartea Goats rue Tephrosia virginiana Tall Meadow Rue Thalictrum dasycarpum Meadow Parsnip Thaspium trifoliatum Prairie Spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata Ohio Spiderwort T. ohiensis Hoary Vervain Verbena stricta Culver’s Root Veronicastrum virginicum American Vetch Vicia americana Bird’s Foot Violet Viola pedata Prairie Violet V. pedatifida Heart leaved Golden Alexander Zizia aptera Golden Alexander Z. aurea

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