Saturday 13 August 2011

Schulenberg Prairie



The Mallow poppy, Callirhoe involucrata, is a perennial plant with trailing branches covered by a cascade of glowing magenta pink cup shaped flowers. It prefer dry sites, and can be found along roadsides, on hill prairies, dry sand prairies and gravel prairies. Here it is planted at the entrance to Morton Arboretum in Chicago. 

We went for at three weeks long trip to the prairies in Illinois and Wisconsin and Morton Arboretum was one of our first stops. Unfortunately that particular day was the hottest on the entire journey with a temperature around 100° Fahrenheit (37-38° C). But still the famous Schulenberg Prairie just had to be visited. It was for sure worth the effort and the loss of 10 bottles of water.

Schulenberg Prairie is known to be one of the oldest planted prairies in the tallgrass prairie region. It is situated on west side of the arboretum and occur after a drive along some nice woodlands and and short walk through a small open savanna.    

Savanna landscape on the way to the Schulenberg Prairie

The Oak savanna with a understory of Eupatorium


White Prairie Clover, Dalea candida, and Culver's Root, Veronicastrum virginicum

The tall and very beautiful Pale Indian Plantain, Arnoglossum atriplicifolium

One among few still flowering specimen of Baptisia alba var macrophylla
 

Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa

Rhus glabra close to the entrence to the Prairie Visitor Center

Oak leaf hydragea, Hydrangea quercifolia inside the park at Morton arboretum

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