Closed due to storm damage

Creeping Juniper, Juniperus horizontails growing on the sand dunes

The south unit of the Illinois Beach State Park was and is still closed to the public, so unfortunately I couldn't walk around as I expected when we came to this dune biotope the last day of July this summer.

During a short walk close to the resort I at least met the creeping juniper, Juniperus horizontalis, at the sand dunes together with Flowering Spruge, Euphorbia corollata, Purple Prairie Clover, Dalea purpurea, and Cylindrical Blazingstar, Liatris cylindracea. 

As I was not allowed to walk in the area I instead drove some few miles north to the Chiwaukee Prairie in Kenosha in Wisconsin. But that's another story.

The shore of Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach in Zion

Flowering Spruge, Euphorbia corollata

Trees and branches are fallen and the area is closed for visitors

The result of the summer storm

The Rift Valley Euphorbias

Cacti belonging to the Cactaceae family are originally found only in the new world, although many species are introduced and naturalized in suitable parts of Europe and Africa. In arid biotopes in Africa many other kind of plants have developed the same succulens strategi and look rather similar to the true cacti of America.

At the slopes down to the Rift Valley in Kenya an huge arborescent euphorbia dominates the landscape, the Euphorbia candelabrum.

On the way down to Rift Valley from NorthEast

Euphorbia candelabrum is endemic to East Africa

A group of giant euphorbias

The Euphorbia candelabrum are scattered along the hill side