Ugh! Hot...

 

"Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense)" - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

 

Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense) is a very attractive plant here in our two small native pastures in SE O'Brien County. A fairly tall plant at times and very attractive leaf structure and flowers.

Many years back in the late 80's or early 90's, I found Steele Prairie in Cherokee County, completely inundated with it - a virtual pink sea of Showy Tick Trefoil!

I find this plant a very easy one to collect seed each fall...just put on a cotton sweatshirt and walk through it! Next thing you know you've got their velcro-like seed stuck all over you! When I'm finished, I take the sweatshirt off and go inside and sit down to a good TV show or movie and just pick seed off for the next hour or so! Easy Peasy!!!

For a quick, closer look at Showy Tick Trefoil, go to the following link -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9FST8oV-Cg

"Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)" - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

I've fallen well behind what is happening in our pasture here in SE O'Brien County. If there's anything that is taking over mid summer here as usual, it has to be the Cup Plants (Silphium perfoliatum). 

I actually carry a "saw" for these. Yes you heard me right...I have to saw down troublesome clumps that are encroaching or smothering out plants that are needing help "staying and thriving". They clump with many plants per stand, and this steals a LOT of real estate in a small pasture! 

I was once advised by my original prairie mentor, to resist the siren call of Cup Plant...'don't give it a new home", was his advice to me. I'm sometimes a poor listener.

 

The first plant I was foolish to grow became "THE" Goldfinch magnet of it's surroundings...it was like crack cocaine to our little state bird...they just could not get enough of it!

 

The summer morning dew and infrequent rain showers (here in SE O'Brien County anyway), collect in the leaves that clasp completely around the stems, giving the Goldfinches, Dickcissels, Sedge Wrens, etc. a good drink during the summer heat. And unfortunately the mosquitos like the many choices of pools for their larvae! 

 

The Cup Plant's leaf structure is amazing; the flowers quite numerous and showy; the height - impressive! 

 

For a closer look at Cup Plants you can visit a short "A Prairie Moment" video on my channel at this link - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO0WpFWV3f4

Thank You for visiting!  Please remember to be good to one another - we're all in this together!

 

Hope to see you on the Tallgrass!