Turning It Up! (Look for some shade in the meantime)

"Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis)" - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

 

This heat is really pushing things along...hate seeing stuff mature and finish up so quickly. I've actually missed the peak on a few things here like the Lead Plants, Compass Plants, Showy Tick Trefoil...too preoccupied with other stuff.

I did have a nice patch of Canada Milk Vetch just peaking in the south pasture a couple days back. Its near the bottom where the new late 2025 planting was done. This can't be a new plant though - too big! It must have gotten a head start the year before and just missed seeing it.

 

Although not a colorful plant, the Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis) can make up for that in its structure, form, and pollinator value. We see plenty of hummingbirds, and butterflies on this plant, and this species is also one of the host plants for the Clouded Sulphur butterfly. 

 

We find it quite happy on our gravel slopes and in the wetter bottom mesic areas. This is a Legume and most legume species contribute beneficial bacteria called rhizobia on their roots. Strains of this bacterium aids in the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen - improving long-term health of native plant communities.

 

You can visit my channel for a short video at the following link -

 

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

"Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)" - Photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

We've introduced a few species in our pastures over the years; not many though, just things that are documented or found within a 30 mile radius of us - and suited to our soils and conditions. I still occasionally find things nearby that aren't on our ground, so we constantly weigh what should have been here decades ago, yet perhaps aren't now due to stresses like spraying and/or heavy grazing.

 

One thing we introduced a few years back, that seems very happy to be here, is Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). Our pastures are just 2 miles from Clay County and this native (but uncommon in the area) Hyssop has been recorded there next door to us in the past. In researching the Anise Hyssop, I thought with the potential location and soil characteristics, the possibility of this plant having actually been here 150 years ago, is not entirely out of the realms of possibility. (I chose the bottom ground which is more mesic than our hillside eskers, yet still well drained and a drier soil).

 

Anise Hyssop (Agastache Foeniculum) grows in clumps 2 to 3.5 feet tall, featuring strong stems topped with slender spikes of lavender-purple flowers that persist through midsummer. The leaves are a greenish color above and whitish underneath...crushing one will give off the scent of anise.

 

Some plants just began to peak here a couple mornings ago, so I went out with the dawn and got some nice shots. Each year these plants seem to persist and bloom almost into late August or early September!

 

Anise Hyssop is a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, as well as night flying moths.

 

You can view a short video done late last summer, on my chammel at the following link - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9_vFD_q2Ts

 

Thank you for visiting the blog; I hope you are keeping cool out there.  And Remember, please be good to one another - we are all in this together!

 

Hope to see You on the Tallgrass! 

 

Summer - Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days

White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida) - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea) - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

Both the White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida) and the Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea), are displaying everywhere in the pastures here - a true summer regalia! 

 

White Prairie Clover is a taller, slightly larger version pf the Purple Prairie Clover. The leaves are similar to it's purple cousin but noticeably larger in size...as is the flowering column of flowers.

 

I have to confess that I love the presentation and vivid Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea) the most - visually! Our gravel slopes here in SE O'Brien County, IA are an easy location for this plant to be found. The flush of the quite pleasing color tints the tops and edges of our pastures. The blooming occurs at the top of the plant as a dense cylindrical spike of flowers about 1-2" long and maybe a half inch or more across. Each purple flower is about ¼" across, with 5 small petals and 5 golden anthers that protrude outward. These flowers bloom together at the bottom of the spike, and gradually move up the spike at the season progresses. 

 

Both the White and the Purple begin blooming around July 1st and continue into early August here.

 

Some older books on livestock forage from the early part of the 20th century, hint that both of these Daleas were eagerly used by livestock in pasture settings, but they do not hold up well under heavy grazing. That could suggest why it is mostly absent in pastures today. Perhaps steeper gravel or loess soil slopes are well suited to this plant remaining as a common remnant in some parts of the state?

 

If Bumble Bees and Butterflies are your thing - these are beautiful flowers to behold!

 

You can spend a quick minute watching videos of both the White Prairie Clovers and the Purple Prairie Clovers at the following links on my channel - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U2cHm-rqUI

 

and

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G4WlH0YTZo

 

Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata) - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison 

Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata) is a great early summer forb on the pastures here in SE O'Brien County, in NW Iowa. It forms fairly nice isolated groups where the surrounding plants may not be as thick or as tall, as to compete too heavily. It is also referred to as Stiff Coreopsis, and it does present stiff/straight stalks with nice fine palm shaped leaves. 

Our's seem to do best on the gravels slopes where it can find plenty of sun and shorter neighbors...and those here seem to be having a better year than usual - loads of them in bloom!

 

You can view a short video on my channel, which has a series of "A Prairie Moment" videos at the following link - 

 

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

 

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog!  Be sure and stay cool out there and remember to be good to one another - we're all in this together!

Hope to see you on the Tallgrass. 

Summer - The Fourth Approaches

 "Wild Rose (Rosa blanda) with two Metallic Green Sweat Bee species" - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison 

Each morning here the wild roses along our hillside driveway are really showy from the house...I decided this morning to take the camera and tripod down to see if there were any photos presenting possibilities.

I'm fairly confident these are "Rosa blanda" as they are really very smooth and un-barbed on the flowering stems...further down on the base stem they are very barbed. 

 

The roses were being visited by Bumble Bees and Metallic Green Sweat Bees. Which one these two are, I am less sure of. But they are most likely female Texas Striped Sweat Bees - Agapostemon texanus or Bicolored Striped Sweat Bees - Agapostemon virescens, as the females present totally metallic green - both thorax and abdomen. However, they could also be Metallic Green Sweat Bees (Augochloropsis metallica)...another common native bee where both males and females are primarily shiny, metallic green overall.

 

But I'm at least confident of the Wild Rose in the photo! If I could live another 3/4 of a century, I think I could manage to be a fair amateur entomologist too!

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

Who doesn't love Butterfly Milkweed?!! This is one engaging native wildflower in the pastures here in SE O'Brien County, IA. One of the most recognized milkweed family (Asclepias) member. 

 

Often adopted for the domestic garden, this milkweed will grow in nearly any soil type. Those found here are generally on the gravel slopes and return year after year. 

 

From what I have observed over time is they tend to thrive when they aren't overly crowded by a higher canopy. 

 

We have found this is a good "ambassador" plant for the prairie "uninitiated". When we first came to our little spot many years back, a particular neighbor didn't seem approving of us letting the pastures return to their native state...once a few of the Butterfly Milkweed started to return, some interest was peaked and casual interested conversations became more frequent.

 

You can observe the Asclepias tuberosa in the pastures here in a short "A Prairie Moment" video at the following link - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG2lJ223zIY

Thank you for visiting my Blog - Happy Fourth of July to everyone out there...please remember to be good to one another - we are all in this together!

 

I hope to see you on the Tallgrass!