Draba Barrens Check

With the south facing slopes finally cleared of snow I was able to get out and assess the current state of plant growth in the barrens.  Since I’ve been following the progress of the container grown rare winter annuals, I was anxious to compare that impressive growth with the condition of the wild grown plants.  The big three species at Blue Jay Barrens are Leavenworthia uniflora, Draba cuneifolia, and Draba reptans.  All three grow in barrens areas typified by bare soil conditions and excessive dryness.  This site is one in which the Drabas seem to dominate.

Bare soil of the barrens is not always evident from a distance.  Plant spikes make an effective barrier and give the illusion of solid vegetation.

It’s not until you are in a position to view the ground from a more aerial perspective that the patches of soil become apparent.  Tufts of grass sit like a thousand islands with channels of soil running between.  The grass plays an essential role in protecting the soil from wind and rain.

In some areas a thin layer of dark soil exists.  The protective grass has not only offered protection, it has provided organic matter to fuel the soil ecosystem.

The typical barrens soil presents a less prosperous appearance.  A gardener faced with soil like this would probably begin looking for a new hobby.  However, for some special plants, this is the ideal home.

The layers of small pebbles associated with many of the barrens are a result of erosion.  Rainfall has broken the soil into its individual particles and the smaller of these have been carried down slope with the runoff water.  Left behind were the small stones and pebbles that form a protective layer over the soil surface.  The energy of the rain is now spent on the stones and the soil is left in place.

Other factors also assist in keeping the barrens soils in place.  Moss and lichens are two plants that tend to bond organic matter into a living mat that is much more rain resistant than the bare soil.

In some of the larger areas, annual grasses provide temporary winter cover.  The dried grass plants shown here are Sporobolus vaginiflorus, a low growing annual that thrives in hot, dry areas.

Other plants grow in the barrens soil, but often suffer from the elements.  This Rose Pink, Sabatia angularis, has lost several of its leaves from exposure to extreme cold temperatures.  The plant is still alive and will recover from this setback.

It only takes a little protection for a Rose Pink to make it through the winter unscathed.

A barrens plant that doesn’t seem bothered by the coldest of temperatures is Gray Goldenrod, Solidago nemoralis.  The perky little basal rosettes wait patiently until longer daylight hours spur them into growth.

I did find a few Draba cuneifolia, but they were much smaller than those grown in my artificial container barrens.  Drabas require full sunlight during their growth period and will quickly flower before the surrounding vegetation grows high enough to produce shade.  I’m sure they will prosper and produce a good supply of seeds for future years. 

February Prairie Greens

The prairies always look their most desolate in February.  The grasses have weathered several winter storms and have lost most of their bright colors.  Add to that the fact that I’ve been looking at the same brown color for three months and you can understand why I make an annual February search for growing plants hidden beneath the drab grasses.

I have to give credit to some of the grasses for maintaining a remnant of their fiery brightness through the winter.  Elliott’s Beard Grass adds a flash of color to the winter prairie landscape, but I’m looking for some living plant parts.

Hidden within the tall grasses, Blue-green Sedge has fresh green leaves throughout the winter.  Long periods of freezing days with no snow cover sometimes browns the leaf tips, but it’s evident that this species is adding new growth at every opportunity.

Gray Goldenrod also slowly adds growth through the winter.  This is the normal condition for these native plants.  Unlike some cultivated plants that are putting on early growth because of the mild winter, the native plants are responding to other cues and growing according to their natural pattern.  They will survive and prosper no matter what variances in winter weather may occur.

For many native plants, day length is a stimulus that moves them from one stage of growth to another.  Rose-pink basal rosettes remain small but active during the winter.  No matter how warm the February days, the plants won’t enlarge and prepare to flower until the proper time in the spring.  Rose-pink is a biennial that depends on its crop of seeds to insure future generations.  If plants like these couldn’t time their flowering to best advantage, the species would not persist.

Pasture Thistle is another biennial that is regularly active through the cold season.  The number of winter rosettes gives a hint to the number of blooms you’ll see later on.  This plant is a particular favorite of mine.  The bright purple thistle flowers are a lead in to the prairie blooming season.  The thistles sort of set the mood for what’s to come.  Indications today, forecast a very colorful prairie this summer.

Saddle Prairie

I’m still visiting areas of Blue Jay Barrens in an attempt to assess current conditions and identify future management needs. At this time of year I really enjoy visiting the areas of shallow soil that restrict the growth of tall, thick stands of prairie grasses. There has been plenty of moisture this year, so the Indiangrass has done well. Even when we have good growing conditions, this species remains short and scattered throughout the site.

This particular ridgetop prairie lies in a depressed saddle between two knobs. Rain water flows off the knobs and into the depression before draining away, giving the saddle a moisture boost not enjoyed by the rest of the ridge. Tall wildflowers don’t grow here, but conditions are perfect for the short statured Gray Goldenrod.

Some bare areas support very little vegetation. These make ideal sites for some of the rare winter annuals such as Leavenworthia and the Drabas. Western Sunflower maintains a strong population here, but the plants are dwarfs compared to others of their species growing in good soil.

The area is filled with tiny specimens of Wild Rose, Rosa carolina. Most are much less than a foot tall and are hardly noticeable when not in bloom.

The bright orange fruits make it a bit easier to find the rose plants. The Wild Rose is a plant of the dry prairie and seems well suited to life among the short plants. I’ve never found it in shaded areas or in stands of tall vegetation. I hope the creature that eats that fruit deposits the seed in a suitable growing site.

Spiranthes orchids are still abundant. Slender Ladies’ Tresses, Spiranthes lacera, is recognizable by the green patch in the throat of the flower.

Bluehearts are still blooming. Late bloomers are not uncommon, but they have been especially abundant this year.

Early blooming Bluehearts have already produced mature seed and are scattering it about the hillside. For an area that was once thick with small cedars, this site has produced an amazing diversity of plant and animal life. I don’t see any need for hands-on management activities here for at least two or three more years. By that time, there will be a new crop of small cedars needing removed. Until then, this will be a place to observe and enjoy.

Summer Bloomers Still Hanging On

The dry weather seems to be delaying the transition into autumn. The fall asters have not yet begun to bloom, but most of the showy summer flowers have almost disappeared. The result is a landscape of golden brown grasses and very little bright color. Occasionally you see a fresh bloom from some summer species that has not yet called it quits. Here is a fresh Western Sunflower adding a splash of color to the field.

Several Field Thistles are still producing new flowers. This is probably the most common nectar plant now available in the old crop fields. A Leonard’s Skipper is taking advantage of this nectar supply.

Thistle flowers at Blue Jay Barrens also come in white, cream, pink and pale lavender. I’ve toyed with the idea of collecting seed from the various colors and creating a thistle flower bed near the house. Several things have kept me from pursuing this project. These are biennial plants, so I would have to plant seed every year in order to maintain flowers from year to year. Depending on patterns of pollen transfer and the genetics of the individual plant, I may not get any of the colors I’m actually after. I think it best that I just enjoy the plants out in the field.

Most of the Indian Grass has finished blooming, but there are isolated patches that are just getting started. Most of the flowering specimens are found in more shaded locations on the lower slopes. These areas may have remained cooler early in the year and delayed the growth of the Indian Grass in the spring.

Gray Goldenrod is still around and remains the most numerous blooming goldenrod. The later blooming goldenrods are going to have to hurry in order to flower and produce seed before they are knocked back by the first heavy frost.

There are still some Orange Coneflowers blooming in the fields, but none display the attractive appearance I was seeing two months ago. This must really be a tasty flower. Every bloom I saw had some insect munching away at the leaves. The late flowers may suffer, but the plants have produced an ample supply of seed for future generations.

January Gray Goldenrod

The Gray Goldenrod, Solidago nemoralis, is another of those plants that is actively growing on the prairie. This is a short growing species that tends to behave itself if you invite it into your flower borders. It’s an attractive species that I always stop and notice and I found a lot going on with the plant this winter.

At first glance, I thought this plant was still shedding ripe seeds. It turns out that these seeds never fully developed and there’s nothing left but a shriveled seed coat holding the fluffy pappus filaments. It makes the plant quite noticeable in the brown grass.

This plant consisted solely of basal leaves last year, but will probably send up a flower stalk this year. Gray Goldenrod sends out short rhizomes that produce new plants quite near the parent.

Two new plants are growing from the base of the old flower stalk. There’s not always enough energy left after the plant flowers, to support this type of basal growth. The plant normally continues its vegetative expansion by way of new growth from the rhizomes. Perhaps the energy that should have gone into developing seeds is now being used by these new sprouts.

Not only are the plants actively growing on the prairie, the insects are out to eat them. I found this larva feeding on the sprouts at the base of the old seed stalk. It was active enough to run when I disturbed it.

Gray Goldenrod

Blue Jay Barrens has lost the brilliant yellows of the summer prairie flowers and is now transitioning to the autumn yellows. In the next two weeks, huge sections of the fields will change to yellow as the goldenrods open into full bloom. One prairie goldenrod that often goes unnoticed is the Gray Goldenrod, Solidago nemoralis.

Gray Goldenrod is a small plant that is normally less than 30 inches tall. Most plants will have just a single flower cluster at the top of the stalk. Not an eye catching display unless you really get down and look.

This plant doesn’t compete well with the tall grasses and is normally found with companions of similar stature. Here the Gray Goldenrod fits nicely in this stand of Little Bluestem.

All parts of this plant are small. The stem leaves gradually increase in size as you progress down the stem. Sometimes the plants will have several larger basal leaves at ground level.

The Gray Goldenrod will grow in a variety of soil conditions, but its here in the dry prairie soil that it excels. Here in the short grass of the driest sites, it is the only goldenrod that survives. Not one to form dense groups, the Gray Goldenrod appears randomly across the landscape.