Signs of Success

I use several indicators to assess my progress in enhancing conditions for the survival of rare and unusual plant or animal species found at Blue Jay Barrens.  One that is easy to see at this time of year is the presence of uncommon plant species growing in locations from which they had previously been absent.  Getting a plant species to increase its numbers in an established population is easy compared to the task of having a species successfully compete for space in a new location.  Bluehearts, Buchnera americana, a species listed as Threatened in Ohio, has managed to establish growing colonies in a couple of new places.

This is the site of about 20 Bluehearts plants growing in the center of what I call the Far Field.  This site differs from the other Bluehearts sites by being low pH soil formed over shale, rather than high pH soil formed over limestone.

The other incursion of Bluehearts has occurred in the largest of the old cropland fields.  This population is currently contained within an area of about ¼ acre, but it is on the move and has the potential to eventually cover most of the field.

I am particularly impressed by the plant density in this area.  It is normally difficult to see individual plants in broad field shots like this.  In this case, there are so many plants crowded together that they are easily seen.

Closer shots bring a veritable bouquet into frame.

Pollinators, like this Hummingbird Clearwing moth, that are typically attracted to large concentrations of flowering plants, have even found the patch worth their attention.

Scaly Blazing Star, Liatris squarrosa, listed as Potentially Threatened in Ohio, has also managed to expand its range. 

Scaly Blazing Star was originally confined to a small collection of plants within about 25 feet of the cedar stump.  During the past 30 years, additional plants have about doubled the size of the patch.

Now there are new plants occurring out in the open field.  These are about 150 feet from the original site.  This increase in plant populations is not the result of seedling transplants or distribution of collected seed.  The plants have expanded their range because nearby sites have been made suitable for the growth of these species.  I take that as an indication that some of my management techniques are providing positive results.

First Time Seeds

This is the peak time for finding ripe seed on the prairie. For the most part, seed has been produced in abundance. I’ve had a lot of fun checking out the seed heads of grasses and forbs. The Scaly Blazing Star, Liatris squarrosa, has always been a disappointment when it comes to seed production.

Things always look good on the surface. At first glance, you would think these contents of one seed head were a mass of viable seeds.

A cross-sectional view reveals most seeds to be just empty casings. This is what I’ve come to expect from this species at Blue Jay Barrens. The encouraging thing is evidence that there were three seeds that actually developed in this seed head. These are the first seeds that I’ve ever seen produced by any of the plants.

The population of Scaly Blazing Star has held steady through the years at about 40 flowering plants. To increase that number, I need some seed. If I do manage to get seed, I’ll use it to start plants in one of my growing beds. There I can pamper the plants so they produce an abundance of seed that I can bring back out and distribute in the field. Maybe this will be my lucky year.

A few seed heads were dry and ready for harvest, so I went ahead and collected them. Instead of cutting them all in two, I used a less invasive method of examination and believe that there are several fully developed seeds in the batch. I’ll be back out every few days to collect the remaining seed heads as they dry. Maybe next year I can show off a pot full of Scaly Blazing Stars.

Wet Weather Prairie Growth

I headed out with the idea that I was going to walk through the winter mowed fields to check on their growth rates. Then I decided to look for the Blue Grosbeaks and their recently vacated nest. No signs of any nest in what I thought was a likely spot, so I wandered off in the direction the birds had taken to see if I might locate them in another field. Birds displaying blue coloration were not to be found, except for the Blue Jays of course, but I did find a nice bluish flower. The Scaly Blazing Star, Liatris squarrosa, seem to have synchronized their bloom period this year and are all flowering at once.

This is probably my favorite of the many Blazing Stars. The blooms on squarrosa are spaced far enough apart to allow appreciation of each individual component of the flower heads. I especially like the stiffly pointed bracts that surround the base of the flower head. The whole arrangement looks like a tiny bouquet wrapped in fancy paper.

The plant is rather short and can get hidden by even moderately tall grasses. You can be almost on top of them before you notice the splashes of violet among the grass leaves.

The prairie grasses, adapted to surviving extremely dry conditions, are taking full advantage of the frequent rains. Areas that normally show patches of bare ground are now completely covered by grass.

It’s the Big Bluestem that’s taking over the slopes this year. The density of Big Bluestem in the stand has been increasing steadily over the last 20 years. In a dry year these dry hillsides can grow Big Bluestem that reaches ten feet tall. I’m wondering what kind of height they’ll reach this year.

Years like this really help to boost the organic matter content of the soil. The decaying grass leaves will invigorate the soil biota and the soil will show a slight improvement. I’ve noticed that many prairie wildflowers show increased vigor in the second year following a rainy season. I’m guessing that’s the point at which the nutrients from the decomposing grass become most available.

The flowers are working to keep up with the grass. This Western Sunflower, Helianthus occidentalis, maintains most of its leaves near the ground, but the flower stalk may reach six feet into the air. These plants took advantage of plentiful sunlight before the grasses started to grow. They’ve just reached the stage where they are beginning to produce the flower stalk.

I found this Monarch caterpillar feeding on a Green Milkweed, Asclepias viridiflora. This milkweed species is smaller and has much less leaf mass than the Common Milkweed. Some of the plants could easily have their leaves stripped by a hungry caterpillar. This particular plant didn’t show any signs of feeding activity other than this one leaf. It’s possible that the caterpillar moved to this plant after stripping the leaves from another nearby milkweed. Leaving one plant to find another can be a risky venture. I wonder if the caterpillars have some way of sensing the best direction to go in search of a new food source.