Download Guide to Some Common Prairie Plants Found at Oakwoods

Prairies are fascinating places of natural
history to visit. Early French explorers
first encountered vast areas of native
grasses in the late 1600’s; they called them
“prairies”, a French word meaning
meadow.
About 4,000 years ago, semi-arid
conditions existed in Ohio and prairies
expanded from the west into the state,
including Hancock County. In time, the
climate was altered creating the
environment we have today. Prairies
originally existed in 50 of Ohio’s 88
counties, approximately 1,000 total square
miles. Of that, only 20 square miles exist
today.
These plants also have long root systems.
This is beneficial when fire would burn the
prairie. Any plant matter would be burned
and the top soil would heat up killing any
shallow roots. Having long roots, the
prairie plants would be able to re-grow.
Fire is an important tool to keeping
succession from happening in the prairie.
when the late summer breeze sways the
tall grasses and the colorful wildflowers of
lavender and gold just as it did for the
Native Americans and pioneers as they
settled in Hancock County.
Guide to Some Common
Prairie Plants Found at
Oakwoods
A prairie is recognized by the kind of
plants that grow there.
Grasses are characterized by round,
hollow jointed stems; narrow sheathing
leaves, flowers borne in spikes and hard,
grain-like seeds.
A decision was made to establish a small
prairie in 1986 at the Oakwoods Nature
Preserve. Its purpose is for education and
natural attraction as part of the Hancock
Park District land stewardship plan. The
prairie seeds were collected in the fall of
1985 and hardened over the winter season.
In the following spring, the planting began
in a 2-acre plot of land.
Grasses may be the most important group
of prairie plants in terms of dominance but
when it comes to diversity, color, and
complexity, it has to be the forbs. A forb
is any herbaceous, flowering plant,
growing in its native habitat excluding
grasses.
Most prairie plants are perennials. Their
roots remain alive after the upper-growth
dies each fall.
Leaves of the forbs are found near the
ground to stay shaded and reduce water
loss.
Stems of forbs are often thick and juicy, a
protection from the wind.
Prairie plants are very unique plants that
include 2 main groups, grasses and forbs.
They have evolved special leaves adapted
to conserve water in dry, hot
environments.
To get their share of sunlight and water,
the shortest forbs bloom early in the spring
and the tallest ones in the fall.
Please enjoy this established prairie in all
seasons, but especially in its peak
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Flower head resembles a “turkey foot”
Height: 3-12 ft.
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Elongated flower heads.
Height: 1 ½ - 5 ft.
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Tawny to brown flower heads. Leaf
blades, long, tapered to base.
Height: 2 ½ - 8 ½ ft.
Prairie Dock;
Prairie
Rosinweed
Silphium
terebinthinace
um
Easily noticed
plant due to the large heart shaped leaves
that grow in a clump at ground level.
Blooms:
JulyOctober
Height: 57ft.
Tall Tickseed
Coreopsis tripteris
Yellow flowers with brown centers.
Flowers are
anisescented.
Blooms:
July-October
Height: 3-10
ft.
Tall Ironweed
Vernonia gigantea
Named for toughness of plant.
Blooms: August-September
Height: 3-10 ft.
Prairie Coneflower
Ratibida pinnata
Flowers have long, yellow, swept back
petals with gray or brown centers.
Blooms: June-October
Height: 2-5 ft.
Thimbleweed; Tall Anemone
Anemone virginiana
Blooms: July-August
Height: 1-3 ft.
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Blooms: June-August
Height: 2-3 ft.
Ohio Spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis
Blue or purple flowers tend to open in the
morning. When touched in the heat of the
day, they shrivel to a fluid jelly that
trickles like a tear.
Blooms: May-July
Height: 2 to 3 ft.
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Blooms: August -October
Height: 2 ½ - 6 ft.
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Blooms: June-October
Height: 1-3 ft.
Narrow-leaved Mountain-mint
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Leaves and stems have a minty aroma
Blooms: July-September
Height: 1-3 ft.
Goldenrod
Solidago sp.
Blooms: August-October
Height: 1-3 ft.