Wildflowers of the Tall Grass Prairie
By Johnny Caryopsis
[We had to replace that old decrepit version of this article from 1998, but Johnny's working on an even better article on prairie wildflowers. Watch for it coming sometime in 2013.]
The Wildflowers
The tall grass prairie is "in-bloom" from May until September with an ever changing array of wildflowers, each with its own brief flowering period. The plants are presented here in the order in which they bloom on the prairie. These wildflowers are some of the most spectacular plants to be found anywhere on earth! And that's not just the prejudice of an admitted prairie fanatic. Many of the horticultural perennials you may already be growing in your garden owe their origins to the tall grass prairie. Liatris, black-eyed susans, purple coneflowers, gaillardias, goldenrods and many others found their way to gardens via collecting trips by European horticulturists to North American prairies. (Don't forget, all garden plants have a wild ancestor somewhere.) But here's the real proof to my claim, the plants themselves! Enjoy!
Click on each link below to see an image of that plant and some information about it.
Early Bloomers
| Prairie Crocus | Three-flowered Avens | Early Blue Violet |
| Smooth Fleabane | Blue-eyed Grass | Low Prairie Rose |
Mid-season Flowers
| Gaillardia | Wild Bergamot | Prairie Lily |
| Dwarf False Indigo | Black-eyed Susan | Pink-flowered Onion |
| Yellow Coneflower | Purple Prairie-clover | Western Prairie Fringed Orchid |
Late Bloomers
| Meadow Blazingstar | Narrow-leaved Sunflower | Closed Gentian |
| New England Aster | Canada Goldenrod | Smooth Aster |
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If you enjoyed this NatureNorth.com article then you might also like: Manitoba's Tall Grass Prairie Preserve | Mixed Grass Prairie | Growing Prairie Wildflowers |
Thanks for learning about Wildflowers of the Tall Grass Prairie! Bye for now!
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