This past weekend I attended the Iowa Prairie Conference and took two days to travel there. For a day and a half I visited prairies along the way, wow what beautiful scenery. It is always good to visit someplace new and in the case of prairies, it is good to see and observe in prairies that are different and larger than our Michigan ones. On Wednesday and Thursday I visited 5 beautiful prairies in Illinois and 3 in Wisconsin before continuing on to Decorah, Iowa for the conference.

Beach Prairie IL

The first prairie in Illinois was the Afton Township Center Cemetery, the flattest of the 5 for the day. This prairie is 3 acres on two sides of the cemetery and has a good variety of prairie flowers. Compass Plant, White and Purple Prairie Clovers, Western Sunflower, Quinine, Milkweeds, and Bergamot are just a few of the species there. Then it was on to Merritt Prairie which has a good population of Cup Plant with the grasses and other flowers. Next was the Beach Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, this was the first of the hill prairies, but nothing like the hill prairies I would climb in Iowa. This is a gently rolling hill with a fantastic view and good variety of flowers and grasses. In these natural prairies you see good drifts of species mixed in with a lot of grasses. It is hard to explain but you can tell by to openness and composition that these are not planted, but natural prairies. Waves of Pale Purple Coneflower and other species add a peaceful beauty to these prairies. A lone, worn tombstone at the top of the hill is quite picturesque as it ascends amongst the flowers and grasses.

Wade Prairie IL

The Douglas E. Wade Memorial Prairie was another breath taking rolling prairie with large stands of Gray-Headed Coneflower, Bergamot, Compass Plant, Pale Purple Coneflower and Big Bluestem Grasses. Even though this prairie has houses on two sides and farm fields on the others, it is easy to forget you are that close to civilization.

Jarrett Prairie IL

The 450 acre restored Jarrett Prairie is part of a larger forest preserve that also includes a golf course. It is easy to get lost here and not see the golf course or other modern features from within the rolling prairie. Not only are there very large colorful drifts of drifts of flowers, but grassland birds and butterflies as well. I did see Bluebirds, a Dickcissel and grassland sparrows, what a treat. If you are near Rockford, Illinois and are going to visit one prairie, this is the one I would recommend and plan on spending at least a couple of hours here.

Purple Milkweed

In Wisconsin I visited the Newark Road Prairie which is a wet/mesic prairie and very rich in plant diversity. You should plan on a somewhat tough walk through the grasses, but the beauty of the blooming flowers is worth it. Blazing Star, Purple Milkweed, Michigan Lily, Prairie Dock and many other species make this a worthwhile visit. I found two other prairies that were posted or too far off the road through the woods for the heat and late hour of the day.  On Thursday morning I visited the Avoca Prairie and Savanna, with large groupings of Culver’s Root, Leadplant and other interesting species. Avoca is a place to return when not by myself as I did not feel safe to venture very far in the tall grasses and wet conditions with marsh and river close by.

Eldred Prairie WI

The final prairie was the Eldred Prairie near Lancaster. This is another hill prairie that is well worth the visit. With Butterfly Weed, Compass Plant and very large drifts of Gray-Headed Coneflower the view can be breath taking. The 45 acres is surrounded by farm land and I never saw another car the entire time I was there, just me, the flowers, birds and bugs.

When traveling, if you are not in a hurry or have an extra day I would recommend locating and stopping at prairies or natural areas along the way. This can be a great learning opportunity and is better than just driving all day, so get off the beaten path and see what this country looked like before settlement. For you heirloom and organic gardeners the Seed Savers Exchange center in Decorah, Iowa is a worthwhile stop as well.