Prairie Dropseed

Prairie Dropseed

Sporobolus heterolepsis

Foliage is 24" to 30" long but arches for form a mound only 12" to 18" tall.

Flower and seed are airy and 24" to 30" tall on a thin stiff stem.

Grown as a monoculture, it makes a good lawn supstitute, but needs paths through it, because each plant forms a tussock so it is a bit difficult to walk through.

Also called Northern Dropseed

Jack-In-The-Pulpit

Woodland Wildflower

Solomon's Seal

Solomon's Seal as it unfurls in the spring. Note the hint of flower buds where the leaf joins the stem.

Solomon's Seal in Landscape

Solomon's Seal

A savanna understory plant

Used in a garden

Green Dragon

Green Dragon

Asarum draconitum

15" tall leaf with 24" flower

Uncommon relative to Jack in the Pulpit

Savanna shade wildflower

Dutchman's Britches

Dutchman's Britches

Dicentra cucullaria

A spring wildflower found in the shade of the savanna

Bloodroot

Bloodroot

Sanguinaria canadense

A woodland wildflower commonly found in the shade of the savanna in the springtime.

Liverwort

Liverwort

Hepatica acutiloba



A spring wildflower of the woodlands, Liverwort can also be found in the shade under the trees of the savanna

May Apple

Mayapple

Podopphyllum peltatum

12" to 15" tall

Spring

Grows in the shade to part shade under the savanna trees

Woodland Sunflower

Woodland Sunflower

Helianthus divaricatus

4' to 6' tall

Actually a savanna edge plant, wanting only light shade.

Bottlebrush Grass

Bottlebrush Grass

Elymus hystrix

Grows in the part shade under the bur oaks of the savanna

3' tall

Prairie Trillium

Prairie Trillium

Trillium recurvatum

Often thought of as a woodland plant, prairie trilllium prefers the partial shade under savanna plants or even at the feet of the tallgrass prairie plants that expose them to sun in the early spring but protect them in shade the rest of the growing season.

Elderberry in Flower

Elderberry

Woody plants that spread by underground runners often thrive in the prairie in small patches, because even thought the prairie fires kill back the tops, the protected roots sprout new stalks. In the years after a burn, the new twiggy shrubs often produce many more berries than in years where no fire preceeded.

Black Raspberry

Black Raspberry

Rubus occidentalis

36" thorny arching cane

Prefers very light shade - Naturally grows at edge of savanna

Fruit in late June to early July

Three part leaves grow on arching stems with white coating and many small thorns