Today we went on a tour of Arboretum sites that included Abraham's Woods and Oliver Prairie, plus an oak savanna site owned by the Prairie Enthusiasts. Abraham's Woods felt extra woodsy today, with leaf cover almost full now and overcast skies with a cool breeze. We heard vireos and orioles high above in the tops of old sugar maples, and even had a red-headed woodpecker sighting on a snag. Wood phlox, with rings of five-petaled lavender flowers, was everywhere, and big white trilliums caught our eyes every now and then. Then at Oliver Prarie, we walked along the sandy hillside admiring a field of shooting stars and wood betony. There were several other flowers that were less prevalent, including a wild rose plus this one, prairie smoke.
Geum triflorum, also known as Old Man's Whiskers, is a perennial prairie species that approves of full sun and sandier, dry soils. They will have three fuzzy stems with five pink bracts surrounding the flowers, which stay compact until pollination, then turn upright and expand. There is currently a nice group of these right outside the Arboretum visitor center if you are nearby and interested in seeing these early prairie flowers.
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