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Botany on the Byways: Penstemon

5/30/2023

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Penstemon grandiflorus at Hitchcock Nature Center (photo by Seth Brooks)
Two types of penstemon can be found in western Iowa, Penstemon grandiflorus and Penstemon digitalis. The former, commonly known as large-flowered beardtongue, can be found in most counties in western Iowa. According to Iowa Prairie Plants, foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) can be found in Fremont and Guthrie counties. Both species bloom into the month of June.
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Penstemon grandiflorus
Penstemon species are commonly called beardtongue because of an interesting adaptation to attract pollinators. "One of the five stamens is sterile and does not produce pollen. It is often modified into a hairy or bearded tongue and probably attracts insects," as noted in the field guide Wildflowers of Iowa Woodlands by Sylvan Runkel and Alvin Bull.

Penstemon grandiflorus is common on Loess Hills prairies in western Iowa but very infrequent elsewhere on dry, sandy prairies and stabilized sand dunes. Its purple flowers bloom from late May to mid-June.
​Penstemon digitalis is frequent in moist, sandy soils on prairies and in other open places in southeastern Iowa, becoming very infrequent to the north and west. Penstemon digitalis is about the same height as Penstemon grandiflorus, but the leaves are somewhat larger and narrower. Penstemon digitalis also blooms slightly later than P. grandiflorus, from early to late June.
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​Penstemon digitalis
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Penstemon grandiflorus
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Penstemon grandiflorus
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Penstemon grandiflorus
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Nothocolais cuspidata, prairie false dandelion

5/18/2023

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One of the early-blooming flowers on Iowa's prairies is Nothocolais cuspidata, the prairie false dandelion. The yellow flower looks like the common non-native dandelion, but is generally larger. The leaves are long, narrow, and wavy. Nothocolais prefers dry slopes, and is relatively common in the Loess Hills (compared to other parts of Iowa), and more common in drier, western states. It typically blooms in April-May, and most plants have already gone to seed by now (late May).
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Nothocolais cuspidata range map. Source: http://bonap.net/Napa/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Nothocalais
Check out these links to learn more about Nothocolais cuspidata:
  • Minnesota Wildflowers
  • Illinois Wildflowers
  • Missouri Plants
  • USDA Plant Profile
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Botany on the Byways: Black Walnut

5/17/2023

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National Walnut Day (May 17th) is important in Iowa, as black walnut is the most valuable tree in the state. Iowa continues to rank as one of the leading producers of walnut lumber and veneer. The rich brown color, attractive grain of the wood, and the woodworking quality of the wood makes it the most valuable timber tree in Iowa. Although not as commonly eaten as an English walnut, what you would find in a grocery store, black walnuts can also be eaten if harvested, processed, and stored correctly.
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Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is native to Iowa and found in all 99 counties. It occurs on a variety of sites, but is most common on bottomlands, stream terraces, and moist sheltered coves and slopes. It grows best on deep, rich, well drained soils. It usually has a full, well-formed trunk with no branches for quite some distance from the ground.  The crown is oval to rounded and somewhat open. A typical black walnut reaches 50 to 75 feet, but it may reach maximum heights of 125 to 150 feet. The leaves are alternately arranged on the twig, compound with 1 to 23 leaflets, and ranging in size from 1 to 2 feet.

Common associates of black walnut vary as much as the sites but include oaks, basswood, maples, ashes, and Kentucky coffeetree. Walnut is considered a good invader species and often is one of the first species to become established in abandoned fields and pastures. Squirrels are especially fond of the nuts and aid in the establishment of walnut on these sites. 

Black walnut roots produce chemicals called juglones which are very toxic to certain other plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries, peonies, and solanaceous crops (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes). Most of the toxicity is limited to within the drip line of the tree, but the area of toxicity typically increases outward as the tree matures.

sources: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Dickinson County Conservation

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Black Walnut Fruit - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University
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Black Walnut Leaves - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University
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Black Walnut Fruit - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University
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Botany on the Byways: Ground Plum

5/12/2023

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Astragalus crassicarpus
The Dakota call this plant pte ta wote, meaning "buffalo food," and ate the fleshy fruit fresh off the plant. To the Omaha and Ponca, it is tdika shande or wamide wenigthe, meaning "something to go with seed." They use it to prepare corn seed for planting. The Pawnee eat it to quench their thirst. The Lakota use the edible fruit as horse medicine. Although the fruit is edible, the rest of the ground plum plant is toxic.
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Ground plum​​ is found on dry to gravelly prairies and Loess Hills prairies. The fruit dries out by midsummer, so find it before to eat raw, cooked, or pickled; ground plum begins fruiting in late May. The raw fruit might not be appetizing to most, but if cooked it tastes like green beans. Make sure you identify the plant correctly, as there are species that look similar but are completely toxic. The pinkish purple flowers begin showing from early to late May.
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Botany on the Byways: Wild Prairie Rose

5/5/2023

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On May 6, 1897, the Iowa legislature designated the "wild rose" as the state flower of Iowa. Although no particular species of the flower was designated by the legislature, the wild prairie rose is most often cited as the official flower. Wild roses are found throughout western Iowa and bloom from June through late summer.  The flower, in varying shades of pink, is set off by many yellow  stamens in the center. 
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Range of rosa arkansana
Three "wild" roses native to Iowa can be considered the state flower: Rosa arkansana, Rosa blanda, and Rosa carolina. The individual species are difficult to tell apart because they are very similar in appearance and they hybridize easily and naturally. 

Rosa arkansana is a small shrub that is common on upland prairies, sandy prairies, roadsides, and in other open places. It grows up to 3 feet tall and blooms in June with masses of pink to dark pink, fragrant blossoms. The small, red, apple-shaped hips appear in late summer. It is said that three rose hips from wild rose contain as much vitamin C as one orange. Meskwaki and Menomini Indians boiled the hips to make a syrup for various food uses. Indians and pioneers ate the hips, flowers, and leaves when other food was scarce. The hips of wild roses are considered an important food source for wildlife.

Rosa blanda is similar to Rosa arkansana but the dark red stems are mostly smooth with few prickles. The leaves usually have fewer leaflets (5-7) and have few hairs on the leaflets.
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Source: Prairie Plants of Iowa
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Source: Prairie Plants of Iowa

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Botany on the Byways: Hoary puccoon

4/21/2023

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Another early bloomer, hoary puccoon can be found in open habitats like prairies, savannas, and woodlands; it is frequently found on dry to moist prairies. Lithospermum canescens has white, shiny hard seeds and soft, feathery leaves. The name “Puccoon” comes from the word “poughkone,” which is the name given by the Powhatan tribe who used the roots to make a red dye. It is common in remnant prairies at county and state parks in the Loess Hills.
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source: Iowa Prairie Plants
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Botany on the Byways: Pasque flower

4/6/2023

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Pasque flowers are blooming on the byways! Pulsatilla patens is a harbinger of spring, as they appear in dry prairies and woodland openings in late March and early April. In fact, the common name is derived from the Hebrew word "pasakh" as it blooms during Passover. The short stalks sometimes even emerge when snow is still on the ground. Keep up close to see the  soft, silvery hairs that cover the entire plant.
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If you'd like to see these little flowers with blue, purple, and sometimes nearly white petals, head to Harrison, Monona, Woodbury, and Plymouth counties on the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway. Brent's Trail and the Pisgah unit of the Loess Hills State Forest are great places to find pasque flowers. Their range also includes Shelby County on the Western Skies Scenic Byway and all counties on the Glacial Trail Scenic Byway (O'Brien, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Clay).
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