Take a walk with me through the prairie

[Native Hunter]

Let’s walk some more. We will do a short trip today and look at the two milkweeds that grow on my place and one other plant - Common Milkweed, Butterfly Milkweed and Purple Passion Flower.

Picture of Common Mikweed:

Facts about common milkweed:

• There are a host of different insects that feed on this plant.
  
  
• Deer and other mammals don't eat this plant because of the bitterness of the leaves and their toxic properties.
  
  
• I like seeing them scattered here and there because of the beauty that they bring, but primarily being a deer manager, I wouldn’t want to see a tremendous lot of these plants.
  

Pictures of Butterfly Milkweed:

Facts about Butterfly Mlkweed:

• My comments on this plant are pretty much the same as Common Milkweed.
  
  
• Even though this plant has less of the milky latex like substance than other milkweeds, deer and other mammals seem to avoid it.
  

Picture of Purple Passion Flower:

Facts about Purple Passion Flower:

• This is not a plant that you will see deer browse.
  
  
• It produces green seed pods about the size of a chicken egg. I’ve never seen the pods eaten by anything.
  
  
• I do see bees and other insects use the flowers.
  
  
• This plant can really become invasive in a new prairie after a gly kill is done and before the grasses and other plants become established. I once saw a 5 acre field taken over by it. A seed company wanted to collect the pods, and I allowed them to do it. They loaded a big horse trailer and two full sized pickups with pods. The leaf springs on the pickups were almost flat.
  

Time to quit walking and start working. A prairie needs a little attention from time to time, and we need some shooting lanes for the hunting season.

 

[Native Hunter]

Let’s start walking again and look at three plants today:

• Hedge Bindweed
  
  
• Pepperweed
  
  
• Narrow Leaf Mountain Mint

Facts about Hedge Bindweed:

• Not a preferred deer browse but they will nibble on it from time to time.
  
  
• The seed are eaten to some extent by quail, but it is not a major food source.
  
  
• There is a hedge bindweed and a field bindweed. They look similar and are much the same except that the hedge variety likes to climb more.
  
  
• Some insect value as with most flowering plants.
  

Picture of Hedge Bindweed:

Facts About Pepperweed:

• Not really known as a great deer browse plant, but look at the picture below and you will see some browsing.
  
  
• More than one variety of this. An imported one is invasive in the western US. The one I have is not very prevalent. I only see it occasionally.
  

Pic of Pepperweed:

Facts about Narrow Leaf Mountain Mint:

• This plant has a minty smell and attracts a lot of insects.
  
  
• The seeds are too small to be of interest to birds.
  
  
• This plant is generally not browsed by deer when other plants are available.
  
  
• I only see this plant occasionally. It will usually be near a shady fence row.
  

Pic of Narrow Leaf Mountain Mint:

That’s about it for today guys. I have a date with a pole. No, I’m not a pole dancer, it’s a different kind of pole.

 

[blueKYstream]

Let’s begin our journey again. Today we will look at the following plants – two really great ones and one that can be invasive

• Chicory
• Jewelweed
• Sericea Lespedeza

Pictures of Chicory:

Facts about Chicory:

• The chicory we plant in food plots is the same plant as wild chicory, but more than likely you are planting an improved variety of one of the “forage varieties.”
• The main difference between wild chicory and forage chicory is that forage varieties have been bred for larger leaf size, and more palatability of the stems and leaves. The better varieties have less tannins, which is one of the factors that increases the palatability.
• Deer will eat wild chicory, but it isn’t quite as palatable as forage chicory. Wild chicory in NWSG fields is desirable but don’t expect it to be grazed quite as hard as forage chicory.
• I really like chicory in both food plots and NWSG fields. Forage chicory in food plots is one of the most versatile and desirable deer plants available.
• The cattle industry is beginning to get very interested in chicory and realizes its positive attributes as a forage plant. It is now believed by many that chicory can induce a direct and broad antiparasitic activity against various GI parasites in different livestock species. If that is the case, deer could also be beneficiaries of this action. I’m not a scientist, but I know that the health and quality of my deer have vastly improved since I introduced chicory to their diets several years ago.

Pictures of Jewelweed

Facts about Jewelweed:

• Jewelweed is a native annual that is a highly desirable deer browse. It will be browsed by even the most picky deer.
• There are two types – yellow flower and orange flower. My place has the orange flower as shown above in the pictures. Both are the same in terms of wildlife value.
• It will be found on low ground – especially along ditches and streams. It prefers full sun but does fine in partial shade.
• If you have jewelweed present, you can promote it by killing other plants that compete with it. Gly spraying of other plants before JW germinates will make it flourish.

Picture of Sericea Lespedeza:

Facts about Sericea Lespedeza:

• This is an introduced species. Even though it will be browsed when young and tender, it is not a desirable plant due to it having invasive tendencies.
• Birds eat the seed and that is the main way it can spread.
• It is not as invasive on my farm as some locations I have known. The tall NWSGs make it hard for the SL to take over.
• Gly and 24D will generally not kill it.
• Don’t confuse SL with some of the desirable native lespedezas. If you have any doubt, get a county agent or Fish & Wildlife guy to look at it. We have native lespedezas that are very beneficial to several different species of wildlife, and these should be promoted in the prairie rather than killed.

I need to run home and do a few jobs before dark, so that ends our walk today. Looks like my friend Fred is out in the road again. He hates it when I stop and pitch him over in the ditch, but it’s just tough love – better than getting run over.

That was some good information! I have quite a bit of wild chicory and Sericea Lespedeza. I just never realized it was chicory until now. You are very right about the SL taking over. It gets quite thick when it does too!

Last time to the property I snapped a few pictures to ID. I thought these were interesting:

Spicebush:


Frost Grape?

Trumpet Creeper? I don't know much about this, but it was oozing with liquid a couple weeks ago when I last saw it and the ants were covering it.

 

[Native Hunter]

That was some good information! I have quite a bit of wild chicory and Sericea Lespedeza. I just never realized it was chicory until now. You are very right about the SL taking over. It gets quite thick when it does too!

Last time to the property I snapped a few pictures to ID. I thought these were interesting:

Spicebush:
View attachment 31306

Frost Grape?
View attachment 31305
Trumpet Creeper? I don't know much about this, but it was oozing with liquid a couple weeks ago when I last saw it and the ants were covering it.
View attachment 31307

I think you have correctly identified all three of those plants. I have heard of a few individuals who have an allergic reaction to that liquid from the TC vine you mentioned. Deer will not browse TC as a general rule.

Wild chicory is much more common in your area of the state than it is in my area. I've noticed that when working in that area over the years.

 

[Native Hunter]

Let’s continue our walk. Today we will look at:

• Dayflower (various species grouped together)
• Purple Conflower
• Goldenrod (various species grouped together)

Facts about Dayflowers in general

• There are several different species of Dayflower in the US, and all of them are very preferred whitetail deer browse. For our purposes of deer managers, we can consider them the same as far as wildlife value.
• The seeds of Dayflowers are eaten by various birds – including quail and dove.
• Dayflowers can be annuals or perennials. One introduced species (Asiatic Dayflower) has been known to be invasive in some areas, but I have never seen that myself.

Pic of Dayflower (Commelina communis)

Facts about Purple Coneflower

• This is a beautiful plant that adds beauty to the prairie.
• It will do better at spots where the soil has been disturbed.
• Deer don’t browse this plant, but it is used by a host of insects, and some birds eat the seed.

Pic of Purple Coneflower:

Facts about Goldenrod:

• There are several different species of GR, and the wildlife value of them are all about the same; however, the taller species can provide better cover for deer.
• The tallest species is Canada Goldenrod, which I have seen grow nearly 8 feet tall.
• It stands well in the winter providing good cover late in the season.
• A great number of insects us the plant.
• Deer and Rabbits will browse the plant, but it isn’t high preference; however, I have read that it becomes a high preference in the early winter. I cannot confirm or disprove this. If any of you have feedback, I would love to hear it.

Pics of Goldenrod: (Note: The second pic shows goldenrod in a low spot mixed in with Jewelweed.)

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Tip of the week. Don’t mow your fall planted wheat next summer unless you get weeds and need to mow. Your deer will enjoy the heads of wheat when they mature. Take care and we will walk again soon.

 

[Troubles Trees]

Love this kind of input Native, you are a walking encyclopedia my friend!
The only ones I see at my place are Golden Rod, Jewel Weed (my daughter loves to pop the seed pods as I did when I was young), Purple Coneflower and Common Milkweed. I should add some of these kind of pics to my Land thread, as you did here. I don't know the names of most of them though...yet.

 

[Native Hunter]

Love this kind of input Native, you are a walking encyclopedia my friend!
The only ones I see at my place are Golden Rod, Jewel Weed (my daughter loves to pop the seed pods as I did when I was young), Purple Coneflower and Common Milkweed. I should add some of these kind of pics to my Land thread, as you did here. I don't know the names of most of them though...yet.

You will learn the names as time goes on. Glad you are enjoying the thread.

 

[Native Hunter]

Let’s continue walking, and today we will look at the following plants:

• Seedbox
• Spanish Needles
• Smooth Vetch

Photo of Seedbox

Facts about Seedbox:

• Good bee plant and moderately preferred deer browse in summer.
• Not an aggressive plant and not overly abundant

Photo of Spanish Needles

Facts about Spanish Needles:

• Ring-Necked Pheasant, Bobwhite, Wood Duck, and many other birds use the plant.
• The foliage is sometimes eaten by the Cottontail Rabbit and to a lesser extent sometimes browsed by deer.
• The barbed awns of the seeds can cling to the fur of passing animals and the clothing of humans; in this manner, the seeds are distributed far and wide.

Photo of Smooth Vetch

• Smooth and hairy are much the same. Both are good wildlife plants.
• Moderately to highly preferred deer browse.
• Seed can remain viable in the seedbank for many years.

Well, that’s about it for today. I’ve come to one of those spots that you just have to set down on the ground and soak in the surroundings. Don’t go to sleep – we will walk again soon.

 

[scott44]

2 or 3 year old Big blue, Indian and a little CIR, lots of goldenrod. Starting to thicken up some but needs alittle more on this end so it looks like the other.

 

[Native Hunter]

Today we will look at the following three plants:

· Mist Flower

· Old-Field Aster (aka Frost Aster)

· Perilla (aka Beefsteak Plant)

Photos of Mist Flower

Facts about Mist Flower:

· Good insect flower but not browsed by deer or rabbits

· Flowers in the fall and usually not a very prominent plant

Pic of Old-Field Aster (AKA Frost Aster)

Facts about Old-Field Aster

· Very desirable insect plant

· In a publication by the University of Tennessee, it was a high preference browse plant for deer.

· I have noted that preference is higher when plant is young and tender, before it flowers in the fall.

· I just noticed this plant flowering recently – about mid September

Photos of Perilla (aka Beefsteak plant)

Facts about Perilla:

· This plant is an annual which is a bad Fall food plot invader.

· Strong smell and not eaten by deer. It starts growing in food plots when I want to quit working in them. It is a nuisance plant.

· In a prairie, I only see it at the edges in deep shade under cedar trees.

More to come in a few days. Next time we may look at some grasses.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Beefsteak plant dominates my clay creek bottom openings

The challenge ( in my mind) is to find plants in the same family that are more preferable wildlife species and introduce or "release" them

I wish i knew how........

bill

 

[Native Hunter]

Okay guys, all of the warm season grasses have now made their seed heads for the year, so we will look at a few of them this week. Let’s looks at the following ones today:

Indian Grass
Big Bluestem
Switchgrass

Pics of Indian Grass:

Facts about Indian Grass:

· This is a tall and desirable NWSG for my area.

· The only drawback is that it bolts late in the season and will only be about chest high until it bolts. Once it bolts, it can be 7 to 8 feet high.

· On my farm it bolts about Labor Day.

· Beautiful

· It stands the winter well here, but I have heard that in areas of heavy snow it won’t stand as well as Switchgrass.

Pics of Big Bluestem:

Facts about Big Bluestem:

· This is the tallest of the NWSGs on my farm. It can get 8-9 feet tall.

· It bolts after Switchgrass but well before Indian Grass. Even before it bolts, it will give decent cover and be taller than Indian Grass.

· This grass flops worse than any of the others in winter. Mine will “lodge” and not completely flatten. Through December the cover will still be okay, but by February, it will pretty much be down.

· If mixed with goldenrod and other weeds it will stand better in the winter.

Pics of Switchgrass:

Facts about Switchgrass:

· In my opinion, this is the best NWSG for cover. I have CIR Switch, and it stands the winter extremely well.

· It is the first to bolt in summer, and it will be providing good tall cover before it bolts.

· I hear stories of this grass being aggressive and taking over stands, but I haven’t seen that. Indiangrass seems to be more aggressive than switch here.

That's it for today guys. Walking is fun, but sometimes there is other work to be done. Happy trails until next time:

 

[Native Hunter]

Time to walk again. We did some of the major prairie grasses last week. This time we will do some of the less desirable grasses.

Today we will look at:
Little Bluestem
Purpletop (aka Grease Grass)
Deer Tongue Grass
Vernal Sweet Grass
Annual Brome


Pic of Little Bluestem

Facts about Little Bluestem:

· If you plant LB, be sure to get one of the taller cultivars.

· Even the taller cultivars will only be about chest to waist high before they bolt. Once they bolt, they will be about eye height.

· LB is the last grass to bolt on my farm. It won’t bolt until several days after Labor Day.

Pics of Purpletop (AKA Grease Grass)

Facts about Purpletop:

· This is a native grass but seldom one that anyone plants.

· You won’t even notice it until it bolts in the fall just before Labor Day.

· I don’t mind seeing it mixed in with the other grasses, but it isn’t highly desirable because it doesn’t make great cover.

Pic of Deer Tongue Grass:

Facts about Deer Tongue Grass:

· This is one of many “Panic Grass” species that grow wild all across the US.

· This is an undesirable native grass because it doesn’t get very tall and flattens easily.

· It also forms a monoculture and chokes out other plants.

Pic of Vernal Sweet Grass:

Facts about Sweet Vernal Grass:

· This is an annual grass that you see early spring – then once it seeds, it just fades away.

· It is very aggressive and ruins lots of food plots for people. In a prairie, you won’t even notice it after late spring.

· I hate this stuff. It is an introduced species.

· Gets about knee high.

Pic of Annual Brome:

Facts about Annual Brome:

· This grass is a food plot invader in the early spring.

· Once it seeds in the spring, you won’t see it until next spring in a prairie.

· Not a desirable grass.


Tip of the week. This is why we cage our trees. Don’t pay $30 for a tree and have it end up on top of this guy's head.

 

[scott44]

Time to walk again. We did some of the major prairie grasses last week. This time we will do some of the less desirable grasses.

Today we will look at:
Little Bluestem
Purpletop (aka Grease Grass)
Deer Tongue Grass
Vernal Sweet Grass
Annual Brome


Pic of Little Bluestem

Facts about Little Bluestem:

· If you plant LB, be sure to get one of the taller cultivars.

· Even the taller cultivars will only be about chest to waist high before they bolt. Once they bolt, they will be about eye height.

· LB is the last grass to bolt on my farm. It won’t bolt until several days after Labor Day.

Pics of Purpletop (AKA Grease Grass)

Facts about Purpletop:

· This is a native grass but seldom one that anyone plants.

· You won’t even notice it until it bolts in the fall just before Labor Day.

· I don’t mind seeing it mixed in with the other grasses, but it isn’t highly desirable because it doesn’t make great cover.

Pic of Deer Tongue Grass:

Facts about Deer Tongue Grass:

· This is one of many “Panic Grass” species that grow wild all across the US.

· This is an undesirable native grass because it doesn’t get very tall and flattens easily.

· It also forms a monoculture and chokes out other plants.

Pic of Vernal Sweet Grass:

Facts about Sweet Vernal Grass:

· This is an annual grass that you see early spring – then once it seeds, it just fades away.

· It is very aggressive and ruins lots of food plots for people. In a prairie, you won’t even notice it after late spring.

· I hate this stuff. It is an introduced species.

· Gets about knee high.

Pic of Annual Brome:

Facts about Annual Brome:

· This grass is a food plot invader in the early spring.

· Once it seeds in the spring, you won’t see it until next spring in a prairie.

· Not a desirable grass.


Tip of the week. This is why we cage our trees. Don’t pay $30 for a tree and have it end up on top of this guy's head.

It would be a cool mount if you shot him with it still there.

 

[Native Hunter]

It would be a cool mount if you shot him with it still there.

Lol, I hadn’t even thought about that possibility.

 

[armadillophil]

What a great thread. I'm getting ready to try to restore a 10 acre bermuda/johnson grass pasture this spring.

 

[Native Hunter]

What a great thread. I'm getting ready to try to restore a 10 acre bermuda/johnson grass pasture this spring.

Glad you are enjoying it. I haven’t posted in it for a while but plan to get started back before too long.

 

[Codie Gleason]

Steve, Do you or have you ever fertilized your prairie? I started one a couple years ago and it's filled in pretty good but I don't have the height here I have on my other NWSG's.

New plantng on the right just fallow onthe left.

I'd suggest against adding fertilizer, especially in a native prairie setting. Simply put, plants interact with soil microbes creating a positive feedback loop that helps build soil and enhance soil health. Adding too much nitrogen to these systems can suppress these interactions and cause the plants and microbes to work independently of each other, interrupting that positive feedback loop.

 

[Native Hunter]

The cold winter brings a lifeless look to the prairie. Gone are the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, but hope for warmer days and the abundance of life is just around the corner. Keep the faith.

 

[Bassattackr]

Native - Can you elaborate how and when you use mowing or disking to maintain this habitat? Thanks!