Cindy and I attended a Cowley County Native Plant tour in late June of this year. The tour took place on the 9000 acre Snyder Ranch, a tall grass prairie maintained for forage and foliage in the Flint Hills area of south-central to eastern Kansas.
According to our tour guide, this ranch is one of the only undisturbed tall grass prairies in the world. I think the word tall grass is what makes it unique. He compared it to the Amazon as a one of a kind place. Pretty strong comparisons. The owners have had the ranch passed on through generations. Native legumes are left to fix nitrogen for the grasses and native plants are left accordingly. The only herbicides applied are spot treated to eradicate some noxious forms of Lespedeza. The ranch land is only grazed from May to July 1, and never overgrazed. Controlled burning occurs every 3rd year, and less often during droughts.
The area consists of rolling hills with stone outcrops of limestone and flint. The soil is very shallow and mixed with rock, therefore very difficult to cultivate. Most upland trees are some type of white oak. Shrubs include sumac, wild plum, and some baptisa.
Psoralidium tenuiflorum-Wild Alfafa is very prevalent on these ranchlands- a legume.
Achillea millefolium-Western yarrow interspersed with bluestem and wild alfalfa.
Ratibida columnifera- Prairie Coneflower early
Echinacea angustifolia- Black Sampson coneflower
Amorpha canescens - Leadplant
Dalea purpurea-Purple Prairie Clover
Mimosa quadrivalvis L. var.
nuttallii - Catclaw Sensitive Briar
Asclepias tuberosa-Butterfly Weed with Quercus
Bouquet made from native plant blooms given to my wife as a prize drawing.
Think Native! Go visit Gail @ Clay and Limestone to visit others in the world growing with Natives.
In,
out. Phlox subulata 'Amazing Grace'.
In,
out,
and out. View of early prairie garden hell strip. Flags are marking new native bare root plantings, Dalea, Baptisa and Geum. Look forward to this new part of the garden.
