One of the extraordinary things a prairie reveals is the great color palette of nature. Now that we’re in July, and the heat of summer, the purples are abundant. A few treasures from my latest walk:
LeadplantBergamot-pick the flowers and top few inches of stem and leaf for tea.Purple Prairie Clover
Swamp Milkweed with bumblebee
Hoary VervainPrairie Blazing Star
These, you may have noticed, are growing in mulch, not the dense grasses that provide the structure of a tallgrass prairie. This was just my walk from my office to my car! They are newly planted around the parking lot at Indian Creek Nature Center. Everyone should be able to enjoy the natural beauty of a prairie, even if they aren’t up for a hike. The diverse flowers will attract butterflies and support native pollinators. The deep roots are drought tolerant. What more could you ask for in a landscaping plan?
Salad dressing: orange champagne vinegar and basil infused olive oil
Main course: milkweed blossoms sauteed in butter with catnip and mulberries on the side
Common milkweed buds are edible when cooked. If you aren’t sure about what you’re picking, develop a relationship with your local nature center or other outdoor enthusiasts so you don’t accidentally eat something poisonous.
Staghorn sumac drupes are high in antioxidants.* Posion sumac has white drupes, not red.
Dessert: paw paws and aronia berries (frozen last year), and elderberry jelly and wild plum jelly (preserved last year)
After dinner tea: chamomile leaves and buds, stinging nettle leaves, red clover blossoms, wild ginger root, wild rose blossoms, mountain mint leaves
Chamomile isn’t native, but it is also not a problem for restoration. It prefers dry, sandy soil and no competition.
* Sumaconade Recipe*
Gather 9-12 staghorn sumac drupes in late summer. Hang them and cover with a paper sack to keep them clean and dry-they will keep until the following summer.
Soak them in 1 gallon of cold water, 2-12 hours
Wring or muddle the drupes with your hands into the water.
Pour the mixture through clean t-shirt material 3 times to filter it.
Add 1/2-1 cup honey (may be mixed with a bit of warm water to dissolve)
Pocket Mouse Publishing 