River Corridor Plant Viewing Tips Eastern Redbud 1. Go to where the habitat is — visit Cercis canadensis state parks and other public spaces. Height: 15 - 30 ft. Description: Short understory 2. Do your homework — learn what tree with heart-shaped leaves and early-blooming pink to species grow in the area. rose-purple flowers followed by brown flat seedpods. 3. Think about timing — check what is Habitat: Upland forests blooming in the area this time of year. Blooms: March - May Viewing: Southeast The corridor includes the 4. Consult an expert — join in on a guided plant hike to learn where to Chinkapin Oak river channel, the associated , Plants Quercus muehlenbergii wetlands, and bluffs. This region consists of find the best blooms. Height: 30 - 60 ft. a mixture of riparian and upland deciduous 5. Leave no trace — leave wildlife in Description: Overstory tree with shiny, narrow and broadly forests, and tall- and mixedgrass prairies. The nature and nature the way you of the serrated leaves. Acorns are Missouri River runs approximately 2,320 miles small, oval, and have scaly found it. caps. Bark becomes flakey from the headwaters in to where it gray-yellow as tree matures. converges with the in St. Habitat: Upland forests Louis, Missouri. A 400-mile stretch of the Missouri Blooms: March - May Terms to Know Viewing: Southeast Missouri River borders eastern , running from the boarder to Annual Plant — One year lifecycle Burr Oak Quercus macrocarpa the border, separating the state of River Height: 30 - 70+ ft. Nebraska from . Biennial Plant — Two-year lifecycle Description: Perennial hardwood The Missouri River has undergone many tree fiddle-like lobed leaves. Perennial Plant — More than two Acorns with deep, fringed cup. changes throughout the 20th century. Where Corridor Burr oaks can grow into tall, the river once freely meandered across a vast year lifecycle branched tree, or into shrubbier floodplain, channelization, dams, conversion of form found on bluffs or hillsides. Alternating Leaves Habitat: Rocky, well-drained wetlands, and development of structures and outcrops at elevations to 7,500 ft. One leaf attached per node Blooms: March - May agriculture fields have transformed this region. Viewing: Eastern half Even so, the Missouri River corridor provides Identification habitat not readily found throughout the rest of Cottonwood Opposite Leaves Populus deltoides the state and allows for the success of some Guide Height: 50 - 80+ ft. species in Nebraska whose geographic ranges A pair of leaves Description: Perennial decid- uous tree with broad brown, are limited to this region. attached per node dark-green glossy leaves with toothed edges, ridged dark-gray bark, seeds with fluffy hairs for a cotton-like appearance. Whorled Leaves Habitat: Lowlands, near water Blooms: March - April Several leaves attached Viewing: Statewide per node OutdoorNebraska.org

Plants of MoRiver lgl.indd 1 8/13/2019 10:21:45 AM Jack-in-the-pulpit Bloodroot Large-flowered Tick-clover © Courtesy James L. Reveal, © Courtesy Alan Cressler, Arisaema triphyllum Sanguinaria canaensis wildflower.org Desmodium glutinosum wildflower.org Brittle Bladderfern Height: 12 - 24 in. Height: 6 - 12 in. Height: 12 - 48 in. Cystopteris fragilis Description: Perennial with thick Description: Perennial with lobed Description: Perennial with Height: 6 - 12 in. flowering stalk, mottled green and leaves, orange-red latex sap, and tri-foliate leaves with oval teardrop Description: Perennial green frilly purplish. Bloom has leaf-like hood. flowers with white petals and shape. Flower stalks with several fern with narrow pointed fronds Habitat: Moist, rich soils in yellow centers. light to rosy pink flowers. that grows in low clumps. woodlands Habitat: Moist, rich soils in Habitat: Moist woodland soils Habitat: Moist woodland soils Blooms: April - June woodlands Blooms: June - August Blooms: March - August Viewing: East, especially Missouri Blooms: April - May Viewing: Mainly east, but also Viewing: East and north River Viewing: Northeast, Missouri northcentral May-apple River valley Swamp Milkweed Nodding Fescue Asclepias incarnata Festuca subverticillata Podophyllum peltatum © Courtesy southeasternflora.com Height: 12 - 18 in. White Snakeroot Height: 48 - 60 in. Height: 24 - 36 in. Ageratina altissima Description: Perennial with thick, Description: Perennial with single Description: Perennial grass with Height: 24 - 36 in. smooth stem and large umbrella- stem, opposite leaves, clusters of flat alternate half-inch leaves and Description: Perennial with erect like toothed leaves. Single nodding pink hourglass shaped flowers. 12 inches long. Tufted culms often branching stem with opposite flower is white and at base of Milky white sap. nodding, small flowers range from leaves. Domed clusters of 12 - 24 leaves. Fruit is round and yellow- Habitat: Shallow or moist-soiled green to yellow to brown. white flowers. green with many seeds. wetlands Habitat: Moist deciduous Habitat: Dry woodland soils Habitat: Moist, rich soils in Blooms: June - August woodlands Blooms: August - September woodlands Viewing: Statewide, most Blooms: April - May Viewing: East Blooms: May common east Viewing: Mainly east, but also Viewing: Southeast Missouri Virginia Waterleaf north-central River valley Wild Columbine Hydrophyllum virginianum Aquilegia canadensis © Courtesy Sally and Andy Dutchman’s Breeches Height: 12 - 30 in. Height: 12 - 36 in. Wasnowski, wildflower.org Prairie Cordgrass Dicentra cucullaria Description: Perennial usually with Description: Perennial with slender Spartina pectinata Height: 4 - 12 in. single or occasionally branched stalks, alternate leaves and nodding Height: 36 - 84 in. Description: Perennial with ridged stem with stiff hairs. Deeply lobed reddish-pink and yellow tubular Description: Perennial bunch- fern-like leaves, reddish flower leaves, spherical flower head, white flowers with five pointed petals. grass with tough and coarse stalks with heart-shaped flower, to violet-red bell-shaped flowers. Habitat: Moist woodland soils leaves, yellow-brown flowers. white to pale pink in color. Habitat: Moist, rich soils in Blooms: April - June Habitat: Wet, non-saline soils Habitat: Moist, rich soils in woodlands Viewing: North and east, especially Blooms: August - September woodlands Blooms: May - June Missouri River and Niobrara Viewing: Statewide Blooms: April - May Viewing: East, especially Missouri river valleys River valley Viewing: Eastern fourth Blue Phlox © Courtesy Alan Cressler, © Courtesy southeasternflora.com White Fawn Lily wildflower.org Pale Jewelweed Phlox divaricata Davis’ Sedge Erythronium albidum Impatiens pallida Height: 9 - 15 in. Carex davisii Height: 4 - 6 in. Height: 36 - 72 in. Description: Perennial with slender Height: 12 - 36 in. Description: Perennial with Description: Annual with toothed stems with opposite elongated Description: Perennial sedge elongated fleshy leaves, nodding leaves, green almost translucent leaves. Flower clusters atop stem with a red base and grass-like white flowers, one per stalk. stems, yellow tubular flowers with 9 - 25 blue-violet tubular alternating leaves. Nondescript Habitat: Moist, rich soils in sometimes with small red spots. flowers. green blooms followed by over- woodlands Habitat: Moist woodland soils Habitat: Rich, moist woodland soils lapping football-shaped seeds. Blooms: April - May Blooms: July - September Blooms: April - May Habitat: Moist lowland forests Viewing: Missouri river corridor Viewing: East Viewing: East and southeast, Blooms: May - July and extreme southeast especially Missouri River valley Viewing: Eastern fifth

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