What is a Prairie? The land you’re standing on now in North Texas is in an area called the Blackland Prairie. In the BLACKLAND past, an uninterrupted sea of waist-high grasses covered the land. When Europeans colonized PRAIRIE the area, they replaced the grasses with fields of crops, and planted trees to shelter their homes. On the prairie, naturally occurring wildfires kept trees from establishing on the prairie. Texas GUIDE TO 100 settlers started putting out these fires to protect their homes and livestock, and the landscape COMMON SPECIES changed. This booklet tells about • plants and animal species original to the Blackland Prairie • some newly introduced “invasive” species endangering original native species • where you can find these plants and animals • how you can get involved preserving the natural diversity of our area. Acknowledgements Special thanks to the sponsors of Texas Master Naturalists: Texas Parks and Wildlife http://tpwd.texas.gov/ Texas A&M Agrilife Extension http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/ Become involved today! Join the North Texas Master Naturalists in education, outreach, and service. Blackland Prairie Map (above) from TP&W http://public.ntmn.org/about-the-master-naturalist- program Photo on cover: Brad Criswell Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Native Mexican Hat (Ratibida columnaris) Where can I experience perennial with cone-shaped Perennial blooms May-Oct. Red and yellow flower head and drooping sombrero shaped blooms. Found in prairies, Blackland Prairie today? purple to lavender petals on meadows and roadsides throughout TX. a single stem 2-5 feet tall. Photo: Wing-Chi Poon Following are some places you can go to discover, Popular garden plant that is find, and learn near you: easily grown. Photo: Public Domain Cedar Ridge Preserve 7171 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas TX Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) Drummond Phlox (Phlox drummonii) http://audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html Annual blooms Mar.-May. Red and orange Annual blooms Mar.-Jun. White, red, pink paintbrush like spiky blooms. Semi-parasitic, or purple blooms. Found in grasslands and its roots grow into roots of other plants open woodlands in east and central TX. Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area to obtain more nutrients. Grows 12-18 Photo: Tim Ross Jones and Kealy Street, Lewisville, TX inches tall. Found in prairies, meadows, http://llela.unt.edu/ and roadsides all over TX. Photo: Mahalie Stackpole White Rock Lake Conservancy Indian Blanket (Gaillardia Wine Cup Mallow (Callirhoe E. Lawther Drive, Dallas, TX pulchella) Annual blooms May- pedata) http://www.whiterockdallas.org/visit/nature/ Aug. Showy flower red flower Perennial blooms Mar.-May. heads tipped with yellow. Found Dark red to pink cup-shaped Connemara Conservancy in dry plains and open areas all white blooms with white centers. 300 Tatum Rd., Allen, TX over TX. Found in open woodlands and Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife on rocky hills in shrublands and http://connemaraconservancy.org/wordpress/meadow- Service thickets. Photo: Lee Page nature-preserve/ The Heard Museum Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Prairie Verbena (Verbena bipinnatifida) 1 Nature Place, McKinney, TX Perennial blooms May-Sept. Small orange to Annual or short lived perennial blooms yellow blooms. This member of the milkweed Feb.-Oct. Pink to purple blooms. Common http://www.heardmuseum.org/nativeplantgarden family is the larval food of Queen and throughout south-central to north-central Monarch butterflies. Found in the eastern 2/3 TX and the panhandle. of TX in prairies, open woodlands or hillsides. Photo: Pauline Schafer Rare in the Hill Country. Photo: Derek Ramsey Brown-eyed Susan Pink Evening Primrose (Oenothera (Rudbeckia hirta) speciosa) Perennial blooms Feb.-Jul. Perennial blooms May- Pink or white four-petaled blooms. Sept. Yellow ray flowers Spreads via both runners and seeds encircle a head of brown or Native to all grasslands throughout TX. black disc flowers. Found Each flower lasts only a single day. Photo: all over TX. Photo: Shelby Louisiana State University Raymond Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Blazing Star (Liatris mucronata) Perennial blooms Jul-Sept. Showy red Perennial flower of prairies blooms blooms. Found all over TX in moist to wet late summer to fall. Feathery purple soil. Pollinated by hummingbirds because flowers on tall spike, narrow linear of the blooms’ tubular shape. Photo: Dr. leaves dense on stem. Photo: Thomas G. Barnes Clarence A. Rechenthin, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Photo: Brad Criswell Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus Monarch (Danaus p. plexippus) Commonly Prairie Glossary clarus) Commonly seen March - October. seen throughout the metroplex March – Rapid flight pattern. White spots on November. Caterpillar host plants: Various Annual - plants living for a year or less, reproducing by underside of hind wings. Caterpillar host Milkweed. seed plants: Various Locusts; Clovers; Kudzu; Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County Wisteria. Lepidopterist’s Society Carnivore - classification of animal that only eats other Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County animals Lepidopterist’s Society Deciduous - classification of broadleaf trees that shed Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) Seen leaves annually Viceroy (Limenitis a. archippus) Commonly everywhere throughout metroplex seen throughout metroplex April – October. February – November. Caterpillar host Best seen by lakes/creeks where willows and Diurnal - active during the daytime plants: Mustards; Nasturtium; Cabbages; cottonwoods are prevalent. Caterpillar host Cruciferous Vegetables. plants: Various Willows; Various Poplars. Evergreen - classification of plant that has leaves year- Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County round Lepidopterist’s Society Lepidopterist’s Society Herbivore - classification of animal that solely eats vegetation Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) Goatweed Leafwing (Ananea andria) Seen throughout metroplex February – Commonly found in disturbed areas and Invasive - species that tend to spread prolifically and late November. Caterpillar host plants: fields throughout the metroplex February – undesirably or harmfully. Various Dogweeds; Cultivated Marigolds; November. Caterpillar host plants: Various Common Sneezeweed. Crotons; Doveweed. Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County Leaf: a leaf may be single, or composed of multiple leaflets Lepidopterist’s Society Lepidopterist’s Society Leaflet: a small component of an entire leaf Migrant: moves regularly with the seasons to follow food American Snout (Libytheana carinenta Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) supply bachmanii) Commonly seen throughout Seen throughout metroplex February – the metroplex February – November. November. Intolerant of extreme cold. Caterpillar host plants: Sugarberry; Net- Caterpillar host plants: Yellow or Blue Native - species original to an area Leaf Hackberry. Passionvine; Various Flax. Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County Noctural - active at nighttime Lepidopterist’s Society Lepidopterist’s Society Omnivore - classification of animal that eats a varied diet of plants an other animals Olive Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa c. celtis) gryneus castalis) Can be seen March – Commonly seen throughout metroplex mid- Palmate: arranged in the shape of a hand October. Always found near host plant or late April – first frost. Caterpillar host plants: by tapping bark. Caterpillar host plants: All Hackberry trees. Perennial - plants that persist for several years, and have Eastern Red Cedar; Red-Berry Juniper. Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County new growth each year Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County Lepidopterist’s Society Lepidopterist’s Society Pinnate: arranged in a shape like a feather Resident: stays in one area year-round Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus Common Buckeye (Junonia c. coenia) communis) Commonly seen throughout Seen throughout metroplex March – Tendril: specialized stem or leaf with a threadlike shape metroplex February – November. Especially November. Caterpillar host plants: Various used by climbing plants for support and attachment common in low growth habitat and disturbed Plantains; Paintbrush; Snapdragon vines. areas. Caterpillar host plants: Hollyhock; Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County Various Mallow. Lepidopterist’s Society Photo: Dale Clark – Dallas County Lepidopterist’s Society American Beaver (Castor Canadensis) Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) Diurnal, semi-aquatic. Average size 30-60 Nocturnal, reclusive omnivore. Member Invasive and Non-Native lbs. Has dark brown to golden coat and of the raccoon family. Weighs 3 lbs at webbed hind feet. Uses large, orange-tinted maturity. Long, black & white striped tail. Species incisor teeth to feed on inner bark of trees Seldom seen, though common from E. and shrubs. Bears 1-8 young called kits. TX, westward. Photo: Public Domain These non-native species are commonly Photo: Steve Hersey seen in the Blackland Prairie Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Mainly nocturnal but Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) Bastard Cabbage (Rapistrum may come out before dusk. Medium sized, Largely nocturnal omnivore. Highly rugosum) Invasive: This brown and gray coat with dark spots, tufts social and often dens together. Black member of the mustard family on ear tips. Short tail, long legs & large fur with white stripe down flanks has yellow flowers on a tall feet. Diet of small animals and birds. and sides of tail. Produces strong many branched stem 1-5