Photo essay: A guided tour of wildflowers in Three Bridges Park
August 9, 2019 | Topics: Places
Introduction by Jeff Veglahn
Photos by Eddee Daniel
On August 2 I led a Botany Walk in Three Bridges Park, as I do on the first Friday of each month. The purpose is to show the community what plants are in bloom and teach how to identify them. We gathered at 9:00 am at the Center (3700 W. Pierce Street), gave introductions, then headed out for an hour-and-a-half walk along the Hank Aaron State Trail in Three Bridges Park.
Whenever we see a new plant, we’ll stop to identify it and discuss. We focus on native, or indigenous species, but I also point out non-native plants that create issues for restoration or pose some threat to people. Early August is an ideal time for this and it was a particularly rewarding walk with 30 species identified.
Photo Essay
List of additional identified species
Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis)
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
Canada Tick Trefoil (Desmodium Canadensis)
Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)
Swithchgrss (Panicum virgatum)
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium)
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
*Curly dock (Rumex crispus)
*Common St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
*Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
*Common Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus)
Hairy petunia (Ruellia humilis)
*Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa)
* Indicates non-native species
Jeff Veglahn is the Land Steward at the Menomonee Valley branch of the Urban Ecology Center.
Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks and project director of A Wealth of Nature.