24 Apr Not A Weed Wednesday – Prairie Crocus
Prairie crocus (Anemone patens)
Early emerging native plants can be seen throughout the Special Areas as they begin to emerge. One of the earliest flowering species you can spot is the prairie crocus.
Prairie crocus is our most conspicuous early flowering species. The prairie crocus is actually not a true crocus but a member of the anemone family. You can find it in most native areas beginning in mid-April, with fuzzy purple petals poking out of last year’s grass. Leaves and stems elongate and develop after flowering and are also hair covered, leaves are deeply divided giving them a lacy appearance. In early summer, look for the unique seed heads, a fuzzy stem topped with a ball of fuzzy, purple-tinged filaments, drying to white which disperse in the wind.
Contact a Special Areas Rangeland Agrologist for more information on optimal range health and grazing on native grasslands.
