Early Summer Wildflowers at Springbrook

The Prairie Smoke has already finished blooming and is forming its signature seed plumes in Springbrook Nature Center's prairies where I took these pictures today. 

As the flower turns to seed it points itself to the sky for the wind to blow the seeds as far as possible.

 Each plume strand has one seed on the end by the flower head.  When many of these seed heads are raised together across the prairie it looks like smoke as the wind blows, hence the name.

 Right next to the Prairie Smoke the bright yellow Puccoon is starting to bloom with its large clumps of flowers.

The orange yellow  of  this flower is very bright and can be seen all across the prairie. 

 The tiny Cinquefoil flower is hiding near the Puccoon but is short and hard the see down in the grasses.  It only has one flower per plant and so requires some searching to find.

Five petals are on this flower as the name suggests and one more than the Puccoon.

 In the shade of the woods and along the borders of the prairie the Wild Geranium is blooming now, trying to catch up from its late start because of the cold spring we have had.

Near by the Wild Lily of The Valley is also blooming on the forest floor.  Its small mass of tiny white flowers in the shadows of the forest is a sure sign that summer is starting.

 Also on the forest floor and on the edges of woods is the bane of gardeners everywhere, Creeping Charlie!  But Springbrook does not mind this pleasant minty smelling plant.

 And last, the Dandelion, a long ago escapee from European settlers, is in its final stages of blooming.  This little flower is a boon to all the pollinators at Springbrook looking for pollen and nectar






And the seed heads are a geometric wonder and work of art waiting for a breeze or a breath to start the individual seeds on their journey through the air.