Field Park Native Plants

Field Park Native Plants. . , About Native Plants , These sturdy plants have long adapted to our soil and climate. They provide nourishing food and shelter for birds and other creatures. We appreciate their colorful flowers and the sounds of the graceful grasses as they blow in the wind. , , Purple Coneflower , Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) - pictured at far left - grows from two to four feet tall, with oval, coarsely toothed leaves. Its daisy-like summer flowers have drooping purple petals surrounding a seed-filled brown cone. Left to stand on their stiff stems throughout the winter, these seedheads provide food especially loved by American goldfinches and make distinctive shadows on the snow. , , Prairie Dropseed , The fine leaves of prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) swirl out from a low mound. In late summer its leaves turn orange and apricot while it sends up tall wispy stems seeded with tiny flowers. The seeds that follow - pictured above - smell like buttered popcorn and were ground into flour by Native Americans. Along with the bluestems, prairie drop seed was one of the most common grasses in our native Illinois prairie.