Edinburg Township near Rootstown in Portage County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Ohio Native Plants
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 10, 2025
1. Ohio Native Plants Marker
Silky Dogwood
Common Name: Silky Dogwood
Botanical Name: Cornus Amomum
Height/Width: 6 to 12 feet / 6 to 12 feet
Habitats: Full sun to part shade; swamps and damp thickets, low woods and along the sides of streams
Flowering Period: May to June
Bloom Color: Yellow white
Wildlife Value: Supports various bee species and is a host plant for the spring azure butterfly. Birds find the blue berries attractive and seek habitat in the mature plants.
Little Bluestem
Common Name: Little Bluestem
Botanical Name: Schizachyrium scoparium
Height/Width: 2 to 4 feet / 1.5 to 2 feet
Habitats: Full sun, dry, sterile or acid soils, prairies, rocky and sandy prairies, roadsides, and abandoned fields
Flowering Period: July to September
Bloom Color: Purple Bronze
Wildlife Value: Gives food, shelter, and nesting material to wildlife and attracts birds and pollinators. The seeds, fuzzy white at maturity, are of particular values to small birds in winter.
History/Lore: When Little Bluestem blanketed the prairies, various Native American peoples used it for insulation in moccasins to keep warm. Bundles of Little Bluestem stalkslashed together formed switches to use in sweat lodges.
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Purple Dome New England Aster
Common Name: Purple Dome New England Aster
Botanical Name: Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'
Height/Width: 1.5 to 2 feet / 2 to 3 feet
Habitats: Full sun; moist prairies and meadows, open woodlands, creek or river banks and other disturbed areas
Flowering Period: August to September
Bloom Color: Royal purple
Wildlife Value: Birds and small mammals are commonly found eating the seeds. Bees and other pollinators are attracted to the flower nectars. Migrating Monarch butterflies are often found enjoying the nectar as well.
Erected 2024 by Ohio Department of Transportation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Horticulture & Forestry • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 41° 6.365′ N, 81° 6.766′ W. Marker is near Rootstown, Ohio, in Portage County. It is in Edinburg Township. It is on Interstate 70 at milepost 45, on the right when traveling west. Marker is near the Westbound ODOT Rest Area (No. 4-36) comfort station. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rootstown OH 44272, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 10, 2025
2. Ohio Native Plants Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. Benjamin Tappan, Jr. (was approx. 5.1 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Regarding Ohio Native Plants. The marker has limited but useful historical information.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2025, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 33 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 11, 2025, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
