New forbs in some of our savanna units

My earlier post described our year-end work pulling together all our species data for 2008. I have now had time to go through the data unit-by-unit. I was particularly interested in the ridge-top savanna units. Since I now have seven years of data, I am getting a feel for how long it takes for certain species to become established. These are species that are distinctive enough that if they had been there we would likely have seen them.

A few of the species that have appeared in some of the savanna units only just this year: NJ tea (Ceanothus americana), lead plant (Amorpha canescens), prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), white indigo (Baptisia alba), purple prairie clover (Dalea purpureum), rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), compass plant (Silphium laciniatum), rough blazing star (Liatris aspera).

Folks will realize that many of the species on this list are commonly considered "prairie" plants. True. But they do grow in more open savannas (which in a way can be considered equivalent to "small" prairies). Also, most of the species on this list are ones that take a while to get established in a new prairie planting. They are deep-rooted, and don't start flowering until their root systems are well established. They are what are called "conservative" species. If you use Swink and Wilhelm's Coefficient of Conservatism table, they are species with high C numbers.

One lesson I have learned here: don't expect everything to show up right away.

Another lesson: don't be satisfied with a single planting. Some years have better weather for plant establishment than others. Plant every year you have seed available.