January-February 2022 • Nebraskaland 41
Clockwise from top left: Common
milkweed grows throughout eastern
Nebraska in prairies, pastures and
roadsides. Its seeds develop in spindle-
shaped pods that split open in late
summer releasing the seeds.
New England aster seed heads are
commonly sown in eastern Nebraska
prairie restorations, and its fl owers
attract numerous pollinators.
The pods of swamp milkweed sit empty.
A major benefi t of seed dormancy (see
sidebar on page 45) is that it allows
time for the wind, water or animals to
disperse seed to new, possibly superior,
habitats prior to germination.
Prairie rose fruits, called hips, turn
from green to bright red as they ripen
in late summer and contain several
light brown, egg-shaped seeds. The hip's
red color attracts sharp-tailed grouse,
prairie chickens and other prairie fauna
that consume and disperse the seeds.
