The pink to dark purple flowers of ground-plum (Astragalus crassicarpus) mature into clumps of plum-shaped pods that sprawl
on the ground. Late in summer, nests of the withered, leathery pods mark where plants once bloomed. Rodents gather and
cache the dried pods.
Spring arrives to the tallgrass prairie with a splash of
wildflowers – whites, yellows, pinks and purples. The first to
emerge from thawing soils are only a few inches tall, a stature
well-suited to weak sunlight and lingering cold. These diminutive
plants will bloom but briefly then rush to set seed before the
prairie comes fully to life.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 25
