Location - This site is easily reached by proceeding west from the town of Solon for slightly more than two miles on 180th Street. The remnant is beyond the dead end of 180th Street.
In 1836 Lieutenant Albert M. Lea described the mix of prairie and woodland in Iowa in his book, Notes on the Wisconsin Territory. "Nothing can exceed the beauty of Summer and Autumn in this country, where, on one hand, we have the expansive prairie strewed with flowers still growing; and on the other, the forests which skirt it, presenting all the varieties of colour incident to the fading foliage of a thousand different trees."
This site is a particularly good location to view spring ephemeral beauties, such as May apple, Dutchman's breeches and Bellwort. The best time to view these species is in April and May. During the summer months of July and August, Culver's root and the Bracken fern can be seen in all their glory. From August to October the aster family of plants is in abundant evidence here.
May apples, which grow here, produce yellow, plums-sized fruit that can be found hiding under the large umbrella leaves. Settlers and natives, including the Meskwaki, ate this fruit raw or cooked. The Meskwaki used the root to treat snake bite and rheumatism. Early settlers used the root to treat children for "summer diarrhea": by purging.
Also found here are examples of Helianthus strumosis, or the Pale woodland sunflower. The root of this plant, which blooms from July through October, was eaten by early settlers. The scientific name, Helianthus strumosus, is derived from the Greek helios (sun) and anthos (flower) and the Latin word, strumosus, which means "tumor."
Plant list - This plant list was developed following meander surveys of the south side of road conducted in June 2001 and May 2002 by Taliga and Leehe. Non-native species are denoted by being typed in all capital letters.
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