Prairie Flowers

Corita Kent –   Flowers grow out of the darkest moments.

The winter of 2022-23 was a tough one on the Northern Plains. We were hit with three notable blizzards, temperatures in the minus 20s, and wind that made the world shudder. It came after four years of withering drought that gave me nightmares of The Grapes of Wrath. It seemed quite possible that another dust bowl was just around the corner.

We suffered some dark days. But the winter brought moisture and on Memorial Day we went for a walk to find that the resilient grassland ecosystem was fighting back. We found flowers and photographed them for you.

Biscuitroot Buds

Biscuitroot

Veiny Dock

Spring Parsley

Milkvetch

Tufted Evening Primrose

Thistle Buds

Sunflowers Waiting to Bloom

Wallflowers

Scarlet Bee Blossom

Yellow Salsify

Missouri Foxtail Cactus Flower

Scarlet Globemallow

Prairie Spiderwort

Prairie Onion

Fleabane

Prickly Pear Buds

Theodore Roethke – Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.