The first prairie flower to poke its brave head out each spring in northern Iowa is the Pasque flower. I've been watching these little guys for a week , waiting for the right moment to capture their beauty but the weather hasn't been very helpful. Just to give credit to this brave soul, the ground was covered with snow Friday night and didn't melt until later Saturday, yet this lavender beauty pushed its way upward undaunted.
These images were taken at the Freda Haffner Preserve west of Milford this morning along a hillside with a southern exposure. To help put these in perspective, the Pasque flower is approximately 1" across and 1 1/2" long and sets 3-4" off the ground and preferes well drained soil.
The Pasque flower is the state flower of South Dakota and was also used by the American Indians as a treatment of rheumatism along with other ailments. This beauty can be found in the central United States from Minnesota to Texas and is also known in some areas as the Easter Plant, the Rock Lily and several other names. It won't be long now and everyones flower beds will be full of blomming flowers, just remember this small beauty statred it all. Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.
Hey Mike,glad one of us was there to catch the event. Great work!
Posted by: Daniel Ruf | April 19, 2011 at 12:27 PM