The growing season so far has been favorable for plant growth at Big Hollow.  Things are starting to get a bit dry now but June and May brought a good bit of moisture to the hollow, resulting in taller plants and in some cases more profuse flowering.  A visit to Big Hollow today revealed many of the prairie's showiest flowering plants at or close to their peak floral phenology.

Monarda fistulosa

Asclepias viridiflora

Some of the green milkweeds at big hollow have been blooming for a couple of weeks now.  There is an abundance of blooming green milkweed this year making me hopeful for a large seed crop.

Solanum carolinese

 The heavily rhizomatous horse nettle has beening spreading through a section of the main prairie and has been blooming for weeks now as well.

Scutellaria incana

The Hoary skullcap has just recently started blooming here. In fact, this individual appears to be the first in bloom.  The plants closer to the woodland edges have yet to reveal their purple-blue flowers.