Above is a photo of Silphium trifoliatum at the main prairie. The main prairie contains many of these plants but most years only a few of them will bloom. This year I have counted 15 blooming plants at Big Hollow's Main Prairie. Deer herbivory on this Silphium population has always been voracious, but this year the deer seem to have held back a bit. I will guess that this can be attributed to two changes from the previous seasons. Wetter weather (up until July) has increase plant biomass, but also clearing the woodlands surrounding the prairies of exotic shrubs and vines has removed a lot the cover the deer need to feel secure in the area. Clearing the surrounding woods has been a win-win situation for the Silphiums at Big Hollow, reducing deer herbivory and releasing many established plants from deep shade.
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