07/03/2026
Giants in the prairies!
On days with extreme heat, a hike through the prairies might be off the table. Luckily, a drive through Shaw Nature Reserve let's you see tons of amazing blooms right from your car--compass plant is one to see right now!
Compass plant can grow up to 12 feet tall, displaying beautiful yellow blooms that are highly attractive to butterflies, bees, birds, and plenty of other wildlife. The stems of compass plant are also the host plant for the silphium borer moth, a rare and critically imperiled species that can only live in areas with tall-grass prairie plants.
Like many other common prairie plants, compass plant's roots can delve as deep as 15 feet under the surface! Those deep roots help prevent soil erosion, create pathways for water to permeate the surface and refill the water-table, as well as increasing organic matter in the soil. Over time, all of these benefits help to develop deep, nutrient rich, loamy soil, perfect for future prairie plants to take root in!
Compass plant got its common name from the old belief: that the leaves twist, orienting themselves to face their flat surfaces east and west, rather than upward and downward. This was a trick used for centuries to help travelers move in the right direction.
Modern research has led us to a more well-rounded understanding:
The leaves of a compass plant will in fact start to twist as they mature--not to help us in wayfinding, but to avoid the intense heat of the mid-day sun! This allows the leaves to soak up the maximal amount of morning sun while preserving water through the hot noon hours. Even prairie plants have to beat the heat, somehow!
