One reason I find the summer prairie so glorious is the many bright yellow blooms. As if the open land and open sky isn’t aspiring enough July brings tall, bright yellow flowers to add excitement to the panorama. Did the sun drop some of its golden light to decorate the tall prairie grasses? Or is the prairie paying tribute to the sun? Most of these flowers are high atop four to eight feet stalks such as the Cup Plant – Silphium perfoliatum – pictured here.

Take a look at the leaves, if you can see them. This is where Cup Plant has earned it’s name.