The Importance of Pocket Prairies in Southwest Ohio
By Caroline Scalzo, CGC Horticulturist
Cincinnati’s regional ecology is important because of its proximity to so many types of ecoregions and the way it allows these habitats and their plants to interact. It is the continuous movement of plant species and their ability to interact and cross-pollinate that creates more biodiversity in their genetics, thus creating a more resilient system. Cincinnati conveniently sits at this intersection of the Southeastern center, the prehistoric boreal remnants that travel up and down the Appalachian plateaus and the western plains/prairie ecotypes that have alluded to Ohio’s success in agriculture.
Ohio’s prairies are some of the most diverse and rich environments for plant and animal life in North America. With as much biodiversity as a tropical rainforest, the importance of the plant species that exist within these systems makes it a large puzzle piece that can’t easily be removed.
Despite the major decline in their existence due to European settlers and the general cooling of the climate, remnants of the prairie can be found in Southwest Ohio thanks to the levels of topography and natural soil erosion that help these plants thrive. Mainly dominated by grasses and forbs that quickly reproduce and turn over, the amount of genetic information that is mixed and split within these regions means these plants travel fast, which is important to the health and survival of all of our plants. Grass species such as Big Blue Stem and Prairie Drop Seed dominate until the late summer, when the showy forbs—like the milkweeds, sneezeweeds, blazing stars and asters—bloom and attract a plethora of wildlife with it in a wide swath of colors.
When in proximity to one another, these plants support each other not only structurally but also as biotic systems, which helps make them self sustaining. Species like Baptisia (from the pea family) fix nitrogen in the soil, making it usable for the rest of the plants, while species like Monarda attract beneficial insects that help deter pests like aphids, whiteflies and mealybugs. All these plants together develop a robust interconnected root system that helps hold soil in place and produces a high organic matter turnover rate that can help reestablish those all-too-familiar disturbed clay soils and eroding hillsides.
Incorporating pocket prairies into our urban and suburban places by planting native prairie species not only reestablishes the beauty of our natural landscapes and supports the rare plants that thrive in these environments, but also reestablishes the natural food supports for the migrating bird and butterfly species we all love. Ohio is specifically known for our rare Warbler populations and for being the breeding grounds for the declining Henslow Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) and the western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).
But birds are not the only ones who use these habitats for food and breeding grounds. There are over 130 species of butterflies and skippers that rely on host plants and abundant sources of nectar and pollen in our area. Some beautiful species you can support by providing these plants are none other than the American favorite, the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus), which relies heavily on the Asclepias and Liatris for survival, as well as our Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycadeides melissa samuelis).
What pocket prairie plants will you add to your corner of southwest Ohio? If you’d like some ideas, see this full-sun pocket prairie example we recently shared on Facebook and Instagram!