Minnesota Seasons - Iron Horse Prairie Scientific and Natural Area


Iron Horse Prairie Scientific and Natural Area

County	Dodge
GPS	South Parking: N43 52.036 W92 50.798 North Parking: N43 52.660 W92 50.974
Size	35 acres
Habitat	Mesic tallgrass prairie
Hiking Trails	None

Links	Minnesota DNR

Comments	Besides bieng the “largest contiguous example of mesic tallgrass prairie remaining in southeastern Minnesota” the Minnesota DNR calls this SNA “finest mesic prairie known in this area of Minnesota.”

Images	Click on an image for a larger view.

	North parking area	South parking area	Old railroad bed


Birds

	American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) American robin (Turdus migratorius) barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)


Insects

	eastern tent saterpillar (Malacosoma americanum) northern crescent (Phyciodes selenis) spotted lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata)


Mammals

	whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)


Plants	Several plant species with protected status in Minnesota are found here: Endangered – wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) Threatened – Sullivant’s milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii), edible valerian (Valeriana edulis var. ciliata) Special concern – rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium var. yuccifolium) Minnesota DNR Plant List

	American black currant (Ribes americanum) black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii) boxelder (Acer negundo) bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus) broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia) Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis) Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis var. canadensis) candle anemone (Anemone cylindrica) catnip (Nepeta cataria) chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. virginiana) cleavers (Galium aparine) common blue violet (Viola sororia) common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) common burdock (Arctium minus) common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale) common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) downy phlox (Phlox pilosa var. fulgida) eastern swamp saxifrage (Saxifraga pensylvanica) edible valerian (Valeriana edulis var. ciliata) field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum) golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) great burdock (Arctium lappa) ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) heart-leaved golden alexanders (Zizia aptera) hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium ssp. angulata) hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens) Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) pale Indian plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) prairie blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium campestre) prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) pussy willow (Salix discolor) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium var. yuccifolium) scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale var. affine) Siberian elm (Ulmis pumila) silver maple (Acer saccharinum) slender willow (Salix petiolaris) smooth Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum) stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris var. acris) tall meadow rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum var. hypoglaucum) Tartarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) veiny pea (Lathyrus venosus) violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea) Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) western heart-leaved groundsel (Senecio pseudaureus var. semicordata) white clover (Trifolium repens) white oak (Quercus alba) white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana) wild cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) wild grape (Vitis riparia) wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris) woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea) yellow star grass (Hypoxis hirsuta)


Visits	05/24/2009