GENTRY — Though the parcel dubbed as Gentry Prairie because of the native prairie there and the many native plants which were likely common in the area before the prairies were plowed or built up was mowed this spring, a number of native plants have still bloomed and produced colorful flowers hidden in the grasses there.
Among them are the passion flower, nits and lice, meadow beauty, obedient plant and the milkwort. Many of the blooms are close enough to the ground to have survived the mowing several weeks ago. Other taller plants, like the blazing star, will probably not have blooms in the prairie this year.
The mowing was deemed necessary because of the many trees which have sprouted and begun to grow in the prairie.
It was hoped that the small native prairie plot could be preserved and used as an educational parcel to allow students to view and study prairie plants native to the area but fast disappearing due to development and farming. That hope has all but disappeared due to a lack of funding to purchase the property owned by Randy Bever and posted as for sale.
General News on 07/05/2017