Grassland used to dominate the central one-third of the United States. Among the tall grasses of the prairie, three types were prominent: Big bluestem, Indian grass and prairie cordgrass. The fine serrated leaves of prairie cordgrass earned it the nickname “rip gut.” The tallgrass prairie was so named because the grasses easily grew to 9 feet tall. But, there were more types of grasses than just these three.
There were over 150 different kinds of grasses found in the prairie including: little bluestem, prairie dropseed, porcupine grass, sideoats grama and needlegrass. Can you imagine being a pioneer and walking through grasses taller than you with names like rip gut, porcupine and needlegrass? Yikes!
The land was able to support a variety of grasses, but trees were practically nonexistent. Still, the prairie was home to abundant wildlife. What creatures do you think live in the tall grasses of the prairie? If you are very quiet and listen, you might be able to hear some of the animals. Can you hear crickets? Look closely and you might see something other than grass. Do you see any bees or grasshoppers?
The prairie is home to many different kinds of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and, of course, insects. You might be able to see a Ferruginous Hawk or a Western Meadowlark. If you guessed that Bison, Coyotes, Badgers and Red Fox live hidden in the grass, you would be correct. But what do those animals eat? How about Black-footed Ferrets and Eastern Cottontail rabbits? Snakes, toads, frogs and lizards also make their home in the prairie. Going about their business, you can find numerous beetles, bees and butterflies.
When the first settlers moved westward from the forests of the eastern United States, they came upon the prairie, which would have appeared to be an ocean of grass. Because it looked like an ocean, the first wagons were called prairies schooners. Pioneers soon discovered that it was easy to become lost in the tall grass because there were no natural landmarks. Just grass as far as the eye could see.
One of the biggest dangers on the prairie is fire. When the wind blows, the flames can travel faster than a person can run. Early settlers plowed up the grass at least 100 yards from their homes and barn to help stop the fires. Flying sparks had to be dashed out with buckets of water and wet gunny sacks.
The prairie is such an important habitat for creatures and part of our nation’s history. Folks now do their best to preserve the grassland. Mowing or shredding of the grass is generally done in late fall to eliminate dead material, but letting it stand provides shelter to wildlife throughout the winter. Spring burning rids the grass of weeds, small trees and cool-season grasses. The fire stimulates the natural grass. Burning in early spring avoids damaging the grass and wildflower seedlings.
