Vinton Today

This white and purple flower (a prairie violet perhaps?) blooms along a walking trail.
VT Editor Dean is hoping to see more flowers growing in his pasture; and to learn their names.

For years, my ancestors allowed a small piece of family pasture to be used as cattle grazing land. But I am trying something different; I am hoping to restore some of the natural grasses and flowers that have been growing in Iowa for thousands of years.

Everyone once in a while, I am pleasantly surprised to see something new. My first reaction, however is: That's pretty. What is it?

If anyone can answer that question about this flower, I'd love to hear from you at vintontoday@hotmail.com

We received this from a person in the know....

You have Showy Orchis (Orchid); Galearis spectabilis – a pretty rare and very conservative species. (easily extirpated by over grazing, tillage, herbicide drift etc). It’s very valuable to pollinators and is an indicator species of a quality/healthy ecosystem.

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TP(T June 3, 2011, 9:35 am Ms. Wittmer and others, you suggested asking a Master Gardener. Please allow me to relate an experience we had last year here in Vinton. There was a Native Prairie planting in front of Tilford, about 7 years old and just getting established, because prairie plants develope underground 1st and then above the ground after that. That little piece of native flowers and plants was done at a cost of several thousand dollars. Well, a wanna be, at the time, Master Gardener and Tilford people decided it was nothing but weeds and destroyed the planting, reduced the size of the area and planted a normal, as we know it, flower bed there. So, I don\'t believe Master Gardeners are have much native prairie plant and flower training. In this case we have a \'MASTER PRAIRIE KILLER\' in our community.

S June 1, 2011, 3:55 pm I thought it was an orchid but I didn\'t know orchids were native to Iowa.

According to this website: http://www.c-we.com/cios/native.htm there are 32 varieties of native orchid in Iowa.

I believe that what you have there is a Showy Orchis.
This picture from a Sierra Club wep page looks very much like your image. http://maryland.sierraclub.org/hc/pictures/2009/05/20090509-ShowyOrchis.jpg
as does this image from a conservation website http://www.equinoxenvironmental.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/20050515ShowyOrchis.jpg
this second image also shows the shape of the leaf which looks identical to the leaf in your pictures. So with out any type of authority I am going to go with Showy Orchis.

AW June 1, 2011, 3:25 pm almost looks like an orchid of some kind.. it has the same type flower... maybe one of the master gardeners can help!

GS June 1, 2011, 2:32 pm Looks like an orchid.

GW June 1, 2011, 2:16 pm stop in the Extension Office when you have time and I have books that should help id flowers.

News June: A time for new flowers (and for learning their names)

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