Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Queen-of-the-Prairie
Filipendula rubra
[C-value
10]
Rose family (Rosaceae)
Blooms
July
The royal native Queen-of-the-Prairie is rare in our area. It is on the Illinois Threatened Species List and is monitored as one of our Plants of Concern. It prefers full or partial sun and wet to moist soil high in organic content. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, moist meadows along streams or ponds and wet areas in or around seeps and fens. It is a perennial, 3-6' tall, unbranched with a smooth reddish central stem with alternate compound leaves. The leaves are up to 2' long, each having 1-7 palmately-lobed leaflets up to 6" long and aligned along the stem in succession. The central stem terminates in a panicle of pink buds and flowers about 5-8" across. Each flower is about 1/3" across, consisting of 5 pink petals and numerous long white stamens with pink anthers. The overall appearance is like wind-tossed fluff or foam, and is quite beautiful.
Queen of the Prairie in a K.C. Forest Preserve lakeside July 12, 2015
Queen of the Prairie in a K.C. Forest Preserve July 12, 2015
Queen of the Prairie foliage in a K.C. Forest Preserve July 12, 2015
Queen of the Prairie palmate lobed leaves lined up along the stem
Queen of the Prairie in a K.C. Forest Preserve July 12, 2015
Queen of the Prairie in a K.C. Forest Preserve July 7, 2016
Queen of the Prairie in a K.C. Forest Preserve July 9, 2015
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