Silflower: Continuous Soil Cover

Multiple images of Silflower, a yellow flower with deep green foliage — Karen Beaubien, Chase Krug, Sydney Schiffner

Response of the Prairie to the Great Drought of 1934

"Among the deeply rooted and consequently unwilted species of lower slopes some of the more important were ... Silphium integrefolium and S. lacinatum. None suffered from wilting; flowering and seed production proceeded apparently in a normal manner. ... All these deeply rooted species persisted until fall."

"A few species, such as ... Silphium integrefolium, grew normally and stood unwilted above the dried grasses."

J. E. Weaver, L. A. Stoddart, W. M. Noll

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Roots holding the prairie

talking points:

year 3 field

shovel for scale

Forever Green

Silflower root growth at year three; close up

Cross section of a planted Silflower field showing root growth — David Van Tassel