Consider the prairie.

When you are looking for wildflowers to photograph, have you considered the prairie? Many of us in the Midwest are aware of the wealth of flowering plants in the scattered remnants of the tallgrass prairie and find some of our favorite photographic subjects in these grasslands.

The tallgrass prairie is not just a treeless plain. It is an ecological community of specific flora and fauna including grasses and forbs, mammals, birds and insects. Vast areas of the Upper Midwest were once covered by prairie. The only remaining areas are those which were never grazed or plowed, such as pioneer cemeteries, railroad rights-of-way or rocky hilltops. Now many prairie restoration projects are proceeding.

Prairies may be hilly, sandy, dry, mesic or wet and each type dictates which species will be found there. Included in the prairie are oak savannas dominated by the bur oak which is resistant to the periodic fires so essential if a prairie is to remain a prairie. True prairie species are not harmed by fire.

In an area of only a few acres over 100 species of grasses and forbs may be found. Nowhere else is there such a diversity of species as in the prairie: from grasses to orchids, legumes to composites, milkweeds to gentians. Most of these complete their blooming cycle in about two weeks, resulting in a progression of bloom from early spring to late fall. The beauty of the prairie is sometimes subtle, but there is always something to photograph.

In general, the lower growing species are the first to bloom in the spring. During the season progressively taller species bloom, culminating in late summer and fall with two-inch to six-inch forbs and grasses.

In March the exquisite pale blue pasqueflower of the hill prairies signals spring. Prairie smoke, prairie buttercups, prairie violets, all low-growing plants, soon follow.

Soon the prairie is ablaze in color. Sometimes it is a spectrum of colors, but often one hue dominates, only to be replaced in a few weeks by a completely different hue. In many protected Missouri prairies the Indian paintbrush lives up to its name, painting the landscape a brilliant red in spring. Wild hyancinth tints other areas lavender.

Typical are the changing hues of Wisconsin's Chiwaukee Prairie which has both sandy and wet features. In late spring shooting stars form a pink carpet which is followed in early summer by purple spiderworts. Then comes the pink of wild bergamots. In late summer the color changes to yellow as sunflower species take over. Fall brings the masses of purple spikes from blazing star species. Later still are the blue shades of asters and the gold of multiple species of goldenrod.

Many flowers worth photographing do not occur in spectacular masses and it may require some searching to find them. Some of these are blue-eyed grass, yellow star grass, purple prairie clover and prairie lily.

The prairie is host to a number of orchids. Most are scarce and hard to find, but they all are great challenges for your camera. The first to bloom is the small white lady's slipper, found in moist northern prairies in midspring. At about the same time the more conspicuous grass pink orchid appears in moist sandy prairies. The rarer white, orange and purple fringed orchid species appear as widely scattered specimens in midsummer. Yellow lady's slippers are occasionally found in prairies, although woodlands and wetlands are their usual habitat. At least one species of ladies tresses blooms in the spring prairie but most bloom in the fall.

Grasses have blossoms too and offer closeup photographic possibilities. Look for the bluestems, prairie brome grass, Canada wild rye or Indian grass. Crying to photograph side oats grama with its rows of waving bright red stamens can be frustrating, but rewarding.

The special treasures of fall are the gentians, especially the fringed gentian and the deep blue prairie gentian. In contrast to the rule that fall forbs are taller, these gentians are almost hidden in the ripening prairie grasses.

While visiting the prairie, chance encounters with mammals or birds are possible. Insects abound. The best chance to photograph butterflies and other insects is early on cool mornings before they become active. They, along with spider webs, might even be dew covered.

Seek out these vanishing pieces of our heritage and you will be rewarded with both masses of colors and spectacular individual flowers and insects. The true prairie is a very special place.

To find these prairie remnants, write to the Department of Conservation or Natural Resources of the prairie states of the Upper Midwest.

Two recent books, Tallgrass Prairie and Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers are helpful. Both contain a section giving specific directions to a number of prairies. The first book discusses ecological aspects of various types of prairies and includes beautiful photographs. The second is an excellent field guide with photographic illustration. Both are Nature Conservancy books published by Falcon Press, P.O. Box 1718, Helena, Montana 59624; 1 [phone].