Field Guide

Bottomland forest
FIELD GUIDE A-Z
Learn about the habitat, diet, and life cycle of Missouri's animals, plants, and mushrooms.
What to look for this month
Spicebush flowers and bark
Spicebush Flowers

Spicebush blooms March–May. Native garden enthusiasts call this attractive, butterfly-friendly shrub "our native forsythia."

Walking fern colony growing on a boulder at Clifty Creek CA showing numerous long tapering fronds
Boulders Wearing Green

Walking fern can cover damp limestone boulders. Its long-tapering fronds take root at the leaf tips.

Dozens of snow midges on a rock in a creek, perched just above the water line
Snow Midges

Snow midges congregate on rocks along streams. Look for them and a variety of aquatic invertebrates now that it’s getting warmer.

purple flowers cover a sloping field
Henbit in the Fields

Henbit turns fallow fields an amazing pinkish purple. A common nonnative wildflower with shallow roots, it’s usually not considered a serious weed.

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