Spurgeon Hollow

Points of Interest:

• Enjoy the views across a rugged Ozark valley from the open glades.
• See a succession of blooming wildflowers from Indian paintbrush to silky aster.

Natural Features Description:

The glades of Spurgeon Hollow occur along the break between the Gasconade and Eminence geologic formations. These scenic openings in the extensively wooded lands to the north of Eminence support a rich diversity of native wildflowers. One species, Bush’s skullcap, is restricted to the Ozark ecoregion.

The shallow soils of glades found on dolomite bedrock such as here are typically neutral in pH. Plants such as Missouri evening primrose, Missouri coneflower, glade coneflower and prairie dock thrive in these communities. These species all are adapted to drought conditions. The coneflowers have hair-covered leaves reducing moisture loss. Prairie dock has thick sandpapery leaves and deep roots. Interestingly, the Missouri evening primrose has flowers that open in the evening and are pollinated by hawk-moth species. The flower typically wilts back within two days of blooming.