1 Plants with leaves that have parallel veins and leaves that are usually long and thin..........................................................See Prairie Grass Identification Key
1' Plants with leaves that do not have parallel veins (except one) and leaves that are not usually long and thin..........................................................................................................2
2(1') Stems that have four edges (square)...Mints................................................................................................3
2' Stems that do not have four edges, but are round.......................................................4
3(2) Opposite, larger leaves, arrow-shaped, velvety, and pink to lavender flowers in a concentric arrangement, blooms in July, August, 1 to 3 feet tall........................................................ .......................................................................Wild bergamot, Monarda fistulosa
3' Opposite, thin, grass-like leaves and tiny white cluster of flowers in a flattish head. Blooms in July, August. Crushed leaves smell very mint-like, 1 to 3 feet tall....................................................Mountain mint, Pycnanthemum virginranum
4(2') Leaves that are long, thick, yucca-like, with teeth or spines along the margin, parallel-veined, with conspicuous teeth or spines that look sharp (but are not). Flowers are very small clustered in a very dense head the size of a quarter, blooms July, August, 3 feet or more....................................................Rattlesnake master, Eryngium yuccafolium
4' Leaves not parallel veined ..................................................................................5
5(4') Leaves large, heart-shaped (usually much larger than a slice of bread) and basal-serrated, feel like sandpaper, flowers yellow, flowers near the top of a tall hairless stem, resembles a sunflower, blooms July to September, 3 to 10 feet tall............Prairie dock, Silphium terebinthinaceum
5' Leaf upright, basal, deeply divided, sandpapery, points north and south. Flowers on a tall, hairy stalk that resembles a sunflower, blooms July to September, 3 to 10 feet tall...............................................................Compass plant, Silphium laciniatum
5'' Leaves not basal, not large (usually smaller than a slice of bread), and grow along an upright stem...............................................................................................................6
6(5'') Leaves in whorls of 4 or more, tiny white flowers on a central spike near the top of the plant, stems and leaves velvety, blooms June, July, 2 to 6 feet tall................ ............................................................Culver's root, Veronicastrum virginicum
6' Leaves not in whorls, flowers pink, orchid or yellow (not white) flowers on a spike or cluster............................................................................................................7
7(6') Spikes of flowers in clusters, pink or orchid, leaves very narrow, similar to grass leaves.............................................................................................................8
7' Flowers yellow, not appearing spike-like, but clustered at the top of stem..........................9
8(7) Flowers arranged closely along spike, blooms July, August, 2 to 6 feet tall, hairy stem.......................................................Prairie blazing star, Liatris pycnostachia
8' Flowers arranged and spaced like buttons along the spike, blooms August, September, 1 to 5 feet tall..................................................................Rough blazing star, Liatris aspera
9(7') Yellow flowers smaller than a dime, in clusters forming a cap-like head........................10
9' Flowers not forming dense clusters, larger than a dime, flowers with visible yellow petals ...................................................................................................................11
10(9) Velvety leaves, small yellow flowers clustered at the top, blooms August, September, plants to 6 feet.............................................................Stiff goldenrod, Solidago rigada
10' Alternate, longer grass-like leaves, much longer than wide, numerous, flowers arranged on a cone-like infloresence, plants to 6 feet tall...................Tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima
11(9') Opposite, compound, smooth leaves, 3 to 5 leaflets or more, yellow flowers the size of a quarter, sunflower shaped plants to 2 to 7 feet, blooms August, September....................................................Tall coreopsis, Coreopsis tripteris
11' Opposite or alternate, simple, somewhat hairy, leaves that are sometimes serrated, yellow flowers the size of a silver dollar near the top of a 2 foot stem, blooms August, September................................Saw-toothed sunflower, Helianthus grasseserratus
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SUNFLOWER FAMILY
Prairie dock Compass plant Prairie blazing star Rough blazing star Stiff goldenrod Tall goldenrod Tall coreopsis Saw-toothed sunflower
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