Native Prairie - National Catholic Sisters Week 2022

The Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery planted a native prairie on the monastery grounds. As you come into the property in the summer, you will see grasses like big bluestem, little bluestem, and Indian Grass. The flowers will bloom mainly in a beautiful yellow throughout the summer as that is the predominant color for prairies in Illinois. The flowers you will see are purple coneflower, yellow coneflower, purple prairie clover, partridge pea, black-eyed Susan, mock sunflower, milkweed, and prairie coreopsis. Native prairie does not take much work to care for; we at the monastery mow once a year to help maintain our grasses and wildflowers. The prairie also has the befit of using less fossil fuel because of mowing only once a year. Additionally, natural prairie provides critical habitat for pollinators and wildlife which are essential ecosystem functions. Wildflower can also help improve overall soil health.