CottonWood | Beneath the sky Constant wind Above the grass |
T
he tallgrass prairie is a fire dependent ecosystem primarily made up of big bluestem, little bluestem, and Indian grass, with some shrubs and trees. For trees to survive, they must be fire resistant, wind defiant, and indomitable. The Plains Cottonwood (populus sargentii) did this by characteristically growing on the edges of streams and wet depressions, and by developing a very thick, corky bark. Considered the monarch of the plains, these trees are wonderful structural counterpoints in the sea of grass, and are the state tree of both Kansas and Nebraska.
“We are a landscape of all we have seen.” - Isamu Noguchi
