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Baileyville Road Prairie

Right-of-Way Remnant

15 Acres | Ogle County, Illinois

ABOUT THIS PRAIRIE REMNANT

This 15 acre site is about one mile north of Forreston, Illinois, and runs for 1/2 mile along Baileyville Road. It is bordered to the east by the former Illinois Central Railroad, and for a right-of-way strip is unusual in that much of the stretch is 100-300′ wide. According to tax records, this section falls within jurisdiction of the Ogle County Highway Department.

Since 2017 we have been visiting this site, documenting species (see list below), suppressing parsnip and recording instances of disturbance. Over fifty plant species have been documented during our visits, in addition to many insect species and signs of nesting turkey and other birds over mulitple seasons. There are several small seeps, and much of the site is composed of sand/gravel.

While representing a nice array of remnant species, this site is in desperate need of management. Fire suppression, woody encroachment and invasive species are all immediate threats. Also, soil disturbance and extensive mowing have destroyed several high-quality sections in recent years.

Recognition, protection and management are needed to save this fading prairie remnant.

Baileyville Road Prairie – Right-of-Way Remnant

Working native plant species list as of 1/21/25
Compiled by Dan Barron

Allium canadensis (Wild Garlic)
Allium cernuum (Nodding Wild Onion)
Amorpha canescens (Leadplant)
Anemone cylindrica (Thimbleweed)
Anemone virginiana (Tall Thimbleweed)
Antennaria plantaginifolia (Plantain-leaved Pussytoes)
Apocynum cannabinum (Indian Hemp)
Asclepias verticillata (Whorled Milkweed)
Cirsium discolor (Pasture Thistle)
Cornus racemosa (Gray Dogwood)
Desmodium illinoense (Illinois Tick-trefoil)
Desmodium canadense (Showy Tick-trefoil)
Eryngium yuccifolium (Rattlesnake Master)
Eupatorium altissimum (Tall Boneset)
Euphorbia corollata (Flowering Spurge)
Fragaria virginiana (Wild Strawberry)
Helianthus grosseserratus (Sawtooth Sunflower)
Helianthus pauciflorus (Stiff Sunflower)
Liatris aspera (Rough Blazingstar)
Oenothera biennis (Common Evening Primrose)
Oenothera gaura (Biennial Gaura)
Oenothera XX (unknown primrose)
Oligoneuron rigidum (Stiff Goldenrod)

(Map below) Gold indicates the right-of-way property, which in many areas is still intact. The red corner section shows a high-quality area that was severely damaged due to repeated mowing, which persisted through 2018.

Packera plattensis (Prairie Ragwort)
Phlox pilosa (Prairie Phlox)
Physalis heterophylla (Clammy Ground Cherry)
Pycnanthemum virginianum (Common Mountain Mint)
Ratibida pinnata (Yellow Coneflower)
Prunella vulgaris (Self-heal)
Rosa carolina (Pasture Rose)
Rosa arkansana (Prairie Rose)
Solidago canadensis (Canada Goldenrod)
Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant)
Sisyrinchium campestre (Prairie Blue-eyed Grass)
Smilacina stellata (Starry False Solomon’s Seal)
Spiranthes XX ((cernua?) Nodding Ladies’ Tresses)
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)
Symphyotrichum ericoides (Heath Aster)
Symphyotrichum pilosum (Awl Aster)
Tradescantia ohiensis (Ohio Spiderwort)
Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver’s Root)

Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem)
Bouteloua curtipendula (Side-oats Grama)
Carex blanda (Wood Sedge)
Carex bicknellii (Bicknell’s Sedge)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Sedge (group))
Dichanthelium XX (Panic Grass)
Elymus canadensis (Canada Wild Rye)
Poaceae XX (other unknown grasses (3+ spp.))
Spartina pectinata (Prairie Cordgrass)

Do you have knowledge or information about protecting this, or similar prairie remnant sites? Please contact us!

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