Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Spieker Unit

 

 

     
 
About
 
 

Ownership

 
 

The Nature Conservancy logo

 
     
 

Links

 
 

The Nature Conservancy

 
     
 

Overview

 
 

 

 
     
 

History

 
 

 

 
     
 

Management

 
 

 

 
     
 

Comments

 
 

 

 
     
 
Location
 
 

Maps

 
 

 

 
         
 

Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates

 
  Printable map      
         
 

Size

 
 

160 acres

 
         
 

Parking

 
 

There appears to be a field access on the west side of 170th St.

N46 53.212, W96 26.516

 
         
 

Driving Directions

  Area and County  
 

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          Clay County  
          Northwest Minnesota  
     
 
Activities
 
 

Hiking Trails

 
 

No maintained trails

 
     
 

Hunting

 
 

All huinting. See Hunting and Trapping Regulations (MN DNR) for details.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Ecological Classification

  Ecological Classification  
  Ecological Province    

Prairie Parkland Province

   
  Ecological Section    

Red River Valley

   
  Ecological Subsection    

Red River Prairie

   
  Land Type Association    

Barnesville Beach Complex

   
             
 

Native Plant Communities*

   
 

Wet Prairie (Northern)

   
  * Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources      
         
 

Natural Features

     
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Parking

 
    Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit   Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit  
           
 

Interpretive Sign

 
    Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit      
           
 

Other Prairie

 
    Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit   Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit  
           
    Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
 
     
     

 

slideshow

       
 
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Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Visits

8/12/2019                
 
 

Bacteria, Viruses, and Other Pathogens

 
  apical chlorosis of Canada thistle (Pst) (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tagetis)   Pst  
 

Birds

 
 

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis)

  Eastern Kingbird  
 

Insects and Arachnids

 
 

band-winged meadowhawk (Sympetrum semicinctum)

common wood nymph (Cercyonis pegala)

delicate cycnia (Cycnia tenera)

goldenrod bunch gall midge (Rhopalomyia solidaginis)

goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis)

monarch (Danaus plexippus)

viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

willow pinecone gall midge (Rabdophaga strobiloides)

 

band-winged meadowhawk

willow pinecone gall midge

 
 

Mammals

 
 

plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  plains pocket gopher  
 

Plants

 
 

Two plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:

Special Concern

deer sedge (Carex hallii)

small white lady’s slipper (Cypripedium candidum)

 
 

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas and Minnesota Biological Survey Vegetation Releves Plant List

 
 

Plants frequently found in:

Wet Prairie (Northern) WPn53c

     
 

 

alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. sativa)

American bugleweed (Lycopus americanus)

American common reed (Phragmites australis ssp. americanus)

arctic brome (Bromus kalmii)

Baltic rush (Juncus balticus var. littoralis)

bastard toadflax (Comandra umbellata ssp. umbellata)

Bebb’s willow (Salix bebbiana)

big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi)

bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus)

black medick (Medicago lupulina)

black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima)

Canada anemone (Anemonastrum canadense)

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)

common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

curly dock (Rumex crispus)

curly-cup gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa)

fen grass of Parnassus (Parnassia glauca)

field horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

Flodman’s thistle (Cirsium flodmanii)

four-flowered yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora)

foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum)

fringed brome (Bromus ciliatus)

giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)

golden alexanders (Zizia aurea)

golden ragwort (Packera aurea)

grass-leaved goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia)

gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)

green foxtail (Setaria viridis var. viridis)

heart-leaved golden alexanders (Zizia aptera)

hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium)

hedge nettle (Stachys sp.)

Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum)

Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

intermediate bellflower (Campanula intercedens)

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

Kalm’s lobelia (Lobelia kalmii)

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis)

little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

marsh vetchling (Lathyrus palustris)

Maximilian’s sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)

narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia)

narrow-leaved hawkweed (Hieracium umbellatum)

northern bog violet (Viola nephrophylla)

northern plains blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis)

northern reed grass (Calamagrostis stricta ssp. inexpansa)

pale bulrush (Scirpus pallidus)

palespike lobelia (Lobelia spicata)

perennial sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis)

plumeless thistle (Carduus acanthoides ssp. acanthoides)

prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya)

prairie cordgrass (Sporobolus michauxianus)

prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)

prairie goldenrod (Solidago ptarmicoides)

prairie peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum)

prairie rose (Rosa arkansana)

purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis)

purple meadow-rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum)

purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea var. purpurea)

pussy willow (Salix discolor)

quackgrass (Elymus repens)

red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea)

redtop (Agrostis gigantea)

reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)

Riddell’s goldenrod (Solidago riddellii)

rough bentgrass (Agrostis scabra)

rough blazing star (Liatris aspera)

rough bugleweed (Lycopus asper)

Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)

sandbar willow (Salix interior)

shorthair goldenrod (Solidago altissima var. gilvocanescens)

showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)

sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula)

silverweed (Argentina anserina ssp. anserina)

slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus)

slender-leaf false foxglove (Agalinis tenuifolia)

smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

smooth brome (Bromus inermis)

smooth scouring rush (Equisetum laevigatum)

spotted Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum)

spotted water hemlock (Cicuta maculata)

stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida ssp. rigida)

swamp betony (Pedicularis lanceolata)

switch grass (Panicum virgatum var. virgatum)

tall tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum)

timothy (Phleum pratense ssp. pratense)

Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)

water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia)

western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya)

white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides)

white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana)

white sweet clover (Melilotus albus)

wild mint (Mentha arvensis)

wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis ssp. canadensis)

yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)

 

Agalinis tenuifolia (slender-leaf false foxglove)

Agrostis gigantea (redtop)

Agrostis scabra (rough bentgrass)

Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)

Ambrosia psilostachya (western ragweed)

Ambrosia trifida (giant ragweed)

Andropogon gerardi (big bluestem)

Anemonastrum canadense (Canada anemone)

Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp)

Argentina anserina ssp. anserina (silverweed)

Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana (white sage)

Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed)

Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)

Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula (sideoats grama)

Bromus ciliatus (fringed brome)

Bromus inermis (smooth brome)

Bromus kalmii (arctic brome)

Calamagrostis stricta ssp. inexpansa (northern reed grass)

Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed)

Campanula intercedens (intermediate_bellflower)

Carduus acanthoides (plumeless thistle)

Cicuta maculata (spotted water hemlock)

Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)

Cirsium flodmanii (Flodman’s thistle)

Comandra umbellata ssp. umbellata (bastard toadflax)

Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood)

Dalea purpurea var. purpurea (purple prairie clover)

Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive)

Elymus repens (quackgrass)

Elymus trachycaulus (slender wheatgrass)

Equisetum arvense (field horsetail)

Equisetum laevigatum (smooth scouring rush)

Eragrostis spectabilis (purple lovegrass)

Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod)

Eutrochium maculatum (spotted Joe Pye weed)

Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry)

Grindelia squarrosa (curly-cup gumweed)

Helenium autumnale (common sneezeweed)

Helianthus maximiliani (Maximilian’s sunflower)

Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke)

Hieracium umbellatum (narrow-leaved hawkweed)

Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum (foxtail barley)

Juncus balticus var. littoralis (Baltic rush)

Lathyrus palustris (marsh vetchling)

Lepidium densiflorum (prairie peppergrass)

Liatris aspera (rough blazing star)

Liatris ligulistylis (northern plains blazing star)

Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya (prairie blazing star)

Lobelia kalmii (Kalm’s lobelia)

Lobelia spicata (palespike lobelia)

Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus (bird’s-foot trefoil)

Lycopus americanus (American bugleweed)

Lycopus asper (rough bugleweed)

Lysimachia quadriflora (four-flowered yellow loosestrife)

Medicago lupulina (black medick)

Medicago sativa ssp. sativa (alfalfa)

Melilotus albus (white sweet clover)

Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet clover)

Mentha arvensis (wild mint)

Solidago riddellii (Riddell’s goldenrod)

Packera aurea (golden ragwort)

Panicum virgatum var. virgatum (switch grass)

Parnassia glauca (fen grass of Parnassus)

Pedicularis canadensis ssp. canadensis (wood betony)

Pedicularis lanceolata (swamp betony)

Persicaria amphibia (water smartweed)

Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass)

Phleum pratense ssp. pratense (timothy)

Phragmites australis ssp. americanus (American common reed)

Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass)

Pycnanthemum virginianum (Virginia mountain mint)

Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn)

Rosa arkansana (prairie rose)

Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan)

Rumex crispus (curly dock)

Salix bebbiana (Bebb’s willow)

Salix discolor (pussy willow)

Salix interior (sandbar willow)

Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)

Scirpus pallidus (pale bulrush)

Setaria viridis var. viridis (green foxtail)

Sisymbrium altissimum (tall tumble mustard)

Solidago altissima var. gilvocanescens (shorthair goldenrod)

Solidago nemoralis (gray goldenrod)

Solidago ptarmicoides (prairie goldenrod)

Solidago rigida ssp. rigida (stiff goldenrod)

Sonchus arvensis (perennial sow thistle)

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)

Sporobolus heterolepis (prairie dropseed)

Sporobolus michauxianus (prairie cordgrass)

Stachys spp. (hedge nettle)

Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides (white heath aster)

Symphyotrichum laeve (smooth blue aster)

Thalictrum dasycarpum (purple meadow-rue)

Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail)

Viola nephrophylla (northern bog violet)

Zizia aptera (heart-leaved golden alexanders)

Zizia aurea (golden alexanders)

 

alfalfa

American bugleweed

bird’s-foot trefoil

black-eyed susan

Canada anemone

common sneezeweed

fen grass of Parnassus

four-flowered yellow loosestrife

golden alexanders

hedge bindweed

intermediate bellflower

Maximilian’s sunflower

northern plains blazing star

palespike lobelia (var. spicata)

prairie blazing star

prairie rose

purple prairie clover

pussy willow

showy milkweed

spotted Joe Pye weed

swamp smartweed

white sweet clover

wild mint

yellow sweet clover

 

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 8/8/2019

Last Updated:

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