What’s New in Jackson Park?

Here’s a list of the additions to the Plant Finder as of 08/05/26.

Trees (12)

black alder (Alnus glutinosa)

green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

sweet cherry (Prunus avium)

Siberian crabapple (Malus baccata)

Amur maple (Acer ginnala)

Norway maple (Acer platanoides)

red maple (Acer rubrum)

silver maple (Acer saccharinum)

sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis)

Eastern wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus)

Forbs/herbs and shrubs (16)

hairy buttercup (Ranunculus sardous)

dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

wild dill (Perideridia americana)

forsythia (Forsythia suspensa)

panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)

wild leeks (Allium tricoccum)

black mustard (Brassica nigra)

Parlin’s pussytoes (Antennaria parlinii)

blunt broom sedge (Carex tribuloides)

rosy sedge (Carex rosea)

sand sedge (Carex muehlenbergii)

bird’s-eye speedwell (Veronica persica)

Carolina spring beauty (Claytonia caroliniana)

sweet-William (Dianthus barbatus)

birdfoot violet (Viola pedata)

common wood-rush (Luzula multiflora)

I’m most excited about the Carolina spring beauty (a species not previously recorded from Illinois), and the wild leeks (which I hadn’t found before). I was also excited to find the female flowers of the oaks listed, which took some persistence and close inspection. (The female flowers of oaks are tiny, consisting only of several styles and an ovary.)