(Photos) Siberian squill in Illinois after a prescribed burn

In the Chicago area, one of the first flowers to emerge from the winter doldrums is a non-native species, Siberian squill. A garden escapee, it grows on lawns, forests, and meadows. Despite its name, this blue flower, a bulb plant, does not come from Sibera, it is native to Turkey, southwestern Russia, and the Caucasus.

And it is resistant to fire. I photographed this specimen in Morton Grove's Linne Woods restored prairie, which just underwent a prescribed burn to remove invasive plants. Although to be fair, Siberian squill comes and goes in early spring while most native plants are still dormant.

It had just stopped raining when I took this photograph yesterday afternoon, there are raindrops on its leaves. April showers bring, well, April flowers.

This is what the area surrounding this flower looks like now.

Life, as the Jeff Goldblum character said in Jurassic Park, finds a way.

Related post:

(Photos) A prescribed burn in progress

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