Signature Grass, Big Blue . . . (Andropogon gerardii) Summer in North America.

This is the flagship grass of the Tallgrass Prairie. Big Bluestem
grows as high as a man, with strong roots which go down at least
as far in the soil. Big Bluestem's rhythm of growth—when the first
fresh green shoots appear in late Spring, when they culms make
their upward push towards the July sky, and here, when the flowers
first appear, and in the Fall, when the seeds turn a burgundy color
and ripen—this pattern of change over a period of five months is
the rhythm of Summer here. It also remarkably parallels the growth
of corn, which is most likely why corn does so well on the plains.
But clearly corn is but a guest, but one member of the extremely limited
contemporary farmland ensemble; Big Blue, however, is the species
that calls the tune & sets the beat.

NEW: To view / purchase different sized prints of this image at the
PhotoWeek Store click here. [http://www.shutterfly.com/pro/cliffcards/photoweek]

Prairie Light!

Hydrangea

July Pokeweed

Graffiti— generative color chaos!