Reed Lake Meadow State Natural Area

Locality: Within Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, Burnett County. T39N-R18W, Section 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16. T40N-R18W, Section 34, 35. 3568 acres.

Abstract: Situated within the gently rolling terrain of glacial outwash sands is Reed Lake Meadow -- a landscape mosaic of extensive wetlands, barrens, and brush prairie and savanna with scattered small lakes. A huge, open wetland south and west of Reed Lake is dominated by few-seeded sedge while to the east, leather-leaf and bog birch are dominant. A small stand of black spruce and tamarack is present on the eastern edge of the wetland. Sphagnum moss is present but not dominant in this "wire-grass" meadow. Numerous rare wetland birds are present. The natural area also supports distinct phases of barrens community including brush prairie, oak savanna, and oak woodland that vary in canopy cover and shrub density. The brush prairie contains Hill's oak grubs over a sand prairie understory while the oak savanna contains shrub patches of New Jersey tea, American hazelnut, and prairie willow. Herbaceous plants include little blue-stem, June grass, prairie goldenrod, rough blazing-star, western sunflower, and wild lupine. The woodland consists of Hill's oak with thickets of Pennsylvania sedge and hazelnut in the understory. Other herbaceous plants present include lyre-leaved rock cress, prairie phlox, Carolina puccoon, bird's-foot violet, and showy goldenrod. Of interest is the presence of the federally-endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis), whose caterpillar feeds only on wild lupine leaves. Management activities such as controlled burning help keep the site open and free from woody vegetation --the necessary conditions for maintaining the lupine population. Reed Lake Meadow is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2003.

Notes: The species in this list were collected as part of the 2018 Wisconsin Botanical Foray.