Black Oak / Lupine Barren

The classic “Oak Openings” community that historically covered about 45% of the region. This community is a savanna where black oak Quercus velutina and white oak Quercus alba are widely spaced and give the community a “park like” appearance. Open stands of these trees occur on the dry sand dunes. Sunlight reaches the surface which allows for a rich herbaceous layer that includes little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium, Pennsylvannia sedge (Penn sedge) Carex pensylvanica, Junegrass Koeleria macrantha, Canada frostweed Crocanthemum canadense, wild lupine Lupinus perennis, plains puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense, western sunflower Helianthus occidentalis, butterfly milkweed (butterfly weed) Asclepias tuberosa, goats-rue (rabbit’s pea) Tephrosia virginiana, rough blazing star Liatris aspera, and flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata.

The shrub/scrub layer is sparse. Shrubs include New Jersey tea, pasture rose, sweet-fern, and low-bush blueberries. The high frequency of blue lupine provides habitat for the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly. This community is fire dependent, meaning for this community to sustain itself, periodic fires are needed to inhibit woody invasion and stimulate grass and forb growth. Kitty Todd Nature Preserve and Oak Openings Preserve Metropark of Lucas County Ohio, have quality examples of this globally vulnerable community.