The park also contains well developed riverine and alluvial hardwood forest, open marshland, and oxbow meadows such as this one.
Much of the park consists of upland oak forest...
...or sandy prairie.
................
...though pink-flowered plants are common too.
Wooly-white, Hymenopappus, is abundant in mid-spring.
Like other members of the Asteraceae or Sunflower Family (also referred to as Composites), they produce a head made up of many small flowers or florets. The heads of Hymenopappus are unusual. They are composed of entirely of disk florets, but the white phyllaries or bracts are petaloid and look like ray florets.
Mexican Hat, Ratibida columnifera, is easy to recognize with its long, cone-shaped receptacle.
Near the Equestrian parking lot is a large open area which is regularly mowed. The plants here are a mixture of native species and common introduced weeds.
