Written collaboratively by Krista Ehlert and Emily Rohrer
South Dakota is home to a wide variety of plants. From grasslands to wetlands to forests, there is an extensive assortment of species to identify and learn across the state. Plants are important parts of the ecosystem and help support human and animal life. Plants provide habitat, in the forms of food and cover for wildlife and livestock alike. Plants can also help conserve soil and water, provide food and medicine, as well as provide marketable products. Plants can be visually pleasing or can be poisonous in some cases.
Thus, plant identification is an important skill to have! You can start to develop your own library of known plants to use for personal use or to teach others. The best way to do this is by collecting, pressing, mounting, and storing plants correctly.
