Harrell Prairie Botanical Area


Harrell Prairie Botanical Area or Harrell Prairie Hill is a tallgrass prairie nature preserve located within Bienville National Forest near Forest, Mississippi. It is a rare remaining example of the Jackson Prairie Belt in Mississippi. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1976 and a Botanical Area by the Forest Service in 1980.

Description

There are 68 identified prairies in the National Forest, locally called cedar fields, which avoided agriculture development due to their purchase by lumber companies. Harrell Hill contains the "largest and least disturbed" example of the Jackson Prairie in Mississippi. The Jackson Prairie is a disjunct of the Black Belt physiographic area in Mississippi and Alabama.
The alkaline soils ensure a unique plant ecology unlike the nearby woodlands of Loblolly Pine. Common grasses include Little Bluestem, Indiangrass, Big Bluestem, Broomsedge Bluestem, Bushy Broomsedge, and Switchgrass. Other herbaceous plants include Yellow Coneflower, Eastern Purple Coneflower, Blazing Star, False Boneset, Green Milkweed, Green Comet Milkweed, Purple Prairie Clover, White Prairie Clover , Aster, Tick-trefoil, Rosepink, Smooth Oxeye, Little-leaved Mountain Mint and Wild Bergamot.
It is also an example of the geophysical transformation of the Mississippi River delta.

Visiting

There are no trails or facilities in the area. There is parking along the side of FS 515 and a sign indicating the area. Many of the flowering species are in bloom in late spring. Since it is a nature preserve, there is a leave no trace policy to protect the rare species.