Field report: May 6, 2008
Marsh marigold is now blooming at Sucker Lake park, but seems to have disappeared from Long Lake park. Also at Sucker Lake, some variety of trillium (not large-flowered, though) is budding and meadow rue is sprouting. Sadly, it looks as though there’s an infestation of garlic mustard there as well.
At Long Lake park, it was disappointing to find the first blooms being hoary alyssum and dandelions. 
On the bright side, there are lots of things sprouting in or near the woods, including Canada anemone, cup plant, marsh vetchling, Philadelphia fleabane, red baneberry, starflower, and wild geranium. I saw the first buds on little-leaf buttercup so they should be blooming soon.
There was a prescribed burn at the Long Lake prairie on April 22; hopefully it burned off most of the spotted knapweed that was encroaching on it. Sprouting up there now is prairie smoke, prairie alumroot, and black-eyed susan. Pussytoes are already budding.
This past weekend I went back down to Nerstrand Big Woods State Park to get some dwarf trout lily photos. They were blooming, and may still be for another week or 2. Also in full bloom down there was hepatica, spring beauty, false rue anemone, wild ginger, bloodroot, and white trout lily.