The MN wildflower blog

Comarum palustre
This evening I went with a group on a nature hike through Tamarack Nature Preserve in Woodbury. The marsh cinquefoil is just starting to bloom there.

Glycyrrhiza lepidota
This photo isn’t special because of some artistic aspect, but because of where it was taken. The plant is a survivor of an area that was devastated by railroad (de)construction (see prior post on the subject [part 2]). All the old rails and ties are still where the RR left them months ago and a few hardy plants have sprouted up around them. If you look closely you can see the rail in the background.

I was very pleased to find this.

You may have to get up pretty early in the morning to see these in full bloom, but it was pretty overcast this morning so I think they stayed open a bit longer than usual.

This is a tiny little flower, barely 1/16 inch in diameter. I’ve wondered what kind of critter goes for such a small flower. I guess now I know.

I like taking photos early in the morning, usually because the light can make everything glow. This morning I got a treat with heavy dew, too.

It’s a pretty thing, but evil nonetheless. It’s invading my favorite park.

A spring drought is tough, but it does mean some areas are accessible that would normally be too mucky to explore. It was in one of those places I came across this.

This is surprisingly inconspicuous for such a tall plant. I was standing right in front of 2 plants near 4 feet tall in full bloom and didn’t even notice them until the sun hit them just right.

I recently received a copy of a new book published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press, called Wildflowers of the Boundary Waters: Hiking Through the Seasons, by Betty vos Hemstad. It’s not intended as a field guide, though it does give sufficient information to identify most of the plants in it. It is more of a picture book, with full-color photos of the 120 species covered within its pages, showing each species, as seen while hiking, in various stages of its life cycle. Each has a 2-page spread. The accompanying text, written in a conversational manner, provides some history, folk uses, and/or commentary rather than taxonomy. (more…)

I missed seeing these in bloom last year, by just a few days. In another week they should be gorgeous.