Monarch & Great Spangled Fritillary Most would likely recognize the butterfly to the far right as a Monarch, but the Great Spangled Fritillary? I had never heard of that. Luckily, along with nearly everything else, there is a site devoted to helping non-experts identify butterflies. Also, this milkweed appears to be the Common Milkweed (Asclepias …
Category Archives: wildflowers
July Brings New Wildflowers #1, White
Recording changes in wildflower and plant populations as the seasons progress… Bouncing Bet (Saponaria officinalis). This is a non-native plant with several alternate names (Soapwort, Latherwort, Lady’s-wash Bowl, London Pride). Since early July it has become very prevalent along local gravel roads; unsurprisingly it is described as quite invasive. Locally the flower is white with …
Purple
Previous posts have covered the white, yellow and pink wildflowers we have seen in June along the roadside in Northern Minnesota. Purple is another common color for the local wildflowers, and today we’ll focus on those. Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa) Along our roadside Prairie Phlox is concentrated in a sandier area that gets lots of …
State Flower and More
Yesterday while biking around the area, I managed to get a few interesting photos The best find was this clump of Showy Lady Slippers (Cypripedium reginae), the state flower of Minnesota. Previously I had only seen blooming Lady Slippers in late June, so I was surprised and pleased by this fine display on July 8. …
Pink
In addition to yellow and white, pink and purple are common colors for local wildflowers. Pink and purple are somewhat similar and could be grouped in one post, but that would be too long. So, today I’ll review the pink flowers we’ve seen in June; expect a post with the more purplish flowers soon. Smooth …
White
Following up on the recent post featuring yellow wildflowers, today’s entry will focus on another of the common wildflower colors, white. The pictures were all taken within the last two weeks in the MN north lake country. Canada Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) Canada Bunchberry is interesting because it is in the dogwood family, but is a …
Kayak Excursion Big Bass Lake
Big Bass Lake is largely undeveloped, and was terrific to explore in kayaks on Sunday. In it areas of open water are connected by shallower channels. The shallow channels and the water edges are crowded with lily pads and other vegetation. Yellow Pond Lily (Nuphar variegata) In Big Bass Lake these Yellow Pond Lilies (a.k.a …
Yellow
Yellow, purple/pink, and white are the most prevalent colors for wildflowers here in the Minnesota lake country — maybe that is true in general. I’d guess these colors are most effective in attracting pollinators, which would be good subject for a future post — after I’ve done some research. In any case, as the title …
Early June Wildflowers
Walking dogs once or twice daily, you notice that there is a huge variety of flowering plants along the roadsides in the Minnesota lake country. Also, as the spring and summer goes on there is a procession to the flowering, from one type of wildflower to another. All very interesting, but up until this year …
