July brings a distinct group of attractive wildflowers, including our state flower, the Showy Lady Slipper. Showy Lady Slipper (Cypripedium Reginae) Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Bouncing Bet (Saponaria officinalis)
Tag Archives: wildflowers
Early June Favorites
Returning to Minnesota lake country in early June, we were happy to see several favorite roadside wildflowers. The slideshow below shows four small beauties.
Wildflower Roundup
White Rattlesnake-root (Prenanthes alba) White rattlesnake-root, also known as White Lettuce, is a shade-loving member of the aster family that flowers in the late summer. The plant pictured was in a wooded section of the Paul Bunyan Trail north of Hackensack Minnesota. Native Americans used Rattlesnake-root for many medicinal purposes. In particular, the Iroquois used […]
A very different wildflower
Indian pipe is different from any of the plants previously shown in this blog. It also has the most interesting survival strategy. Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) Unlike most plants, Indian Pipe has no chlorophyll and does not depend on the sun. This clump of it was thriving in a deeply shaded forest setting. However it […]
September Wildflowers
Asters (genus Symphyotrichum and Eurybia) Asters are very prevalent along the roadsides here in mid-September. Minnesota has many species of Aster, within the genus Symphyotrichum the Minnesota Wildflower website lists 19! The first two asters shown in the slideshow below have white petals. I believe the first of these shows the Panicle Aster and the […]
Late Summer Wildflowers
Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera) There are 5 species of Blazing Star in Minnesota. The Northern Plains Blazing Star is similar to the Rough Blazing Star, but commonly has its flowers on stalks. All Blazing Star flowers are very attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds and bees; and are offered by nurseries specializing in native plants. Sky […]
Lakeshore Plants
Blue Lobela (Lobelia siphilitica) This native plant, also known as Blue Cardinal Flower, can be adapted to moist areas of gardens. Its species name, siphilitica, refers to its use by the Iroquois in treating venereal disease — a use that European studies failed to verify. Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata) It looks innocuous, but Water Hemlock […]
Small Flowers
Ontario Lobelia (Lobelia kalmii) This tiny plant is prevalent on the north shore of Lake Superior and is less common elsewhere in Minnesota. It only reaches 0.5 to 1.5 inches tall and its flowers are just 0.25 to 0.50 inches across. Ontario Lobelia prefers wetland environments, and is found in the northern states and Canada. […]
Milkweeds and Butterflies #2
Caterpillars In elementary school I remember bringing in these caterpillars with a few milkweed leaves for show-and-tell, hoping they’d turn into monarchs. Here is a similar show-and-tell. Today I’m showing the caterpillars on their Swamp Milkweeds; hoping to return later to capture the metamorphosis. Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Described previously, but I got some better […]
Lily Pads
Watershield (Brasenia schreberi) The pads of watershield are slightly smaller than other common lily pads, and they are more elliptical. It blooms throughout the summer, but we did not notice any of the smaller pink-purple flowers. Its most interesting and noticeable feature was a thick coating of very slippery mucilage (slime!) coating the underside of […]
