Tallgrass Prairie in Spring

As winter ends, the tallgrass prairie is a chaotic place, the three-to-five foot grass stalks lying in a tangled mess. All is brown. There is little to see.

tallgrass prairie in April

Spring Wildflowers in a Minnesota Forest

The deciduous forests of eastern North America seem very dull as winter becomes spring. The snow vanishes to leave a layer of brown leaves under the leafless trees. 

central Minnesota forest in April

Nevertheless, as the temperatures warm, it is irresistable to wander outdoors in the forest.

And, then you spot a spring wildflower!

Can you see it? A pink flower (pink form of rue anemone,
Thalictrum thalictroides)

Parking Lot Edge Wildflowers, Estes Park, Colorado

Particular plant species generally have particular habitats where you will find them. Rainfall, temperature range, shade, soil characteristics and disturbance (level of trampling or grazing or similar effects) determining where a plant thrives and where it does not survive. Thus, if you go looking for flowers, which ones you find depends on where you walk. 

We tend to see the same ones over and over, because they grow well where people walk, liking the sunniness and not minding being stepped on sometimes. Conversely, hikers will likely see quite different plants when they get a mile into the wilderness area

Rocky Mountain forest wildflower
blanket flower, Gaillardia aristida

Plant Story Phacelia hastata, Silverleaf Phacelia

This rather odd-looking flower was common in the pine forest at 9000' in the Rocky Mountains in late June.  

silverleaf phacelia, Phacelia hastata

It is silverleaf phacelia, Phacelia hastata, in the waterleaf family, Hydrophyllaceae. 

Beetle Pollination

 Beetles are always included in lists of pollinators. In fact, it is likely beetles were the first pollinators, moving pollen between flowers in some of the earliest flowers. 

beetle on a daisy flower

Beetles are insects in the order Coleoptera, the largest of all orders, with about 400,000 species. As flower-visitors, they are looking for food, eating pollen, chewing petals, drinking nectar. Pollen adheres to their bodies and then brushes onto the flower's stigma to self-pollinate or be carried to the next flower for cross-pollination.

Thinking About Plant Folklore

I love folklore, I guess because it seems so fantastic. 

"In Norfolk, it was considered unlucky to cut holly, as distinct from breaking off berry-bearing twigs at Christmas time." (Vickery p 181).

holly, Ilex aquifolia

"In West Sussex, if you found nine peas in the first pod you gather, it boded good luck." (Vickery p.277). 

Pansy leaves are heart-shaped, so tea made from them will cure a broken heart. (Martin p. 11).

Spring Flower Folklore

It's spring. Every day or so a different plant comes into bloom. Exciting times! As you notice them, consider these bits of folklore.

Grape hyacinths (Muscari species) are good luck growing outside, but brought in, cause gloom and depression. 

grape hyacinths

Gazing upon periwinkles (Vinca sp.) restores lost memories.