Megan's Nature Nook
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The snow has melted and the trees are just starting to leaf out, now is the time for spring ephemerals! Spring ephemerals are the first perennials to come up in the spring. They take advantage of the short time when sunlight reaches the forest floor before the leaves of trees begin shading it. This past weekend I lead a Spring Flower Hike at Oxbow Park in Byron, Minnesota. Although just a week before we had a few inches of snow, there were plenty of Spring ephemerals for us to see! Here are some of the flowers we saw this weekend in southeastern Minnesota; species and bloom times can vary depending on location and the weather. Take a hike and see what you can find in your neck of the woods! The following flowers are just a handful of spring ephemerals you can find. Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) Bloodroot gets its name from the red juice in its stems and roots. The flowers open during the day and close a night. Their leaves act kind of like a blanket, wrapping around the flower during the night and cloudy days, and uncurling on sunny days. Bloodroot is often one of the first flowers to emerge. Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) Wood Anemone, also called Mayflower, usually has white flowers, but can also be pink. They reproduce by rhizomes (underground rootstock) so are usually found in large groups. It can take five years or more for a plant to reach flowering age. Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) Dutchman’s Breeches gets its common name from the flower looking like a pair of pantaloons or pants. Because of the oddly shaped flowers, only certain insects with long enough mouth parts can reach the nectar, although some insects have found a way in by chewing holes in the flowers to reach the nectar easier. White Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum) White Trout Lily gets its name from the mottled leaves that resemble a brown trout. They reproduce mainly by bulbs and can be found in large groups. The Yellow Trout Lily looks almost identical, except for its yellow flower. Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) Spring Beauty has a white flower with pink veins. These veins act as “runways” to guide in insects for pollination. It reproduces from small potato-like tubers, often growing in large bunches. Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus septentrionalis) Swamp Buttercup gets its name from the “cup” shaped yellow flowers and how it likes to grow in wet soil. The flower does not have much nectar, but produces a lot of pollen attracting pollen eating insects. Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) Wild Ginger has heart shaped leaves with long, white hairs covering the stems. They grow low to the ground and their flowers are very close to the ground to accommodate non-flying insects like beetles who pollinate their flowers. Wild Ginger roots smell like ginger when it is crushed, although it is not the same ginger used in cooking. Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) Virginia Bluebell buds start out pinkish in color and turn to a blueish/purple as they bloom. The unusual coloring of a white bluebell has been found and is caused by a genetic mutation. Wildflowers can be a bit daunting since there are so many of them! Here are a few characteristics to look at to help you identify them.
Tips for identifying wildflowers: Look at the
If you need some help with your flower ID, check out these great resources. Wildflowers of Minnesota by Stan Tekiela What's Doin' the Bloomin'? By Clayton & Michele Oslund https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/
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