August 18, 2023
Prairie Grasses
Each year I marvel at the diversity of grasses on the prairie areas of Fort Ridgely. Now the tallest grasses are reaching their maximum height and forming their seeds. The big blue stem is everywhere reaching 6 to 8 feet in height in many places. There is also Indian grass and Canadian rye grass. The dry weather earlier this summer limited the height and growth of many plants. These grasses are also not as tall in sandier soils, but they are still up and going to seed. Prairie grasses have very long roots that go down into the ground at least as far as they grow above the ground. This means they don't have to get brown and go into dormancy like most of our lawn grass did during the dry weather. Some moisture usually exists deeper down even if the surface is very dry.
Big blue stem grass and wildflowers mixed in.
Closeup of big blue stem seeds forming in the 'turkey toe' pattern
Closeup of Indian grass flowers (yellow) and seeds forming in a much different pattern.
Indian grass mixed with wildflowers on a prairie area at Fort Ridgely
There are many other smaller grasses that you may see in the prairie areas of Fort Ridgely. Below are pictures of two very unique ones, These both seldomly get above 3 feet in height.
Sideoats grama has all its seeds on one side of the stem. Notice the orange flowers that occurs during the seed formation.
Another shorter grass with a unique seed pattern is bottlebrush grass. They look like brushes used to clean baby bottles. I have found this grass in wooded areas as well as prairie.
Flowers of the Prairie
Many flowers on the prairie right now are yellow in color. There are many different types of yellow sunflowers and coneflowers blooming right now.
Cup plant has leaves that form a cup around the stem and can store water after a rain.
Grey coneflower
Sneezeweed
The yellow flower is black eyed susan and the pink flower is prairie onion.
Cutleaf coneflower. Notice the leaves are very different from the leaves of the gray coneflower above.
A bumblebee pollinating a sunflower.
There are also a variety of different types of goldenrods right now too. Most varieties have yellow flowers.
Canadian goldenrod with a wasp pollinating it
Mixed prairie plants with goldenrod, sunflowers and beebalm (bergamot)
Stiff goldenrod, Notice the flowers form an umbrel or flat surface on the top of the plant and not the spikes of the Canadian goldenrod. Notice also the orange goldenrod soldier beetle. There are a couple others under the flowers and another smaller beetle on a branch if you zoom in.
Showy goldenrod. A much shorter and more delicate variety that grows in drier areas of the prairie.
There are also some white flowers blooming right now. The most common right now is snakeroot which is found along the boundary between woods and prairie. It is also in wooded areas but seldomly out on the prairie. Boneset and false boneset are in many places in the prairie, Mack Lake County Park is west a few miles from Fort Ridgely jusy off the bottom road to Morton. There is an interesting native plant that is going crazy spreading along the ground and up into the trees. It is bur cucumber and is related to wild cucumber. It has white flowers that are often covered with pollinators. I have not seen it in Fort Ridgely but it is in several county parks along the Minnesota River. It later forms a spiny fruit about the size of a small cucumber but more spherical.
Snakeroot with a small bee pollinating it.
Tall boneset with a wasp on it
False boneset. Notice the yellow color and not white of the flowers.
Culver's root. This flower bloomed in late July and is done now. There is lots of it on the prairie by where the bike trail ends on the east side of the park.
Bur cucumber growing up trees in Mack Lake County Park,
Honeybee flying in to pollinate a bur cucumber flower.
There are several other colored flowers mixed in with the yellow and white flowers on the prairie as well as along and in the woods. Tall bellflowers are much shorter this year. The plant is often 4-6 feet high with flowers all along the stem. This year I have seldomly seen them above 3 feet and much fewer flowers. I'm sure the dry and hot July had a lot to do with this. Verbena or vervain have a similar blue color and come in several varieties. Lobelia is a unique flower and used to be found around the pond when there was a trail around it. Let me know if you have seen it anywhere else in the park. It is usually in wet areas. Anise hyssop can be either blue or white but is usually blue. Tear a leaf or flower and smell the anise!
Tall bellflower with a native bee just for it called the bellflower resin bee.
Verbena with a small butterfly called the least skipper.
Great blue lobelia
Anise hyssop with a monarch getting nectar.
Blazing star (Liatris) also comes in several types but is more purple than red. Monarch butterflies love these flowers and get much of their energy for their trip to Mexico from the nectar in blazing star. This flower has been hybridized and is in many people's gardens.
Prairie blazing star and in the background (white round flowers) rattlesnake master, another native prairie plant. These flowers were in the ditch near the horse farm on highway 4 just north of Fort Ridgely.
Rough blazing star. I have seen 4 monarchs on one stalk of this flower in past years.
Smooth ironweed. A tall prairie plant found in wetter areas like near the end of the bike trail.
A beautiful painted lady butterfly on ironweed. These butterflies are all over the place now. They often appear in great numbers at this time of year. I usually see many of them on the sedum around our house in Fairfax.
Burdock is blooming right now and attracting many pollinators. This small butterfly is called summer azure.
Water smartweed. This unique flower is blooming in wet areas of the park.
Upcoming Interpretive Programming
Archery in the Parks
Ready, aim, fire! Join a certified archery instructor in the state park for a hands-on lesson in the ancient sport of archery. Aim for a family adventure with kid-friendly equipment designed for beginners aged 8 and older. Children aged 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult. All equipment is provided. Personal archery equipment is not allowed. To participate meet at the picnic shelter near the historic site at 1pm. Participants will be outside for the program. Bring along sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, insect repellant and water. Program cancelled if raining.
Date
Aug. 19, 2023
Time
1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Monarch Butterfly Tagging
Imagine journeying thousands of miles to a new home in the southern reaches of the world. Now imagine you are the size of a tennis ball and only use your wings to get you there! Monarch butterflies undertake this migration every fall and by tagging them, we can join them in their cross-country adventures. Participate in citizen science with a naturalist and learn first-hand how to tag monarch butterflies and find out how scientists can use this information to help protect these beautiful sky travelers.
Participants will be outside for the program. Bring along water, sunscreen, and bug spray if preferred.
To participate meet at the Picnic Shelter near the Historic Site at 12pm.
A Minnesota State Park Vehicle Permit is required to attend this event.
Date
Aug. 26, 2023
Time
12 p.m.
More Information
Contact Kelsey Moe at 507-386-3915 or by email at kelsey.m.moe@state.mn.us.
If you need an accommodation, please call or email the event contact listed above by two weeks prior to the event.
I end with a cute fawn that I saw near the trail in Flandreau State Park a few weeks ago. It still had its spots! Its mom was with it but I only include the fawn's picture.
After sending out the first notice of this update I saw 5 monarchs on one stalk of blazing star in one of the gardens around our house! Maybe the monarch tagging should be at our house.
