July 29, 2022

July Flowers

July is usually the hottest month of the summer and it seems like this summer is proving this to be true. Many plants succumb to the heat but other flowers thrive in it.

Near Airplane hill is an interesting group of flowers that bloom every year in mid July. Their presence as well as a number of other flowers usually found in people's gardens has always been evidence to me that there used to be a farm located here with a house and garden. Day lilies are some of the most pretty flowers around and they spread widely when not held in check in a garden. This is very evident in this spot as you can see in the pictures.

In among them there are also lots of tiger lilies as well. They are blooming now and look like the picture below. They are also not native to Minnesota but that does not mean we cannot enjoy them. The picture below has one day lily in the lower right that was still blooming. Earlier this summer there was a large peonie cluster that had vibrant pink flowers that also bloomed in this area.

Sweet clover is blooming all over the park. There is both yellow and white varieties but it seems like the park has mainly white. It too is not native but was brought from Europe as a forage crop. The honey bee was also brought to the USA by European settlers. It is not surprising then that honey bees are the most common pollinators on sweet clover.

There are a number of beautiful native plants that are presently blooming and attracting many pollinators. Purple and white prairie clover are growing in many of the prairie areas in the park. Pollinators love the orange pollen that surrounds the flower. I have seen various bees circling the flower to get as much pollen as possible.

Several species of vervain or verbena exist in the park. The most common is hoary vervain and is pictured below, The light purple flowers gradually open from the bottom to the top of the stem above the leaves. Anise hyssop is a very interesting plant It is a member of the mint family and has the characteristic square stem. Its leaves, flowers and stems have an anise smell when torn or crushed,

Beebalm or bergemot is also a member of the mint family. Right now it is one of the most common flowers on the prairie. The wild version is light purple and there are several other colors found in people's gardens. It is beautiful mixed with yellow sunflowers and coneflowers in many areas of the park.

Purple coneflowers or echinacea is also a common prairie plant that has also been domesticated. You can really see the difference a lack of moisture and sandy soil does to this plant.

Tall bellflower is a very interesting plant and has many pollinators visiting it now. It is a light blue flower that surround a long stem and sometimes several branches of the main stem. They can be 2-3 feet high but can also reach 4-6 feet tall in optimal conditions, The flowers are unusual for bell flowers in that the flower is flat. It also has a very long curved pistil which, as you can see in the picture, some bees like to get pollen from. The bellflower resin bee pictured is a bee that is a specialty bee that only goes to bellflowers.

It is amazing the diversity of plants now with yellow sunflower like flowers. There is the tall (often over 6 feet tall) compass plant pictured below with very different lobed leaves. The second picture is of a cup plant. Its leaves form a cup with two leaves across from each other on the stem and after a rain hold water in this cup. Notice the monarch on its flower.

The false sunflower has a smaller flower and different leaves than the sun flower like ones mentioned above. Notice the yellow bird hiding in the middle of the vegetation. It is a common yellowthroat. There are also many coneflowers that are also yellow this time of year. The one below is the grey coneflower. The seeds develop inside the big cone after the bees pollinate them as the bumblebee is doing in the picture.

Fireflies in the park.

We sometimes cannot get out to the park until evenings and sometimes the sun goes down while we are walking. Last week we enjoyed the beautiful sunset shown below. We also saw many fireflies as we walked along and in the woods. We tried to get a video but as soon as we saw one and pointed toward it there was another one blinking out of view of our camera. We got a few on a video or two but not enough to share here. We saw the firefly in the picture below on a milkweed plant on the pollinator walk that I led earlier this month. I had always thought they were related to mosquitos but it turns out that they are actually a small beetle. They produce light by a very efficient chemical process that produces almost no heat. The part of the body that produces the light is on the underside and on the lower part of its abdomen. The male flashes its light while flying in the air and is its means of finding the female below on the ground who is also blinking her light.

Upcoming Interpretive Programming

Fort Ridgely State Park Program - July 30, 2022

Archery in the Park - 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 pm The sport of shooting arrows has been around for thousands of years. First humans used archery as a way to hunt animals and later as a way to compete against each other. Archery is an activity that people from all walks of life and almost every size and ability can participate and have fun. This program covers the basics of archery (safety, proper care of the equipment and how to use a bow). Participants will be able to practice their new skills. Need to be 8 years or older. Meet at the Upper Picnic Area.

Fort Ridgely State Park Program - July 30, 2022

Digital Photography - 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 pm Photography is a great way to take some memories home with you after your visit to a state park. Participants will get a chance to learn how to use a digital camera and shoot photos of what interests them. Digital cameras are provided and everyone will be able to print one photo to take with them. Pre-registration is required by sending an email to scott.kudelka@state.mn.us

Fort Ridgely State Park Program - July 30, 2022

Wild Edibles - 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm People eat wild edibles for a number of reasons including as a legitimate way of economizing their food costs, as an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, and in rare situations they can be essential for survival. We will talk about some of the more recognizable plants growing in the area like the common dandelion which can be used in salads or even as a coffee-like beverage. Meet at the Lower Picnic Shelter in the primitive campground.

Fort Ridgely State Park Program - August 27, 2022

Walk through the Prairie - 10:00 - 11:00 am There is much interest in native plants and planting them for pollinators and other native insects and animals. Walk with Bix Baker, volunteer naturalist for Fort Ridgely, and see how many of these plants are in the park and how they give us a picture of what life was like hundreds of years ago in this area. You may see some plants, insects and animals that you have never seen before. Meet in the chalet parking lot. We will walk through the prairie in the valley below the chalet.

Cell Phones in Nature - 2:00 - 3:00 pm Technology, like cell phones, can be used to help you appreciate the natural things at Fort Ridgely. Meet Bix Baker, volunteer naturalist for Fort Ridgely, in the upper picnic shelter to download a few apps onto your cell phones and take them out to help you identify birds (by their song or a picture), plants, insects, mushrooms, rocks and animals. Good information about each item is often there on the app to give you new insights into how they fit into the beautiful ecosystem we live in.