Northern Bedstraw, photo by Lorraine A. Anderson

July 28th, 2004 - Report by

It was a hazy day today and we wondered if that meant rain, that we desperately needed, or smoke from Forest Fires in other areas. A new flower on the roadside today was Northern Bedstraw otherwise it was our old favorites: Fireweed, St. Johnswort, Black-eyed Susan, Ox-eye Daisy and Bird's-foot Trefoil.
Jean had lost her walking stick and she felt it was in the DNR area near Spruce Creek. It was so lovely in there walking among the wonderful smelling Clovers. We found the walking stick next to the Sundrops that she was photographing.
Our next goal was to find the Purple Fringed Orchis near Solbakken Resort. We first made a wrong turn but soon found about 18 of them just along the road in the woods. The books say they like moist situations but there was no visible water there.
Next to the Snowmobile Parking Area near milepost #99. We like to go there to see the Nodding Thistle. When we first saw the developing seedpod we had no idea what plant it was. We could tell by the leaves it was a thistle but it took until the next year when we saw the flower to identify it. That area was the first place we saw the Spurred Gentian. The Crown Vetch was blooming but it looks like a while before the Spotted Knapweed blooms. Spotted Knapweed looks much like the annual Bachelor Button but we have been told it is too aggressive for its environment - that doesn't seem to be true in our county - so we just enjoy it.
Then to the area on the Bally Creek Road where we first saw Pipsissewa - it was still in bud but we did see the Bearberry, Snowberry and the one Rattlesnake Plantain (a small white orchid)
Lunch at Cascade Forest Campground where we enjoyed Arrowhead in the water and Meadowsweet on the edge of the water.
Before we ended our day we went above the Maple Hill Cemetary to see our former Mystery Plant the Pinesap. It was beginning to get a bit old. It seems in that area the Indian Pipes bloom one year and the Pinesap the next - are they biennials?? who knows? The day ended with us smiling through and through.

See what we found last year at this time of year!

Be sure to stop back throughout the Summer to see our weekly wildflower reports from Lorraine Anderson of Grand Marais, Minnesota.