This is the beginning of our 24th year of looking at wildflowers in Cook County, MN. We are three senior women who just love to get out and explore and learn new things. We are even getting together all winter but don't find too many flowers at that time, but no matter.

Pink Moccasin Flower, Photo by Erik W. L. Anderson

Wednesday, June 15th, 2005

We first drove around town. The Lilacs were at their prime as were the Flowering Crabs etc. - So Beautiful! Today our goal was Pink Moccasin flowers. On our way up the Gunflint Trail were drifts of yellow Buttercups, Yellow Hawkweed, Mustard (Winter Cress) and white Caraway. The Lupine are showing color too. Beginnings of Orange Hawkweed, Ox-eye Daisy , Wild Rose and Thimbleberry. The Mountain Ash were particularly beautiful with their cluster of white flowers against shiny green leaves. The Red Osier Dogwood is also beginning to show color. Our first stop was at a private home on Leo Lake. We saw many beautiful Pink Moccasins and a few Large White Trillium on her trail through the woods. As we walked along her road we saw blooming Naked Miterwort, Bunchberry, our first Linnea, Wild Lily-of-the-Valley and Clintonia. We left our friend and drove to a road a bit past the Seagull Guard Station. It was a Jack Pine forest and the forest floor was beautiful, so different from the areas closer to the big lake. It was a bit past time for the Pink Moccasins and there were not as many as last year. It seemed there was more Wintergreen with their red berries and Labrador Tea. The land up there is recovering nicely, but slowly from the '99 Blowdown. On the way home we saw our first patch of Iris and also a Mama Fox and her three babies on the road. I hope they don't get run over. The Spotted Coralroot in my woods is at peak and so are the Wild Purple Clematis and Ginger. I found two Jack-in-the-Pulpit that had been missing for years. It was a beautiful day. We started at 10 and didn't get home until 5.

 

 

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