Sept. 19, 2010 - Fall Flowers

Jewelweed, or Spotted Touch-me-not, produces a small orange flower that reminds me of an orchid, although a better description would be a horn-of-plenty. The nectar is deep inside the flower so hummingbirds are one of the few pollinators able to reach it. Many American Indian tribes knew that if they got a rash from poison ivy or stinging nettles, they could rub their skin with jewelweed leaves to get instant relief. The name “touch-me-not” comes from the method used by this plant to disburse its seeds. The seed pods build up pressure inside them and explode at the slightest touch. Seeds can be hurled up to 5 feet away by this action. This photo was taken at our home in northern Minnesota.

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Wild Bergamot, as a member of the mint family, has square stems. The odor of the crushed leaves is a combination of mint and citrus. American Indian tribes used this plant as a decongestant. They also used it to cure headaches, colds, abdominal pains, acne, and fever. I found this cluster of plants by Trout Lake in Bovey, MN. As you can see, bees like this plant. I have also seen hummingbirds visiting the Bergamot in our wildflower garden.

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I know that fall is on the way when I see Goldenrod, the yellow flower in this photo, starting to appear. There are many species of Goldenrod and they are often hard to distinguish. So, I am happy to just call it Goldenrod and not try to further identify it. Goldenrod has been blamed for causing hay fever. However, its pollen is too heavy and sticky to be blown very far by the wind. We now recognize that hay fever is much more affected by Ragweed, which blooms around the same time as Goldenrod. Ragweed pollen is easily blown on the wind. This photo was also taken at our home.

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Smartweed is found across most of the United States and Canada. It grows in marshes and along lake shores. This photo was taken at our home, along the lake.

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This Blue Vervain was also growing at Trout Lake in Bovey, MN. Each of these thin green stems is a flower stalk. It looks like each flower stalk has only a few purple flowers growing around the middle. Actually, the flowers at the bottom of the stalk open first. The flowering proceeds up the stalk as the lower flowers go to seed. This is a very ingenious adaptation because the plant is exposing its flowers to pollinators over a long period of time. This gives it the maximum chance to be fertilized.

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