July 3, 2016 - Spring Flowers
Read More
Although I spend most of my time photographing birds, I also like to take pictures of flowers. Here are some that were taken this spring. In late April, the crab apple trees at our office in New Brighton, MN, burst into bloom. The beautiful blue sky that day enhanced the pink color of the blossoms.
Bloodroot grows in moist forests and blooms early in the spring. This photo was taken May 5, 2016, along the road leading to our home in northern Minnesota. The two folded leaves protect the flower bud until it opens. Bloodroot is one of the plants whose seeds are spread by ants. Ants take the seeds to their nests, eat the fleshy part of it, and leave the rest of the seed in the nest where it then germinates. The name bloodroot comes from the orange/red sap produced by the plant. It was used as a dye by Native Americans.
Last year we planted a wildflower garden in our yard and also did some landscaping around our house using native plants. We’ve always enjoyed seeing Large-flowered Trillium in the woods so we wanted to include some of these plants in our landscaping plans. It grows about a foot tall and has three large leaves. A single flower with three white petals blooms above the leaves. As the flower ages, it gradually turns pink. This photo was taken May 23, 2016.
We have Large Yellow Lady’s-slippers growing near our house. Each year we enjoy seeing the slipper-shaped flowers and the curly brown sepals. This photo was taken June 6, 2016. There is a Small Yellow Lady’s-slipper and it does grow in northern Minnesota. Diana and I found some of them this spring but not on our land.
Here’s our state flower, the Showy Lady’s-slipper, next to a Red Clover flower. Showy Lady’s-slippers are impressive plants, growing 2-3 feet tall. They can have several blossoms on each stalk. They grow in moist, wooded areas. They bloom a little later than the Yellow Lady’s-slipper; this photo was taken June 25, 2016. Did you notice the little spider on the Red Clover flower?
Bird’s-foot Trefoil is often planted along highways to control erosion. It’s not a native plant, originally coming from Europe. When the flowers have finished blooming, clusters of thin seed pods form and they look like birds feet, hence the name of the flower.
Add a comment in the space below.