[August 17 & 18, 2018: I made a quick dash to the prairies of Western Minnesota in mid August. Much of my time is spent in the boreal forest and bogs of northeast Minnesota, and I was starting to get a bit claustrophobic. So off to the wide open prairies! I started at Otter Tail County’s Maplewood State Park, then on to Wilkin County (Town Hall Prairie, Western Prairie, Rothsay WMA) and continued north to the huge Felton Prairie complex in Clay County. The next day I hit Felton area again and headed north to the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge in Polk County]

Wildflowers on the tallgrass prairie peak in mid July to early August, but there were still plenty of showy plants in full bloom in mid August. It is energizing to be in an unfamiliar habitat and meeting new species, or at least species I hadn’t seen in many years. The Liatris were in full bloom on many of the dry sites. You may know Liatris as Gay Feather or Blazing-Star, but did you know that there are a bunch of different species in Minnesota? I didn’t. I even found a white variant of the normally pink-flowered forb (photos below). Monarchs and Regal Fritillaries love to nectar on Liatris.

Pink-flowered Wild Onion (Allium stellatum) was new to me, and is now one of my favorites.

I was really surprised to find Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) growing on the dry soils of Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota). I am most familiar with this delicate beauty clinging to tiny cracks in the igneous rocks on the Shore of Lake Superior! But this is a very adaptable and hardy species that can be found in many habitats.

Wild Four-o-clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) is a native prairie species that can also be found in waste places. The “four-o-clock” in our domestic gardens was cultivated from a related European species. The name comes from the fact that this plant opens only in late afternoon. In fact the Latin “nyctaginea” means “night blooming” from the Greek.
[Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (Polk County, Minnesota)]

You can bet that I will be back out on the prairies next spring and summer to see more of our tallgrass prairie’s fantastic flowers.

**You can click on the photos below to see details on species and location.

white form of Liatris (Blazing Star) on Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota)

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) on Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota). This was surprising since I am most familiar with this delicate beauty clinging to the igneous rocks on the Shore of Lake Superior!

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) on Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota). This was surprising since I am most familiar with this delicate beauty clinging to the igneous rocks on the Shore of Lake Superior!

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) on Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota). This was surprising since I am most familiar with this delicate beauty clinging to the igneous rocks on the Shore of Lake Superior!

white form of Liatris (Blazing Star) on Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota)

Pink-flowered Wild Onion (Allium stellatum) on Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota)

Pink-flowered Wild Onion (Allium stellatum) on Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota)

Pink-flowered Wild Onion (Allium stellatum) on Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota)

Pink-flowered Wild Onion (Allium stellatum) on Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota)

Stand of Liatris (Blazing Star) at Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota)

Stand of Liatris (Blazing Star) at Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota)

Stand of Liatris (Blazing Star) at Felton Prairie (Clay County, Minnesota)

Wild Four-o-clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (Polk County, Minnesota)

Wild Four-o-clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (Polk County, Minnesota)

Wild Four-o-clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (Polk County, Minnesota)

Wild Four-o-clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (Polk County, Minnesota)

Wild Four-o-clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (Polk County, Minnesota)

[August 17 & 18, 2018: I made a quick dash to the prairies of Western Minnesota in mid August. Much of my time is spent in the boreal forest and bogs of northeast Minnesota, and I was starting to get a bit claustrophobic. So off to the wide open prairies! I started at Otter Tail County’s Maplewood State Park, then on to Wilkin County (Town Hall Prairie, Western Prairie, Rothsay WMA) and continued north to the huge Felton Prairie complex in Clay County. The next day I hit Felton area again and headed north to the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge in Polk County]

Glacial Ridge NWR is in northwestern Minnesota and is a complex of prairie tracts that has been consolidated as a federal National Wildlife Refuge. It is a vast complex of “aspen parkland” prairie habitat; savannah like in that there are clusters of aspen trees dotting the grassland.

Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2004 and is Minnesota’s newest addition to the NWR system. It is a vast area, that will eventually encompass 37,000 acres (57 square miles)

It is described by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as “the largest tallgrass prairie and wetland restoration project in U.S. history.” [from wikipedia.com]

Wild Four-o-clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) is a native prairie species that can also be found in waste places. The “four-o-clock” in our domestic gardens was cultivated from a related European species. The name comes from the fact that this plant opens only in late afternoon. In fact the Latin “nyctaginea” means “night blooming” from the Greek.
[Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (Polk County, Minnesota)]

Saffron-winged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum costiferum) male on Big Bluestem

Saffron-winged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum costiferum) female on Big Bluestem

The beautiful “bee fly” Anastoechus barbatus on a sunflower [Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge NWR (Polk County, MInnesota)]