‘Arboretum Scenery’ Category
Arboretum Scenery
April Showers Bring May Flowers
After this long rainy April week, May is finally here! With the month of May comes warmer temperatures, spring flowers, and increased bird activity. Average day time temperatures for Minnesota are in the 60s, while night time temperatures are in the mid-40s. We begin to see many spring flowers in the woodlands, such as bloodroot, […]
Chorus frog courtship is noisy ‘affair’
The temperature’s rising, the days are getting longer, the buds are swelling, and the critters are emerging from hibernation. Spring is nearly here, and with it comes the annual performance of the chorus frog (Pseudoacris triseriata). But, despite the fact that chorus frogs are common statewide, there’s a good chance that you’ve never seen one. […]
The Winter Life of Black-Capped Chickadees
After the summer bird species have migrated south for the winter, the black-capped chickadee (Parus atricapillus) remains present around the arboretum and a year-round favorite to many birders. Their energetic and curious behaviors make them one of my favorite species to observe. I can almost always rely on them to be active during any part […]
Hummingbird Moths, Interpreting the Fall Arboretum Landscape
The following is a submission from a Gustavus student in Dr. Cindy Johnson’s “Interpreting the Fall Landscape” class held in the Arboretum. Special thanks to Dr. Johnson and her students….. Hummingbird Moths by Jessica Gold I spotted 4 hummingbird moths in a flower bed on 9/24 at 6:15 pm. They were hovering around the […]
Cup Plant — Interpreting the Fall Arboretum Landscape
The following is a submission from a Gustavus student in Dr. Cindy Johnson’s “Interpreting the Fall Landscape” class held in the Arboretum. Special thanks to Dr. Johnson and her students….. Cup Plants By Carrie Boike Cup Plant, Silphium perfoliatum · Native to North America · Perennial · Triangular Toothed Leaf · opposite leaf […]
The power of unintended consequences
Last spring, we decided to add a bird feeder to a small garden area outside of the Interpretive Center. Two or three months ago, a bird at that feeder (through haste or carelessness) dropped a sunflower seed and it started to grow. When I suggested that we pull it as a weed (after all, it […]
Fall color forecast looks good… maybe.
Autumn in Minnesota is a time of cruel ironies. Any Vikings fan can tell you that. One of autumn’s cruelest ironies is that the beauty of autumn is quickly replaced with the general crumminess of winter. And so, we have all learned to appreciate the fleeting beauty of the changing of the autumn leaves while […]
Ragweed and the Afterlife
Although I have no plans to end up there, I can’t help but imagine what sorts of things might be found in hell. I am, of course, familiar with the traditional images of fire, ragged clothing, and stalagmites, but I believe that the more mundane forms of punishment would actually be the worst. I […]
Butterfly populations at historic lows
If you’ve seen a Monarch butterfly recently, (or any butterfly, for that matter) consider yourself lucky. As gardeners, wildlife-watchers and insect-lovers can all attest, there has been a considerable shortage of the graceful creatures in our area so far this summer. The common yellow sulfurs aren’t so common, and the cosmopolitan painted ladies aren’t very […]
Pasqueflowers in bloom (finally)
Prairie wildflower season has officially begun. Pasqueflower (Anemone patens) is the earliest blooming flower on the prairie. These were just photographed at Kasota Prairie today, and the pasqueflowers near the rock outcrop prairie overlook site in the Arboretum will soon be following suit. The name means “Easter flower” and these plants usually flower in late […]