This report is written by Lorraine Anderson (lorraine@bwca.cc). She is part of a group of three seniors that have been looking at wildflowers in Cook County, Minnesota. They have gone out almost every Wednesday for over 20 years and love it, even in the winter. But of course there aren't any flowers in the winter!!

Wednesday Wildflower Report: August 13, 2003
'Tis the lazy days of summer. High of 72 degrees today, We drove west on #7 to see a nice garden at a Bed & Breakfast. She has been working hard and it shows.
Yellow Goldenrod, Tansy, lavender Fireweed, White Scentless Chamomile (daisy) color the roadways.
Next, to the Snowmobile parking area between Cascade Park and Spruce Creek on 61. We were looking for: Spotted Knapweed, Spurred Gentian & Nodding Thistle. Just a few Knapweeds & Gentians and no Nodding Thistle. Crown Vetch was also there. We had forgotten about that.
Back to the shore for lunch on the deck of a relatives home. There we saw the treat of the day, Brook or Kalm's Lobelia. They are so small and beautiful.
The Purple Loosestrife is blooming on #61 more than ever in spite of my calls to the DNR to get rid of it while the numbers are few!

Flowers we found Blooming:
Agrimony, Common - Agrimonia gryposepala
Alyssum, Hoary - Berteroa incana *
Arrow-head, Broad-leafed - Sagittauia latifolia *
Aster, Purple Aster ssp.
Aster, Flat-topped White - Aster umbellatus
Bedstraw, Rough - Galium asprellum
Bellflower, Creeping - Campanula uliginosa
Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia serotina - so much
Buckwheat, Climbing False - Polygonum scanclens
Butter and Eggs - Linaria vulgaris
Buttercup, Tall or Common - Ranunculus acris
Chamomile, Scentless - Matricaria maritima
Clover, Hop - Trifolium agrarium
Clover, Purple, Pink - Trifolium ssp.
Clover, Rabbit's-foot - Trifolium arvense
Clover, Sweet, White - Melilotus alba
Clover, Sweet, Yellow - Melilotus officinalis
Daisy, Ox-eye - Chrysanthemum leucanthemum
Dock, Curled - Rumex crispus
Dogbane, Spreading - Apocynum androsaemifolium
Everlasting, Pearly - Anaphalis margaritacea
Fireweed - Epilobium angustifolium
Gentian, Spurred - Halenia deflexa *
Goldenrod - Solidago ssp.
Jewelweed, Spotted - Impatiens capensis
Joe Pye Weed - Eupatorium maculatum
Knapweed, Spotted - Centaurea maculosa *
Lettuce, White - Prenanthes alba *
Lily, White, white - Nymphaea odorata *
Loosestrife, Purple - Lythrum salicaria *
Loosestrife, Yellow - Lysimachia terrestris
Lychnis, Evening - Luchnis alba
Meadowsweet - Spiraea latifolia
Monkey-flower - Mimulus ringens
Mullein, Common - Verbascum thapsus
Nettle, White Dead - Lamium album
Parsnip, Water - Sium suave
Pineapple Weed - Matricaria matricarioides
Pink, Deptford - Dianthus deltoides
Pipsissewa - Chimaphils umbellata
St. Johnswort, Common - Hypericum perforatum * a very few compared to last year
Tansy - Tanacetum vulgare *
Thistle, Bull - Cirsium vulgare
Thistle, Canada - Cirsium arvense
Thistle, Field Sow - Sonchus arvensis
Trefoil, Bird's-foot - Lotus corniculatus
Turtlehead, White - Chelone glabra
Valerian, Garden/Heliotrope - Valeriana officinalis
Yarrow - Achillea millefolium

Shrubs we found with berries Edible and Non:
Baneberry, Red - Actaea rubra
Bearberry - Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Bunchberries - Cornus canadensis
Currant - Ribes
Gooseberry - Ribes
Lily, Blue-bead - Clintonia borealis
Raspberry - Rubus idaeus

* - new this week