Identification for Mike’s Kids

  1. Both the purple and white prairie clover are there. There are also along the ditch on Hwy 71 and the gravel road some.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/purple-prairie-clover
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/white-prairie-clover

2. You will find this flower in May/June and it is fairly small so not so obvious

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/slender-beardtongue

3. This plant is actually on your side of the road in the tall grass along the ditch. Look for it in late summer.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/culvers-root

4. Both Narrow-Leafe and Hoary Puccoon are on the hill. It is easy to tell the Narrow-Leaf by the fringed petals

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/narrow-leaf-puccoon
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/hoary-puccoon

5. This is neat little plant with pink flowers. Blooms late spring. Yes, it is related to the oxalis that you find in your garden and flower pots. You can eat them and they have a sour taste. We used to call them “sweet and sours” as kids.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/violet-wood-sorrel

6. I didn’t know this was on the hill until 2022 when I spotted it. Look to the southwest part of the top of the hill to find it. Flowers early in spring, but has neat smoke-like seed plumes in the late summer

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/prairie-smoke

7. This is a neat plant that is not all that common around here. It is related directly to “Coralbells” which are bred and sold in flower nurseries around the country.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/prairie-alumroot

8. This is a dainty little blue flower. Not easily mistaken for anything else

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/harebell

9. One of the interesting native grasses

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/junegrass

10. This is a nice native species, but it is admittedly a bit scraggly

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/tall-cinquefoil

11. This is a very common plant in our area. It pulls off the ground very easily and sticks like natural velcro to clothes. It pulls off easy to, not like a burr. We always had fun pulling it and throwing it at each other because it clings on your shirt

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/northern-bedstraw

12. This and #19 are the shining stars of this little hilltop prairie. I do not know of anywhere in our area were these two grow and they are especially beautiful flowers. As you know, this one blooms very very early – almost as soon as the snow melts! It is very rare and very special.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/american-pasqueflower

13. Ok, this looks just like a weed, but it is native

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/field-sagewort

14. On the other hand, this one is a weed from Europe, but it is kind of neat looking.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/bladder-campion

I haven’t seen this on the hill, but it is very common and also a weed.
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/white-campion

15. This is a really special little violet with cut leaves

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/birdfoot-violet

16. There are tons of Goldenrods around. This one is easy to spot because the flower spike is tight and straight up.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/showy-goldenrod

17. Gray goldenrod is easy to spot because it is usually shorter and the top leans over like it’s looking for something.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/gray-goldenrod

18. This is a tiny little white flower that I found on the other side of the hill, closer to 71. It blooms in early summer

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/short-stalked-chickweed

19. This is the other show stopper. Unlike the pasqueflowers above, this one bloom very very late in the fall. Look for this at the end of August or into September. The blue of the flowers is very intense.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/downy-gentian

20. This Delphinium is another absolutely amazing occurrence. I didn’t even know there were on the hill until 2024 and there are a lot of them. This little area is absolutely packed with great plants.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/carolina-larkspur

21. This little primrose is not terribly common in our area. Yet another nice little prairie plant.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/small-sundrops

Some not pictured

22. This little purple-spike of flowers is one you won’t miss! It blooms in July-August. You can also find this up along the ditches along 71

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/prairie-blazing-star

23. This is a plant that you will find especially south on the gravel road. They used to believe that where it grew, there was lead in the ground. That’s where it got it’s name.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/lead-plant

24. You will find this plant all along the road ditches as well. Pinch the flowers and smell it. This is where the flavor of Earl Grey tea comes from

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/wild-bergamot

25. I’ve seen these growing up more towards the stop sign and along the ditch

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/prairie-phlox

26. Yes! This is a real onion. Don’t believe me? Pinch it and smell it. It is pretty short. Watch for the ball-shaped flowers

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/prairie-onion

27. You won’t notice the flowers on this, but the silver leaves really stand out

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/white-sage

28. I don’t remember seeing this on the hill, but there is a good patch of it along 71 on the west side, between your place and the turn off to Little Sauk

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/butterfly-weed