A Spring Flowering Native Vine

Pale Vetchling ~ Lathyrus ochroleucus (Cream Vetchling)


I found this perennial native vine growing locally just upland of a large creek in partial shade and sandy soil. The irregular, pea flowers range from white to creamy yellow. Before opening, the petals have a tinge of pink. This vine flowers from May - July.

This is nice native vine, only reaching about 3 feet in height. It climbs or grasps other plants with tendrils arising from the end of the leaflets.

The leaves are "pinnately-divided into 3-5 pairs of leaflets...(with) an asymmetrical, rounded, leaf-like appendages at the base". (Wildflowers of Wisconsin)

I have not found a local source to purchase this native vine but it might be a good candidate for use in soil erosion prevention on dry soils and steep slopes (instead of invasive crown vetch).

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

See the BONAP map below for its native range.

Native Plant of the Week: Chokecherry ~ Prunus virginiana

Chokecherry ~ Prunus virginiana


The Chokecherries are flowering in Minnesota right now, and it's hard to miss their long tubular-shaped clusters (racemes) of white flowers.

Chokecherries fall between a large shrub and small tree in size. Large ones can get about 25 feet in height but more commonly you will see them range from 8-15 feet.

We have both single stemmed and multi-stemmed Chokecherries in our yard occuring naturally. Both forms are common.

Chokecherry is an important native shrub/tree for wildlife. The early blooming flowers are sought out by many pollinators including flies and bees. The dark blue/black fruit (drupe) matures in early September and is sought out by many birds.

Chokecherries also make good habitat as they commonly grow along the edges of woodlands providing cover for birds and small mammals. Chokecherry will also grow in the shade of mature trees such as oaks that are more sparsely spaced than a maple deciduous woodland.

Chokecherries can turn a number of brilliant colors in the fall from bright yellow to orange to red. Locally, in oak woodlands where buckthorn eradication techniques have been employed, Chokecherries are one of the first native woody species to reemerge after the Buckthorn has been eradicated.

Chokecherries look very similar to the native Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) tree, the flower forms are almost identical but Black Cherries flower a little later in the spring.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program
(BONAP). 2011. North American Plant Atlas .
Chapel Hill, N.C. 

It is commonly mistaken for both the invasive European Buckthorn and Glossy Buckthorn. Read an earlier post on this with comparison photos of the bark, leaves, buds, flowers and fruit.

See map for native range in North America.

Discoveries Out & About: Showy Orchid ~ Galearis spectabilis

Showy Orchid ~ Galearis spectabilis


I learned about these orchids growing locally through the park Plant Walk series held by my municipality.

Showy Orchids are short orchids, 4-6" in height with pale pink to dark pink petals and sepals, and white lip. The flowers are quite large, about 1.5" long. The two glossy basal leaves clasp the stem and frame the flower stalks.

These orchids were growing upslope from a wetland in partial sun on a bed of moss underneath Gray Dogwoods.

Several references state that these orchids are often found in limy soil.

Showy Orchids flower in the spring, from May to June.

Native to eastern North America. See the BONAP map for details.

Have you seen this orchid before? What type of habitat did you find them growing in?

Phenological Photos - Third Week of May

Jacob's Ladder flowering

American Plum flowering

Bishop's Cap flowering

Magnolia Warbler

First Tree Frog sighting

Chokecherry flowering

Woodland Phlox flowering

Virginia Bluebells flowering

Sessile Leaved Bellwort flowering

Hawthorns flowering

Jack-in-the-Pulpits flowering

Bumble Bees pollinating Prairie Smoke

Wild Columbine flowering for returning Hummingbirds

American Bladdernut flowering

Gooseberries flowering

Red Baneberry flowering

Fragrant Sumac flowering

Native Plant of the Week: Bishop's Cap ~ Mitella diphylla

Bishop's Cap ~ Mitella diphylla


Other Common Name: Two-Leaved Miterwort

Bishop's Cap is a versatile perennial native that can be found growing in a variety of exposures and soils from woodlands to open cliffs.

Similar to a Heuchera in appearance with round, lobed basal leaves and tall flower stalks (4-8"). The opposite leaves on the flower stalk are stemless and clasp the stem.

The flower petals look like snow flakes as they open from the bottom up on the flower stalk. Tiny, shiny black seeds form in capsules that open and are wind dispersed. Bishop's Cap will reseed around the parent plant forming a nice colony.

The leaves and flower stalks are sometimes browsed by deer and rabbits but once you have a small population established you will still have plenty of flowers.

Bishop's Cap is readily available at most native plant nurseries. It works well in a partial shade woodland garden as well as a dry sandy soil in more open sites.

It is native to eastern North America from Ontario south to Arkansas and eastwards.

Early Flowering Prairie Natives

Pasque Flower ~ Anemone patens wolfgangiana


Pasque Flower can bloom very early, in some years in early April. It's attractive 1-2 inch wide blooms can be a pale white to lavender in color.

It flowers before the leaves emerge and the stems are covered with tiny white hairs giving the whole plant a fuzzy appearance.

Pasque Flowers are tolerant of dry soils, in open upland sites. The flowers are sought out by early emerging bees.

Prairie Smoke ~ Geum triflorum
The Prairie Smoke is flowering right now. The nodding pink flower heads are attractive but not as showy as the plume-like styles in the seed heads that come later.

Prairie Smoke is also tolerant of dry soils. It is an excellent native plant in a managed landscape along borders or layered in amongst prairie grasses. It looks especially showy in masses when the 'smoke' seed heads mature.

The foliage is also an attractive feature, deeply lobed and fern-like in appearance.

Phenological Photos - Second Week of May

Serviceberries flowering

Goslings on the local lake

Ferns Unfurl

Female Rose Breasted Grosbeaks visit the feeder

Male Rose Breasted Grosbeaks join the females

Red Elderberry flowers

Ovenbirds return

Large Flowered Trilliums bloom

Nodding Trilliums flower

More Warblers migrate through
Chestnut Sided Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Palm Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

American Redstart

Warblers aggregate on the roads eating elm seeds

Nashville Warbler

Early Meadow Rue flowers

Bishop's Cap flowers

Celandine Poppy flowers

Spring Beauty flowers

Wild Ginger flowers

Prickly Ash flowers

Female Baltimore Oriole starts to build nest

Hummingbirds return

Great Crested Flycatchers return