Wildflowers in the Mississippi River Park

By Jessica Nelson, Park Ranger, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

In the spring and summer, no matter where you might be along the river, you can find a pop of color from a variety of blooming wildflowers. From the bluff prairies to the floodplain forest, you are sure to find wildflowers if only you take a moment to look closely. 

Bloodroot: A single flower is at the end of a naked stem growing directly from the ground. Each flower typically has 8 to 10 white petals, but double flowers sometimes occur. The petals have many parallel veins and often 4 of the petals are longer than the others. In the center is a cluster of many golden yellow-tipped stamens. A flower blooms for only a day or two before dying. Source: Minnesota Wildflowers
Image: National Park Service

Red columbine: Open, branching cluster of hanging, bell-shaped flowers at the top of the plant. The upside-down flowers have 5 yellow petals each rolled into a column and forming a long, red, hollow spur at the top. 5 flaring, red, petal-like sepals alternate with the spurs. A bundle of long, yellow stamens hangs down from the bottom of the bell. Flower is 1 to 2 inches long from the tip of the spur to the tip of the stamens. Source: Minnesota Wildflowers
Image: National Park Service

When walking through the park in the spring, as you wind through the trails underneath budding silver maples and cottonwoods, look down to see the vibrant white of bloodroot blooming. This common flower in the park gets its name from red liquid that seeps from its roots when broken. Another flower you’re likely to find on your travels in the woodland is wild columbine. This bright red flower stands tall and the blooms appear to be upside down. This bloom is a favorite of hummingbirds returning to Minnesota in the spring and bees as they become more active. 

Hoary Pucoon: Single, short-stalked yellow flowers in the axils of 1 to 3 arching branches at the top of the stem, giving the appearance of a (more or less) flat cluster at the top of the plant. Flowers are orange-yellow, ½ inch across, tubular with 5 flaring, rounded petal-like lobes. The stamens are hidden inside the slender tube. Source Minnesota Wildflowers
Image: National Park Service

Spiderwort: A raceme of up to 10 flowers at the top of the stem, and at the ends of branching arising from leaf axils; only 1 to a few open at a time. Flowers are 1 to 2 inches across, 3 round to egg-shaped petals with 6 bright yellow tipped stamens covered in long blue hairs in the lower half. Color ranges from blue to deep blue-violet and is occasionally pink or white. The flowers open in the morning and typically wilt by noon on hot days. Source: Minnesota Wildflowers
Image: National Park Service

When walking in the prairies of the park in the spring, you will notice that yellowed grasses dominate the landscape, but an attentive observer can find many early blooming prairie plants among last year's growth. Many early bloomers are shorter plants as they don’t need to compete with taller grasses for light at this time of the year. You’re sure to spot the bright yellow of hoary puccoon, the electric purple of spiderwort, and the can’t-be-missed, tubular pink blooms of large-flowered beardtongue as you search through the grasses for these gems.  

Wild Bergamot: Round cluster 1 to 2 inches across of tubular flowers, solitary at the end of branching stems arising from leaf axils. Color ranges from purple to lavender to pink, rarely white. Individual flowers have a ¼-inch wide curved lower lip and a thin straight upper lip. The upper lip has a tuft of white hairs at the tip, the lower is hairy on the underside and lobed with a short rectangular extension at the tip that is notched in 2 parts. 2 brown-tipped stamens extend beyond the tip of the upper lip. A tubular calyx holds each flower. Source: Minnesota Wildflowers
Image: National Park Service

American lotus: Single, large pale yellow flower 4 to 10 inches across on a naked stalk rising up to 3 feet above the water. Large oval petals are arranged spirally around a large, spongy yellow-orange pitted receptacle; some outer petals are green and sepal-like. Numerous yellow-orange stamens are spirally arranged around the receptacle. The receptable is up to 4 inches across. Source: Minnesota Wildflowers
Image: National Park Service

A walk in the park during the summer brings an entirely new cast of flowers to the stage. Head to a savanna, prairie or wetland in the park to find an abundance of species. As you walk again in the prairie, sweet smelling wild bergamot can often be found along the trail. Make sure to stop and breathe in its minty fragrance! As you stop to smell the bergamot, you may spot several monarch butterflies dancing amongst the orange and pink flowers of butterfly weed and common milkweed. You will also notice the golden petals of black-eyed susans and gray-headed coneflowers lighting up the prairie as you explore. When you find yourself in a wetter area of the park, near a pond or on the river, take time to look for the prominent blue bloom of blue flag iris, typically blooming just on the shoreline of ponds and lakes. Look out to the calmer sections of water on the river and you will surely spot the white flowered stalks of American lotus and white waterlilies floating. 

Black eyed Susan: 1 to a few long-stalked flower heads at the top of the plant and arising from upper leaf axils. Flowers are 2 to 3 inches across with 8 to 20 yellow-orange petals (ray flowers) and a dark brown or purplish button-shaped to hemispheric to cone-shaped center disk. The disk is covered in dozens of tiny dark purplish-brown flowers that bloom from the bottom of the disk up. Source: Minnesota Wildflowers
Image: National Park Service

Gray-headed coneflower: 1 to 12 flower heads at the top of the plant, single at the tips of long stalks and the tips of branching stems. Flowers have up to 15 spreading to drooping yellow petals (ray flowers), each about 2 inches long, surrounding an erect, round to oval cone ½ to ¾ inches tall. The cone is gray-brown or greenish, covered in hundreds of tiny brown disk flowers that bloom from the bottom of the cone up. The bracts surrounding the base of the flower are narrowly triangular and rough from short, stiff hairs. The long, naked flower stalks are rough and slightly ridged or angled. Source: Minnesota Wildflowers
Image: National Park Service

The park truly puts on a great show of wildflowers in the spring and summer! Remember when searching for wildflowers always follow local guidelines and never pick wildflowers. Bring a field guide to help you identify species. A few other helpful tips- you will often find the most variety of flowers in sunny areas, go searching after a rain storm to see what new species have responded to the rain and bloomed, and follow the insects- where there are insects, there will be flowers! Happy exploring! 

Common Spring Blooms

Prairie: Blue-eyed Grass, Hoary Puccoon, Prairie Violet, Field Pussytoes, Golden Alexander, Large-flowered Beardtongue, Spiderwort, Prairie Smoke, Wild Strawberry, Prairie Phlox, Pasque Flower, Wild Lupine 

Woodland: Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Wild Ginger, Columbine, Wild Blue Phlox, False Solomon’s Seal, Bloodroot, Wild Geranium, Wood Sorrel

Wetland: Skunk Cabbage, Marsh Marigold

Common Summer Blooms

Prairie: Butterfly Weed, White Wild Indigo, Yarrow, Compass Plant, Prairie Sunflower, Wild Bergamot, Common Milkweed, Black-eyed Susan, Coneflowers, Lead Plant, Purple Pairie Clover, White Prairie Clover, Rough Blazing Star, Hyssop, Prairie Onion, New Jersey Tea, Wild Rose, Hoary Vervain, Round-Headed Bush Clover

Woodland: Harebell, Michigan Lily, Canada Anemone, Woodbine, Woodland Sunflower

Wetland: Blue Flag Iris, Great Blue Lobelia, Broad-leafed Arrowhead, Swamp Milkweed, Joe-pye Weed, Smartweed, American Lotus, White Waterlily, Blue Vervain