It was time for the annual "leaf tour" with our friends Gary & Rosie. This year we also worked in a hike along the Shooting Star bike trail. Baron led the way. It has been an absolutely stunning Oct. The essence of what we Minnesotans call "Indian Summer." Warm and sunny. No rain. And the knowledge that our Artic type winter cannot be far away.Rosie, the intrepid photographer, spots a butterfly on the trail and manuevers for the right angle.
While the prarie landscape surrounding the bike trail has that drab late fall brownness about it, I'm alert to patches of color here and there. The fall trifecta of New England Asteers, White Asters and Stiff Goldenrod makes their appearance here and there along the trail. 
It's the Stiff Goldenrod that catches my attention this time. Knowing that its was some kind of a late season goldenrod, I couldn't quite put a name on it. Checking my wildflower books turned up the corect I.D.
Stiff Goldenrod (Hard-leaved Goldenrod)Oligoneuron rigidum (Solidago rigida)
Stiff goldenrod is a common plant in midwestern prairies.
• Family: Aster (Asteraceae) • Habitat: open, dry, rocky or sandy areas• Height: 1-5 feet• Flower size: small; arranged in flat-topped clusters 3-5 inches across• Flower color: yellow• Flowering time: August to September• Origin: native
Stiff goldenrod is a common plant in midwestern prairies.
• Family: Aster (Asteraceae) • Habitat: open, dry, rocky or sandy areas• Height: 1-5 feet• Flower size: small; arranged in flat-topped clusters 3-5 inches across• Flower color: yellow• Flowering time: August to September• Origin: native
For us northerners late fall can be a special season. A hint of cooling wind from the North. The warm rays of sun. And the "last roses" of summer. Enjoy it while you can!
What a great hike. I like the paved trals when I take the dog just to keep all the seed out of its coat.I always carry a comb to help with that.The flowers are getting sparse, but I look for color with my shots. I'm still seeing frogs,toads and turtles, thinking this may be a bit late, we are not far from a frost. I enjoy this weather and spend my days observing it to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteWow, this looks like a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteHere in milder climes we also have a native goldenrod blooming in the early fall, so lovely. For us it foretells not a season of artic blasts but rain, rain, rain.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen that goldenrod here in Tennessee, though we do have prairie remnants.It must grow on the northermost prairie. Are you still seeing Monarch butterflies?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful area. Yep, I'm out enjoying it as much as I can. And you can tell it from the way my house looks!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that what I've been looking at all these years was named Stiff Goldenrod. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteI luv the phrase Indian Summer and don't hear it very often these days. It's a wonderful time of the year, isn't it? Maybe we could put some of this weather in a jar and save it for later.
Nice that you and your wife and Baron could enjoy such a beautiful with your friends.
donna
Great post - lovely shots of the flowers and scenery - how long is that tongue of Baron's anyway???
ReplyDeleteWell, I just learned something and thank you! Goldenrod (my state's flower) is from the aster family? I did not know that. We actually have it growing all over here -- even in the yard. Glad that you and your pack got to see it, along with it's sister flower, the aster. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd so the seasons move one. I never know which I enjoy most, spring ot autumn, each has such wonderful colors and the temps are perfect.
ReplyDeleteWe've had big huge fields of goldenrod interspersed with ironweed and it's been just gloriously beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteOur Goldenrod and Aster are blooming too. Happy fall!
ReplyDeleteYour post title sure piqued my curiosity, TB. I thought maybe it was going to be a postmortem description of something in your garden:) Back home in Illinois, ragweed and goldenrod bloom at about the same time, and the goldenrod gets blamed time and again for people's hayfever symptoms. It's not fair that such a useful, beautiful plant gets such bad press. Maybe if enough bloggers dispel that myth, goldenrod would get more favorable notice.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of stiff goldenrod. It must have to be very upright to stand all the winds on the prairie? Very neat.
ReplyDeleteKia ora TB,
ReplyDeleteGreat tramp on a beautiful fall day. Man, makes me homesick for the lovely autumn days in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I breath deep of your photos and the aroma is upon me. Thanks!
Cheers,
Robb
I C D Dog!
ReplyDeleteJane
Beautiful area. Don't you love wildflowers? Ironically our goldenrod is also blooming now. I don't remember what variety it is, but it can get pretty tall and each stalk sports multiple heads in a fan-like shape. People call them "weeds." I call them beautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely photo of the Goldenrod..it is one of my favorites too. We are real brown up here..One of my blog readers sent me an email she used to fish with her Dad on Blueberry Lake..the one at Menahga was called Blueberry or Lower Blueberry..opposed to Upper Blueberry where we were the other day...or Little Blueberry. Today Chance and I visited Round Lake..I suppose there are many of them here in MN too. It was windy enough today to have white caps:)
ReplyDeleteNice find on the goldenrod. Love the asters & how they hang on through some pretty harsh frosts. Looks like the weather is turning here today--maybe snow this week.
ReplyDelete