Engineering in Nature: Seed Dispersal Strategy of Lupines



The lupines are, for the most part, done blooming. The other prairie forbs and the grasses tower over the palmate-style leaves of the lupines. But, if you look very carefully, you can spot the seed pods. When they first develop, they resemble lime green pea pods, but fuzzy ones. Then they gradually turn black. And once they have dried, they pop! The shell doesn't just crack open, but both halves twist, flinging the white, rock hard seeds away from the parent plant. I collected some black pods yesterday and left them in a seed tray to dry. The tray is about 2" deep and in the morning, I found seeds and twisted pod halves on the counter around the pan. An amazing amount of power from such a tiny object. 

New seed pods



Dried seed pod just beginning to open



Attracting Birds to Your Yard

Read any book on how to get birds to flock to your yard and you'll see the same ideas over and over: Provide cover. Offer water. Have a variety of seeds, but if you can only afford one - go with sunflower seeds. Have suet available, especially in the winter.

These things all work. The birds love splashing around in the birdbath. Sunflower seeds, millet, milo, safflower seeds, and cracked corn draw not only birds, but chipmunks, rabbits, and squirrels to my yard. The suet disappears within a day from the locusts that are really woodpeckers, chickadees, goldfinches, wrens, and even the red-winged blackbirds. But in the summer, the one thing that attracts more birds than anything else is the mulberry tree.


Ripe mulberries are dark purple.

From mid-June to early July, the berries ripen and draw a wide variety of birds and mammals. These mildly sweet, juicy berries are a magnet for blue jays, robins, cowbirds, catbirds, woodpeckers, flycatchers, cardinals, chickadees, plus squirrels, chipmunks, and even woodchucks. Foxes and raccoons like to eat the berries that fall to the ground.

No denying that, while the berries are ripe, it's messy. There are purple stains on the yard furniture, patio, and driveway.  And if you walk anywhere near the tree, you'd better check the bottom of your shoes to make sure you don't track in any smashed berries. But it's worth it, getting to see all the bird activity. It's like Grand Central Station!



Blue jay in mulberry tree



A prairie by any other name...

Yesterday, at the Metro Training, we had the opportunity to tour the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden in Minneapolis. Our very knowledgeable guide walked us through the bog, trillium woodland, fern glen, hemlock site, and then proudly, took us around their prairie.

When I hear the word "prairie," I envision endless tracts of waving grasses interrupted with patches of colorful forbs. Prairie is where the buffalo roam, where prairie dogs scamper about, where trees don't exist.

What struck me about the EB prairie was its...messy-ness. Everywhere I looked, there were not only grasses and forbs, but shrubs and vines. Rather than a prairie, I guess I'd call what we saw a meadow - that transitional zone bordering woodlands where trees give way to grasses, but conditions favor all the other kinds of plants, too. Like vines and shrubs. It was lovely, and maybe I'm just being picky, but it wasn't prairie the way I see prairie.

Night Lights

Looking out into the darkened backyard last night, I spotted one - a firefly. Like aerial Morse code, it blinked its way across the yard and up into the the trees. Probably of the species Photuris pensylvanica, the males fly around, blinking from their behinds as they try to attract females. But they need to be careful - the females of some other firefly species will signal back to the males, ambush them and eat them! It's tough being a male insect!

A Bug's Life

Walking the Lilly Prairie today, lots of blooming forbs attracted a variety of interesting insects.

Don't expect to see the actual bug, but look for the globs of foam between stems and leaves on a variety of plants. This is where spittlebugs are developing.

Only about 1/2" long, this bland looking insect can take care of itself. It is part of the stink bug family. Look - don't touch!



My favorite bug of the day - it let me take picture after picture without flinching or fleeing. Notice the thick back legs? This is a leaf-footed bug.

Insects are difficult to identify, partly because there are just so many of them and, unlike birds or flowers, I haven't found a regional guide that does a really good job of distinguishing which is which. So, if I've misidentified one of these creatures, let me know!