LEARN ABOUT CREATURES

(IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS)

this project is called LOCAL BIOLOGY (until we think of something better)

Dead Plants of Minnesota

Field Guide
Time Period / Issue Number: 

Winter 2009

Page 1: Field Guide Introduction: 

Not all dead plants are created equal. Plants are scattered across the wide wilderness of the cities in all states of decay and distress. This guide highlights some personal favorites.

Something to notice: 

Shaking Stems.
Sometimes, you will see stems popping out of the ground. Where the flower used to be, there are now popped open capsules. All winter the winds, and occasional squirrel, shake the stem and the seeds fall out on the the snow. Then they can scatter quite well all winter.

Wilted Feverfew.
In December, a wilted feverfew plant was soft and pliable while many of the leaves still flying around were crispy.

The slow progression of a dead maple leaf.
Really...how long does it take for the maple leaf to go from it's happy rainbow fall colors to a skeleton? You will have to find out yourself.

Still living.
If you look very closely at the very very tips of most trees...you can find the most swell, swelled buds. These are alive, but mostly they are swimming with glycerins, sugars, and alcohols (and dehydrated) which keeps them alive so that next spring we will still have trees with leaves.

Still living, but very small.
Inside the buds, sometimes the flowers for next year are ready to go as soon as spring hits. Elms do this. Elm buds are reddish. The leaves have lots of stripey veins and jagged edges...so if you see more of those leaves around, you're getting close. Ask a squirrel to climb up and get you a little bit of branch.

Dead and gone, but not forever.
Most of the little plants that come back next spring have roots that are surviving underground. Last fall they sucked back all their juices into their roots and their leaves were left on their own to decay, make mushrooms and other gooey things.

About Local Biology: 

This is part of Local Biology, a project for learning about nature in your neighborhood. http://localbiology.org to find out more.

This is part of the plants in winter series...a first draft.