July 1998

     Happenings in and around Linnaeus Arboretum

Listed below are a few observations from a year ago in the Linnaeus Arboretum area, and out of the area when indicated. These events can be used to anticipate upcoming July happenings and will help to compare this year with last.

1- Common milkweed at bloom peak and very fragrant.  Gardeners busy picking ripe raspberries.  At Linnaeus Arboretum in St. Peter, chipping sparrows, eastern bluebirds, American robins and both tree and barn swallows have nests with eggs.nbsp; In Rochester area, first sweet corn harvested.  First ripe wild blueberries in Finland, Minn, area.

2 - Field corn tasseling.  Mosquitoes bothersome.  Cicadas buzzing. Adam's needle yucca blooming nicely in gardens.

3 - The surface temperature of Lake Waconia is a warm 80o F.  Canada thistle has begun shedding seeds on downy carriers.

4 - Some field corn in Waconia area, is 7 feet tall.  Lawns lush green.  Tawny daylily and bird's-foot trefoil at bloom peak.  House wren sings much of the day.  In Fairmont area, some field corn is 9 feet tall.

5 - Butternut trees showing a few yellow leaflets; the first tree species to exhibit fall color.  Meteor cherries and garden highbush blueberries are ripe.  Most chimney swifts enter their roosting chimneys between 9:20 and 9:40 p.m. CDT.

6 - Staghorn sumac fruit clusters now red.  Bumble bees visit hosta flowers.  At Walker, Leech Lake surface temperature is 72oF, purple martins feed dragonflies to their nestlings, fireweed and basswood trees bloom, and lawns are green and growing.

7 - Field corn has begun silking.  Spring wheat, oats, rye and barley turning ripe.  At Linnaeus Arboretum in St. Peter, red mulberry fruit is ripe, big bluestem grass is up 5 feet and starting to flower, and leadplant is at bloom peak.

8 - Peak of harvest for second alfalfa crop.  First new generation of monarch butterflies on the wing.  Heard first katydid.  First ripe garden raspberries at Grygla.

9 - First long-horned milkweed beetles.  Garden roses blooming nicely and very showy; garden lilium and clematis too.

10 - First ripe garden tomato.  Soybeans blooming and honey bees visiting.  Wheat harvest begins in Waconia and Arlington area.  Cicadas buzzing up to 9:40 p.m.  At Spicer, the surface temperature of Green Lake is 78o F, and Baltimore orioles bring their young to sugar-water feeders.

11 - First locally grown sweet corn for sale.  At Maple Grove, 52 great egrets were observed in one pond.  Juneberry fruit is ripe, and both black-eyed susan and pearly everlasting are starting to flower at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center near Finland.

12 - Great ragweed first shedding pollen.  Hackberry butterflies on the wing.  First cabbage harvested from Grygla area garden.  Statewide, an estimated 38 percent of the field corn acreage has started tasseling; well ahead of last year's pace of 1 percent and the five-year average of 5 percent.

13 - Canada thistle casting off seeds in huge numbers.  Garden daylilies very showy.  Pods on female Kentucky coffee trees about 6 inches long and still green.  Squirrels eating white oak acorns.  First snowy tree cricket chirping.

14 - Woodland sunflower starts blooming.  Common milkweeds still blooming and have some pods up to 4 inches long.  Geraniums, petunias, snapdragons and marigolds flowering nicely in annual gardens.

15 - First Canada geese flying after the June molt.  First flying Carolina grasshopper of the year.  Eastern bluebirds are nesting a second time.  Showy blooming garden annuals include: zinnia, sweet alyssum, ageratum and celosia.

16 - The second generation of eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies is on the wing.  Mallards starting to fly after molt.  Glads have begun blooming.

17 - First bull thistle flower opened.  European mountain ash fruit is light orange.  Purple prairie clover, gray-headed coneflower and turkey-foot grass all blooming nicely on southern Minnesota prairies.

18 - Garden phlox have very showy flowers.  Wild blackcap raspberries and gooseberries are ripe.  At Prairie Farm, Wisc., indigo buntings, chipping sparrows and chimney swifts are vocal; and evening primrose, monarda, and tall sunflower are among showy blooming roadside wildflowers.

19 - Red admiral butterflies nectaring on purple coneflowers.  Monarch butterfly females busy laying eggs on milkweed leaves.  Statewide, soybeans have reached the blooming stage or beyond on about 78 percent of the acreage, which is 11 days ahead of the five-year average.

20 - Purple loosestrife at bloom peak in wetlands, and is loaded with reddish--purple flower spikes about 1 foot long.  In Carlton County, fireweed is at bloom peak and very showy.  At Grand Marais, juneberries are ripe, numerous and very good eating; and the surface temperature of Lake Superior just outside the harbor is 51o F.

21 - American robins are feeding on red-osier dogwood fruit.  Plato area farmers start harvesting oats and spring wheat.  In Finland, Minn. area, the first thimbleberries are ripe, bunchberry has orange-red fruit, and fireflies were out this evening.

22 - European mountain ash fruit is a medium orange color.  Plato area farmers start cutting third crop of alfalfa.  Juneberry and blueberry picking and eating is great at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center near Finland.

23 - Choke cherries are ripe.  American goldfinches have begun nest building.  At Finland, the first pin cherries are ripe.

24 - Garden roses at their July bloom peak.  Showy blooming wildflowers along the North Shore of Lake Superior include fireweed, tall sunflower, pearly everlasting, black-eyed susan, turtlehead and Joe-Pye-weed.

25 - Northland crab has some fruit which is now ripe and good eating.  Birds feed on ripe common elderberry fruit.  Garter snake young are being born.

26 - Both common and great ragweeds shedding pollen.  Myriads of Canada thistle seeds being launched on their carriers.  Joe-Pye-weed and Queen Anne's lace now blooming.

27 - Birds eating ripe wild choke cherries.  Northern cardinal male whistles over and over on territory.  Monarch butterflies becoming more numerous.

28 - More flocks of Canada geese in flight.  Green acorns of the bur oak being taken by squirrels.  First morning glory flowers.  Canada goldenrod beginning to bloom.

29 - First ripe wild plum fruit.  Black field crickets, cone-headed grasshoppers and snowy tree crickets calling this evening.

30 - Second broods of barn swallow young are hatching.  Cologne and Waconia area farmers are harvesting third crop of alfalfa.

31 - Highbush cranberry fruit is mostly red.  Virginia creeper fruit is starting to ripen.  Rugosa roses continue to have many fragrant flowers.