Afton State Park
About • Location • Activities • Ecology
About |
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Overview |
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History |
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Management |
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Location |
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Size |
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1,620 acres |
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Driving Directions |
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Parking |
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6959 Peller Avenue South N44 50.801, W92 47.482 |
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Hours |
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Daily from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. |
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Fees |
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Daily park permit: $7 Annual park permit: $35 |
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Maps |
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Activities |
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Hiking Biking Mountain biking Horseback riding Picnicking Camping Backpacking Rock climbing and bouldering Swimming Boating Canoeing Birding Nature photography Geocaching Cross country skiing Skate-skiing Winter hiking Snowshoeing Snowmobiling |
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Trails |
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Hunting and Fishing |
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No hunting. The park may hold one or more managed hunts in the fall. In most cases, Minnesota residents do not need a permit to fish in Minnesota State Parks. |
Ecology |
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Ecological Classification |
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| Ecological Province |  |
Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province | |||
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Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal | |||
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St. Paul-Baldwin Plains and Moraines | |||
| Land Type Association | Afton Bedrock Hills Stillwater Alluvial Plain |
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Native Plant Communities* |
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Dry Bedrock Bluff Prairie (Southern) Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Southern) Oak - (Red Maple) Woodland Red Oak - White Oak - (Sugar Maple) Forest Silver Maple - (Virginia Creeper) Floodplain Forest |
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| * Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources | |||||
Natural Features |
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Visitor Photos |
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Robert Briggs |
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Park office and visitors center |
A bright tree in the upper picnic area | |
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Southern River trail |
Dock near the beach area, North River Trail | |
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Path |
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Kirk Nelson |
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| Off the Prairie Loop Trail in the northern part of the park |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Prairie |
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Prairie |
Oak - (Red Maple) Woodland | |
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St. Croix River inlet |
Deer Valley Loop | |
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Prairie Loop |
Prairie Loop shelter | |
Slideshows |
Afton State Park |
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Afton State Park, MN - fall 2005 |
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About
afton state park |
Afton State Park 10-12-2012 |
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Afton State Park |
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Afton State Park |
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About
Afton State Park, MN |
Day hike to Afton State Park August 22, 2011 |
About
Uploaded on Aug 22, 2011 Afton State Park. They have 20 miles of hiking trails. I only covered a little over 6 today. |
Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Afton State Park |
About
Published on Jun 4, 2013 Backpacking at Afton State Park (in Minnesota) with my good friend Kari. There is a nice 1-mile hike in to their backpacking campground. About half of the sites are shaded and private, and the other half are out in the open for the world to see. Thankfully our site was very private. Beware — there are raccoons, despite the park rangers telling us otherwise. After an early evening invasion, we ended up hanging our food between trees. There is wood, water and vault toilets at the campground, though the toilets can be a bit of a walk depending on the site. |
Afton State Park Shakedown 2010 |
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Uploaded on Oct 10, 2010 No description available. |
Hammocks and hiking at Afton State Park w/ Hillbilly Deluxe (READ DESCRIPTION) |
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Published on Oct 28, 2013 REDONE DUE TO CAMERA ISSUES... Temps, down to the low 20 deg. F. just a ittle footage of Afton State Park, hiking and commentary on the park, sorry for the shake and rattle, it's definitely time for a new camera Thanks for watching.. SUBSCRIBE. AND LIKE, THANKS |
Afton solo trip Part 1 |
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Uploaded on Apr 9, 2011 A solo overnighter at Afton State Park in Minnesota. I go through some of my backpacking gear and show off my hammock. I also get serenaded by some obnoxious wild turkeys!!! |
Afton solo trip Part 2 |
About
Uploaded on Apr 9, 2011 A solo overnighter at Afton State Park in Minnesota. I go through some of my backpacking gear and show off my hammock. I also get serenaded by some obnoxious wild turkeys!!! |
Visitor Sightings |
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Robert Briggs |
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Fungi and Lichens |
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bracket fungus (Trametes pubescens) Crowded Parchment (Stereum complicatum) |
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Insects and Arachnids |
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Plants |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
Visits |
8/14/2004 4/28/2009 9/30/2009 10/15/2014 4/17/2015 11/4/2015 |
Amphibians |
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| boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) |  |
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Fishes |
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Fungi and Lichens |
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Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum) Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa) bracket fungus (Trametes pubescens) Common Greenshield Lichen (Flavoparmelia caperata) False Tinder Fungus (Phellinus igniarius) False Turkey Tail (Stereum ostrea) Flowery Blewit (Lepista irina) Hoof Fungus (Fomes fomentarius) Late Oyster (Sarcomyxa serotina) |
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Insects and Arachnids |
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American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) Carolina grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) differential grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis) mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) soldier beetle (Silis percomis) |
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Mammals |
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American beaver (Castor canadensis) American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) |
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Plants |
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Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas and Minnesota Biological Survey Vegetation Releves Plant List |
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Plants frequently found in: Dry Bedrock Bluff Prairie (Southern) UPs13c Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Southern) UPs13b Oak - (Red Maple) Woodland FDs37a |
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Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) American basswood (Tilia americana var. americana) American bugleweed (Lycopus americanus) American highbush cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. americanum) American hog peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata) American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana) American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus) annual fleabane (Erigeron annuus) asparagus (asparagus officinalis) Balkan catchfly (Silene csereii) big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus) bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina) black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) black maple (Acer saccharum ssp. nigrum) black medick (Medicago lupulina) black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima) black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii) bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) blue giant hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) blue vervain (Verbena hastata) bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis) bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa) butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa ssp. interior) Canada anemone (Anemonastrum canadense) Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) Canada lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) Canada moonseed (Menispermum canadense) Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) Canadian horseweed (Erigeron canadensis) Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) Canadian woodnettle (Laportea canadensis) candle anemone (Anemone cylindrica) common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum var. perfoliatum) common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) common burdock (Arctium minus) common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale) common false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus) common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) common St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum) common selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) compass plant (Silphium laciniatum) crown vetch (Securigera varia) Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum) Deptford pink (Dianthus armeria ssp. armeria) desert false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) early horse gentian (Triosteum aurantiacum var. aurantiacum) early meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum) eastern bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) eastern false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) elm-leaved goldenrod (Solidago ulmifolia var. ulmifolia) field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) Flodman’s thistle (Cirsium flodmanii) garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) greater fringed gentian (Gentianopsis crinita) Grecian foxglove (Digitalis lanata) green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) hairy hedge nettle (Stachys pilosa var. pilosa) hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium) hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana) Illinois tick-trefoil (Desmodium illinoense) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) Michigan lily (Lilium michiganense) mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare) New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) northern maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) northern red oak (Quercus rubra) northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) orange hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca) ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica) paleleaf woodland sunflower (Helianthus strumosus) paper birch (Betula papyrifera) partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata var. fasciculata) pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) Pennsylvania smartweed (Persicaria pensylvanica) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) pointed-leaved tick-trefoil (Hylodesmum glutinosum) poke milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) prairie crabapple (Malus ioensis) prairie ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata ssp. fasciculata) prairie onion (Allium stellatum) purple locoweed (Oxytropis lambertii var. lambertii) purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea var. purpurea) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota ssp. carota) rabbit’s foot clover (Trifolium arvense) rabbit-tobacco (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium) red clover (Trifolium pratense) red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa) red maple (Acer rubrum var. rubrum) red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea) rough bedstraw (Galium asprellum) rough cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium) rough oxeye (Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra) round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) round-leaved dogwood (Cornus rugosa) round-lobed hepatica (Anemone americana) rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine) sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) silky dogwood (Cornus obliqua) silver maple (Acer saccharinum) smooth hedge nettle (Stachys tenuifolia) spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos) spotted lady’s thumb (Persicaria maculosa) stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) sugar maple (Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum) tall thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana) upright carrionflower (Smilax ecirrhata) Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum) western bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum) western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) white ash (Fraxinus americana) white clover (Trifolium repens ssp. repens) white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides) white prairie clover (Dalea candida) white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima var. altissima) white sweet clover (Melilotus albus) white wild indigo (Baptisia alba var. macrophylla) whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea) yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila) yellow goat’s beard (Tragopogon dubius)
Acer rubrum var. rubrum (red maple) Acer saccharinum (silver maple) Acer saccharum ssp. nigrum (black maple) Acer saccharum ssp. saccharum (sugar maple) Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) Adiantum pedatum (northern maidenhair) Agastache foeniculum (blue giant hyssop) Ageratina altissima var. altissima (white snakeroot) Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) Allium stellatum (prairie onion) Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) Amorpha fruticosa (desert false indigo) Amphicarpaea bracteata (American hog peanut) Anaphalis margaritacea (pearly everlasting) Andropogon gerardi (big bluestem) Anemone acutiloba (sharp-lobed hepatica) Anemone americana (round-lobed hepatica) Anemonastrum canadense (Canada anemone) Anemone cylindrica (candle anemone) Anemone virginiana (tall thimbleweed) Arctium minus (common burdock) Asarum canadense (Canadian wild ginger) Asclepias exaltata (poke milkweed) Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) Asclepias tuberosa ssp. interior (butterfly weed) Asclepias verticillata (whorled milkweed) Asparagus officinalis (asparagus) Baptisia alba var. macrophylla (white wild indigo) Berteroa incana (hoary alyssum) Betula papyrifera (paper birch) Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama) Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed) Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge) Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory) Celtis occidentalis (northern hackberry) Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos (spotted knapweed) Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare (mouse-ear chickweed) Chamaecrista fasciculata var. fasciculata (partridge pea) Cirsium flodmanii (Flodman’s thistle) Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) Convolvulus arvensis (field bindweed) Cornus obliqua (silky dogwood) Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood) Cornus rugosa (round-leaved dogwood) Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood) Dalea candida (white prairie clover) Dalea purpurea var. purpurea (purple prairie clover) Daucus carota ssp. carota (Queen Anne’s lace) Desmodium illinoense (Illinois tick-trefoil) Dianthus armeria ssp. armeria (Deptford pink) Digitalis lanata (Grecian foxglove) Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye) Elymus hystrix (eastern bottlebrush grass) Enemion biternatum (eastern false rue anemone) Equisetum arvense (field horsetail) Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine (scouring rush horsetail) Eragrostis spectabilis (purple lovegrass) Erigeron annuus (annual fleabane) Erigeron canadensis (Canadian horseweed) Eupatorium perfoliatum var. perfoliatum (common boneset) Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry) Fraxinus americana (white ash) Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash) Galium asprellum (rough bedstraw) Galium boreale (northern bedstraw) Gentiana andrewsii (bottle gentian) Gentianopsis crinita (greater fringed gentian) Helenium autumnale (common sneezeweed) Helianthus strumosus (paleleaf woodland sunflower) Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra (rough oxeye) Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum (Virginia waterleaf) Hylodesmum glutinosum (pointed-leaved tick-trefoil) Hypericum perforatum (common St. Johnswort) Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (eastern redcedar) Lactuca canadensis (Canada lettuce) Laportea canadensis (Canadian woodnettle) Leonurus cardiaca ssp. cardiaca (common motherwort) Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover) Lilium michiganense (Michigan lily) Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus (bird’s-foot trefoil) Lycopus americanus (American bugleweed) Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum (common false Solomon’s seal) Malus ioensis (prairie crabapple) Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica (ostrich fern) Medicago lupulina (black medick) Melilotus albus (white sweet clover) Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet clover) Menispermum canadense (Canada moonseed) Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana (American hophornbeam) Oxytropis lambertii var. lambertii (purple locoweed) Parthenocissus vitacea (woodbine) Persicaria maculosa (spotted lady’s thumb) Persicaria pensylvanica (Pennsylvania smartweed) Pilosella aurantiaca (orange hawkweed) Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) Plantago rugelii var. rugelii (black-seeded plantain) Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera (plains cottonwood) Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen) Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) Prunella vulgaris (common selfheal) Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry) Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium (rabbit-tobacco) Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum (western bracken fern) Pycnanthemum virginianum (Virginia mountain mint) Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak) Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa (bur oak) Quercus rubra (northern red oak) Ratibida pinnata (gray-headed coneflower) Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn) Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) Rubus allegheniensis (Allegheny blackberry) Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus (American red raspberry) Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan) Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (red elderberry) Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot) Saponaria officinalis (bouncing bet) Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) Securigera varia (crown vetch) Setaria pumila ssp. pumila (yellow foxtail) Silene csereii (Balkan catchfly) Silphium laciniatum (compass plant) Smilax ecirrhata (upright carrionflower) Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade) Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod) Solidago flexicaulis (zigzag goldenrod) Solidago nemoralis (gray goldenrod) Solidago rigida (stiff goldenrod) Solidago speciosa (showy goldenrod) Solidago ulmifolia var. ulmifolia (elm-leaved goldenrod) Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) Stachys pilosa var. pilosa (hairy hedge nettle) Stachys tenuifolia (smooth hedge nettle) Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides (white heath aster) Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster) Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion) Thalictrum dioicum (early meadow-rue) Thalictrum thalictroides (rue anemone) Thuja occidentalis (northern white cedar) Tilia americana var. americana (American basswood) Toxicodendron rydbergii (western poison ivy) Tragopogon dubius (yellow goat’s beard) Trifolium arvense (rabbit’s foot clover) Trifolium hybridum (alsike clover) Trifolium pratense (red clover) Trifolium repens ssp. repens (white clover) Triosteum aurantiacum var. aurantiacum (early horse gentian) Uvularia grandiflora (large-flowered bellwort) Vaccinium angustifolium (lowbush blueberry) Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein) Verbena hastata (blue vervain) Vernonia fasciculata ssp. fasciculata (prairie ironweed) Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver’s root) Viburnum opulus var. americanum (American highbush cranberry) |
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Created: 10/22/2016 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |