Blaine Preserve SNA

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			Anoka County
			Metro Area

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Size

63.8 acres

Maps

Printable Maps with GPS coordinates

Parking

Lexington Memorial Park
N45 8.316, W93 10.601

Hiking Trails

No maintained trails

Hunting

No hunting

Ecological Classification

Province

Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province

Section

Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal

Subsection(s)

Anoka Sand Plain

Land Type Association(s)

Anoka Lake Plain

Native Plant Communities¹

Not mapped (2/2/2018)

Ownership

Links

Minnesota DNR

Comments

Overview
This relatively new Scientific and Natural Area was officially designated June 27, 2011. The 64-acre site consists of two units separated by Lovell Road (County Road 52). It is mostly low wetland with areas of mesic prairie and oak woodland.

This SNA is in a busy suburb and is often visited by local residents. Some parts of the site get a great amount of use and have well-worn footpaths. There is a very well worn footpath beginning 75 yards east of the parking area. It leads north 100 yards then west, through the SNA, to a ball field near the northwest corner of Lexington Memorial Park. Other parts of the SNA are relatively untrammeled, with faint paths used mostly by deer, amateur naturalists, and the site steward.

Visits

5/14/2013

9/11/2013


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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

South Unit
Parking




Wood Routed Sign


Main Trail




Other Trails


Perennial Stream


Wet Prairie


Vernal Season




Serotinal Season


North Unit

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Slideshows

	Blaine Preserve SNA minnesota_snas

	About The Blaine Preserve protects 13 rare plants, including four of Minnesota's endangered species. The largest know Minnesota population of cross-leaved milkwort and the second largest Minnesota population of twisted yellow-eyed grass are found on this site. The predominant native plant community that supports most of these plants is a Graminoid Rich Fen, a low-lying wetland characterized by grasses and sedges growing in peat. Blaine Preserve was protected because of the site's outstanding biodiversity significance, and because only remnants of this community type remain in this rapidly developing part of the metropolitan region.

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Observations


Amphibians	boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) wood frog (Rana sylvatica)

Birds	American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)

Fungi and Lichens	Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa)

Insects and Arachnids	common green darner (Anax junius) dill (Anethum graveolens) dog day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis) goldenrod bunch gall midge (Rhopalomyia solidaginis) goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis) goldenrod spindle-gall moth (Gnorimoschema gallaesolidaginis) monarch (Danaus plexippus) mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) mustard white (Pieris oleracea) orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme) polished lady beetle (Cycloneda munda) viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

Mammals	eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) red fox (Vulpes vulpes) whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Plants	Eleven plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:
	Endangered	cross-leaved milkwort (Polygala cruciata) grassleaf rush (Juncus marginatus) Missouri dewberry (Rubus missouricus) slimspike three-awn (Aristida longespica var. geniculata) tall nutrush (Scleria triglomerata) twisted yelloweyed grass (Xyris torta)

	Threatened	Clinton’s bulrush (Trichophorum clintonii) lance-leaved violet (Viola lanceolata ssp. lanceolata) pale green orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola)

	Special concern	autumn fimbristylis (Fimbristylis autumnalis) St. Lawrence grapefern (Botrychium rugulosum)

	Common Name Scientific Name alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. sativa) alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) American basswood (Tilia americana var. americana) American bugleweed (Lycopus americanus) American burnweed (Erechtites hieraciifolius var. hieraciifolius) American hazel (Corylus americana) American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus) Amur maple (Acer ginnala) Bebb’s willow (Salix bebbiana) big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus) black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina) black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima) black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii) blood milkwort (Polygala sanguinea) blue vervain (Verbena hastata var. hastata) blue vervain (Verbena hastata var. scabra) bog birch (Betula pumila) bog willow (Salix pedicellaris) bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo) bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa) butter and eggs (Linaria vulgaris) Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis) chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. virginiana) cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomea) cleavers (Galium aparine) common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum var. perfoliatum) common burdock (Arctium minus) common cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale) common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus) common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) cross-leaved milkwort (Polygala cruciata) curly dock (Rumex crispus) curlytop knotweed (Persicaria lapathifolia) early meadow rue (Thalictrum dioicum) eastern marsh fern (Thelypteris palustris var. pubescens) eastern panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum var. latifolium) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides var. occidentalis) field thistle (Cirsium discolor) flat-topped aster (Doellingeria umbellata) Fraser’s marsh St. Johnswort (Triadenum fraseri) giant foxtail (Setaria faberi) giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida var. trifida) glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) grass-leaved goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia var. graminifolia) gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) green foxtail (Setaria viridis var. viridis) ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana) horsemint (Monarda punctata var. villicaulis) Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) interrupted fern (Osmunda claytoniana) Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium) long-spine sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) narrow-leaved meadowsweet (Spiraea alba var. alba) narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) nodding ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes cernua) northern blue flag (Iris versicolor) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) northern red oak (Quercus rubra) orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica) paper birch (Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera) prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya) prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) prairie goldenrod (Solidago ptarmicoides) prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) purple false foxglove (Agalinis purpurea var. purpurea) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) rabbit’s foot clover (Trifolium arvense) rabbit-tobacco (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium) red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea) red pine (Pinus resinosa) rough bentgrass (Agrostis scabra) rough rattlesnake root (Nabalus asper) round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) royal fern (Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis) sandbar willow (Salix interior) sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) silver maple (Acer saccharinum) slender willow (Salix petiolaris) small-flowered false foxglove (Agalinis purpurea var. paupercula) smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) spotted Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum) spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos) spotted touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis) steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa) stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida ssp. rigida) stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) swamp betony (Pedicularis lanceolata) swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata) swamp thistle (Cirsium muticum) tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima ssp. altissima) tall meadow rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum) threeway sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum var. arundinaceum) timothy (Phleum pratense) Virginia stickseed (Hackelia virginiana) white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides) white poplar (Populus alba) white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana) white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima var. altissima) wild grape (Vitis riparia) wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) winter vetch (Vicia villosa ssp. villosa) wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea) wool grass (Scirpus cyperinus) yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila) yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta) Acer ginnala (Amur maple) Acer negundo var. negundo (boxelder) Acer saccharinum (silver maple) Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) Agalinis purpurea var. paupercula (small-flowered false foxglove) Agalinis purpurea var. purpurea (purple false foxglove) Ageratina altissima var. altissima (white snakeroot) Agrostis scabra (rough bentgrass) Ambrosia trifida var. trifida (giant ragweed) Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp) Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla) Arctium minus (common burdock) Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana (white sage) Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata (swamp milkweed) Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) Berteroa incana (hoary alyssum) Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera (paper birch) Betula pumila (bog birch) Cenchrus longispinus (long-spine sandbur) Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos (spotted knapweed) Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) Cirsium discolor (field thistle) Cirsium muticum (swamp thistle) Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) Conyza canadensis (Canadian horseweed) Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood) Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood) Corylus americana (American hazel) Doellingeria umbellata (flat-topped aster) Dulichium arundinaceum var. arundinaceum (threeway sedge) Echinacea angustifolia (narrow-leaved purple coneflower) Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye) Erechtites hieraciifolius var. hieraciifolius (American burnweed) Erigeron strigosus (prairie fleabane) Eupatorium perfoliatum var. perfoliatum (common boneset) Euthamia graminifolia var. graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod) Eutrochium maculatum (spotted Joe Pye weed) Fragaria virginiana (common strawberry) Frangula alnus (glossy buckthorn) Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash) Galium aparine (cleavers) Gentiana andrewsii (bottle gentian) Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy) Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed) Helenium autumnale (common sneezeweed) Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke) Heliopsis helianthoides var. occidentalis (false sunflower) Hemerocallis fulva (orange daylily) Impatiens capensis (spotted touch-me-not) Iris versicolor (northern blue flag) Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana (eastern redcedar) Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover) Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya (prairie blazing star) Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs) Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus (bird’s-foot trefoil) Lycopus americanus (American bugleweed) Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower) Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica (ostrich fern) Medicago sativa ssp. sativa (alfalfa) Monarda punctata var. villicaulis (horsemint) Nabalus asper (rough rattlesnake root) Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose) Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) Osmunda claytoniana (interrupted fern) Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis (royal fern) Osmundastrum cinnamomea (cinnamon fern) Oxalis stricta (yellow wood sorrel) Parthenocissus vitacea (woodbine) Pastinaca sativa (wild parsnip) Pedicularis lanceolata (swamp betony) Persicaria lapathifolia (curlytop knotweed) Phleum pratense (timothy) Pinus resinosa (red pine) Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) Plantago rugelii var. rugelii (black-seeded plantain) Polygala cruciata (cross-leaved milkwort) Polygala sanguinea (blood milkwort) Populus alba (white poplar) Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil) Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry) Prunus virginiana var. virginiana (chokecherry) Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium (rabbit-tobacco) Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak) Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa (bur oak) Quercus rubra (northern red oak) Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) Rosa arkansana (prairie rose) Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus (American red raspberry) Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry) Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan) Rumex crispus (curly dock) Salix bebbiana (Bebb’s willow) Salix interior (sandbar willow) Salix pedicellaris (bog willow) Salix petiolaris (slender willow) Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium (little bluestem) Scirpus cyperinus (wool grass) Setaria faberi (giant foxtail) Setaria pumila ssp. pumila (yellow foxtail) Setaria viridis var. viridis (green foxtail) Solidago altissima ssp. altissima (tall goldenrod) Solidago gigantea (giant goldenrod) Solidago nemoralis (gray goldenrod) Solidago ptarmicoides (prairie goldenrod) Solidago rigida ssp. rigida (stiff goldenrod) Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) Spiraea alba var. alba (narrow-leaved meadowsweet) Spiraea tomentosa (steeplebush) Spiranthes cernua (nodding ladies’ tresses) Symphoricarpos occidentalis (wolfberry) Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides (white heath aster) Symphyotrichum laeve (smooth blue aster) Symphyotrichum lanceolatum var. latifolium (eastern panicled aster) Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster) Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion) Thalictrum dasycarpum (tall meadow rue) Thalictrum dioicum (early meadow rue) Thelypteris palustris var. pubescens (eastern marsh fern) Tilia americana (American basswood) Triadenum fraseri (Fraser’s marsh St. Johnswort) Trifolium arvense (rabbit’s foot clover) Trifolium hybridum (alsike clover) Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail) Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm) Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis (stinging nettle) Verbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus (common mullein) Verbena hastata var. hastata (blue vervain) Verbena hastata var. scabra (blue vervain) Vicia villosa ssp. villosa (winter vetch) Vitis riparia (wild grape)