The result of more than 24 hours of snow then rain then more snow was a disappointing 3 to 4 inches of snow on the ground yesterday morning (I had been hoping for a little more snow, and a lot less rain). It did make for a lovely walk wintery though. 

Although I more often walk in the forest, yesterday I visited the south portion of Crane Wildlife Management Area, which is dominated by open fields. I always find the various structures of “winter wildflowers” (i.e., the dried stalks, seed heads and other remains of last season’s flowers) intriguing, but the fresh layer of snow seemed to make them pop – covering up the “background noise” of low grasses and fallen leaves. Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and goldenrods (Solidago sp.) are by far the most numerous plants at this location, but there were a number of less common winter wildflowers that stood out due to their height, their structure, or both. Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) was one of these. 

Wild bergamot typically grows 2 to 3 feet high, but these individuals pictured here were probably closer to 4 feet tall. When in flower (typically July to August), individual lilac to pink tube-like flowers are arranged in dense heads at the tips of the stems. In the winter, all that remains of each flower is an individual calyx tube. “Calyx” is the term for when the sepals (the other circle of leaves at the base of a flower) are fused into a single tube-like structure. In the dried winter form of wild bergamot, these calyx tubes are crowded into dense, rounded heads. As a member of the mint family, wild bergamot also has square stems, opposite leaves and branches, and minty scent when crushed.

Next time you go for a walk, pay close attention to what’s left of the wildflowers around you. How many different kinds can you find?