Temperatures have dropped to a high of 68 degrees today, but bright sunshine warms the air. The first day of fall — the autumnal equinox — arrives in just two weeks. Our days will start becoming shorter. But there is still so much to see and do in nature!
The blush of fall is just beginning to appear in the treetops. Sumac leaves haven’t even started to turn red yet. A favorite fall flower, smooth blue aster, dots the prairie in pale shades of lavender. Yellow sunflowers flash in the brilliant sunshine and a grasshopper warms itself in the sun.
New England asters boast the deepest shade of purple. Their flower heads are also an example of the Fibonacci sequence of numbers in nature.
Leonardo Bonacci (1170 - ± 1245) was an Italian mathematician who learned about this sequence of numbers from Hindu mathematicians while traveling in North Africa. The sequence is found in many places in nature, especially sunflowers. It also informs the “Golden Ratio” in art and also has influences in music. BBC’s BiteSize offers a great article about the Fibonacci sequence.
Smooth blue aster (left) dots the landscape with pale purple. New England aster provides a perfect visual example of the Fibonacci sequence as it appears in nature.
The last of the liatris, usually monarch magnets, are still blooming, but I only see a single butterfly. Small and white, it flits through the prairie on a jagged flight path. The birds must also be taking their afternoon naps; we see and hear none! At home, hummingbirds are gorging at my feeder, but not here. I check on the latest sightings on Journey North.
Horsemint’s spotted petals have dried and fallen in the past month, leaving its cream-colored bracts surrounding the yellow disk flowers. Even without petals, it’s still such an interesting plant!
As summer fades to fall, a few final liatris (left) bloom and horsemint’s spotted petals fall away.
The woodland is mostly lush green, but white swaths of snakeroot flowers illuminate the shrubbery. Occasional bits of yellow poke out beneath leaves: early goldenrod.
Near the Garden for Wildlife, we stop to watch a red-tailed hawk enjoying a rodent picnic in the grass.
The white flowers of snakeroot (left) stand out against the dense foliage of the woodland. Nearby, a red-tailed hawk enjoys a meal.
The geese in the pond at the Chinese Garden are honking and splashing. My friend Habon enjoys walking through its Moon Gate. According to the Arboretum website, the garden incorporates traditional Chinese principles of balance, harmony and the interconnectedness of all things. And I definitely feel balanced and in harmony after another lovely visit to the Arboretum.
My friend Habon walking through the Moon Gate in the Chinese garden.
Mary Beth Pottratz is a Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer. More information about the program is available at www.minnesotamasternaturalist.org.
Cover photo: New England aster in autumn by Arboretum staff