"Flowers grow out of the darkest moments." - Corita Kent
The winter of 2022-23 was a tough one on the Northern Plains. We were hit with three notable blizzards, temperatures in the minus 20s, and wind that made the world shudder. It came after four years of withering drought that gave me nightmares of The Grapes of Wrath. It seemed quite possible that another dust bowl was just around the corner.
We suffered some dark days. But the winter brought moisture and on Memorial Day we went for a walk to find that the resilient grassland ecosystem was fighting back. We found flowers and photographed them for you.
Biscuitroot Buds
Biscuitroot
Veiny Dock
Spring Parsley
Milkvetch
Tufted Evening Primrose
Thistle Buds
Sunflowers Waiting to Bloom
Wallflowers
Scarlet Bee Blossom
Yellow Salsify
Missouri Foxtail Cactus Flower
Scarlet Globemallow
Prairie Spiderwort
Prairie Onion
Fleabane
Prickly Pear Buds
"Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light." - Theodore Roethke
4 comments
Wildflowers of the Great Plains are nature’s fireworks.