Trees And Plants You Can Find in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
By Cynthia Schumacher
People come to the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) for hiking and fishing, but the beautiful trees and flowers really make the trek memorable. Whether you’re visiting the floodplain forest near Crosby Farm, visiting the Stone Arch Bridge, or fishing in Spring Lake, you’ll be immersed in nature.
Grab a camera and enjoy the colorful and fragrant greenery.
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area has its share of maple, ash, and oak trees. You'll also find prairie grasses, and sedges, among the savanna ecosystems. Marshy areas are teeming with wetland plants.
Tall Trees
Bur oaks are the most notable trees in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Mature white trees form thick cork-like bark around their trunks. Bur oaks grow from 70 to 80 feet tall with wide-spreading canopies.
Pine, ash, and maple trees are easy to spot in the MNRRA, especially in the fall and winter.
Keep an eye out for trees that have peeling bark. Aspen and birch trees tend to shed, and at a distance, the bark looks white. But underneath the bark is a faint shield of green that seals in chlorophyll to protect them during cold winter months.
Wildflowers
Close your eyes. Feel the sun. Breathe fresh air and sniff a whiff of scented flowers. In the MNRRA, you'll find many kinds of wildflowers like purple and yellow coneflowers, pink meadowsweet, prairie blazing star, black-eyed Susan, New England aster, wild bergamot, and prairie clover.
Grasses
High grasses create an attractive environment for birds and butterflies, especially with the hordes of various wildflowers growing nearby. Among the prairie blades are big bluestem, June grass, dropseed, Canada wild rye, and slender wheatgrass. Check out the savanna at Coldwater Spring for a lovely mix of tall grasses and wildflowers.
Spring
Springtime in the MNRRA brings red blooms of wild columbine and bloodroot. Bright yellow flowers of hoary puccoon sprout up among the prairie grasses. Purple spiderwort and pink beardtongue grow in plain sight.
Also blooming in the MNRRA during spring:
Prairie grasses - Wild strawberry, phlox, pasque flower, lupine, violets, prairie smoke, and golden Alexander.
Wetland Flowers - Marsh marigold and skunk cabbage.
Woodland Flowers - geranium, wood sorrel, wild ginger, and Jack-in-the-pulpit.
Summertime flowers bursting through the prairie of the MNRRA include:
Yarrow
Wild rose
White wild indigo
Purple clover
Hyssop, prairie onion
Bush clover.
Butterfly weed and common milkweed make an appearance in June, July, and August. Near ponds and lakes, you'll find bright shades of blue flag iris among white water lilies and American lotus.
Head over to the woodlands for a look at Canada anemone, woodbine, Michigan lilies, harebell, and woodland sunflowers.
In the marshy areas, you’ll find water lilies, blue vervain, swamp milkweed, great blue lobelia, and smartweed.
Wetlands Plants
Plants in the MNRRA wetlands have adapted to handle periods of drought and oversaturation. While roaming around water-logged areas, you’re bound to see a few silver maple and cottonwood trees.
Common plants in swamps are cattails, skunk cabbage, arrowheads, duckweed, and marsh marigolds. In sedges, you’ll find prairie cordgrass.
Introduced Plants
Introduced plants like black locust, Canada thistle, and reed canary grass are a concern for the MNRRA. The aggressive nature of these species threatens the ecosystem of the wildflowers that thrive here.
Other introduced plants in the region include purple loosestrife, garlic mustard, common buckthorn, and spotted knapweed.
Where to Go
When visiting the MNRRA, add these locations to your must-see list:
Mill Ruins Park (southeast of the Stone Arch Bridge on the west bank). Mostly paved surfaces take you past the ruins of old flour mills and historic markers. Notice the ash trees sprouting up among the ruins.
Water Power Park brings visitors to St. Anthony Falls to see the first hydro-electric plant in the United States.
Minnehaha Regional Park has paved trails leading you to the gorge rim of Minnehaha Falls.
Winchell Trail is an unpaved path on the west bank of the river between Franklin Avenue and 44th street in Minneapolis. Recommended for the experienced hiker.
Enjoy nature and keep it clean. Trees, plants, flowers, birds, wildlife … they’re all waiting to be admired in the MNRRA.
Cynthia Schumacher is a freelance writer and photographer. She enjoys hiking around the country taking pictures of waterfalls and wildflowers. Her past jobs include tech writer, museum docent, and strawberry picker.