We're hungry for reports for our Phenology Talkbacks segment. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with your observations, nature tales and insights! Get in touch with me (smitchell@kaxe.org), John Latimer (jlatimer@kaxe.org), or text "phenology" to 218-326-1234.
Acorn intricacies
John Latimer begins the Phenology Report with a discussion on oak trees and this year’s acorn crop.
Acorns have been a topic of much discussion (at least, in some nature-obsessed circles such as the Season Watch Facebook group). John has heard reports of abundant acorns in Akeley, Bemidji and St. Paul. These super-productive years are called “mast years.” (Learn more about mast years in this week’s Phenology Talkbacks!)
Mast crops are typically limited to a geographical area and are not coordinated across the whole species. While oaks in Minnesota might be super-productive, those in Wisconsin might create very few acorns. Even within the limits of a city, there may be patches of super-productive trees intermixed with patches of oaks taking it easy for the year.
White oaks create the preferred acorn for most critters. Squirrels, deer, bears and other acorn-eating animals will exhaust the crop of white oak acorns before turning to their less-preferred option of red oak acorns. (Bears will chew off entire oak branches to feast on the acorns!)
Plant progression
- Leaves turning: Black bindweed.
- Ripening fruit: Northern holly (also known as black alder or winterberry).
- End of flower: Flat-topped aster.
- In flower: Gray goldenrod, purple-stemmed aster and Northern heart-leaved aster.
A closer look
Keep an eye out for the ripening berries on Northern holly bushes. These bushes have distinctive dark-gray bark and deep green leaves. The tips of the branches are covered with a chalky white substance, making the branch tips look frosted.
The berries are bright orange right now but will deepen to a vibrant red as the fall progresses. In some years, John gets many questions from deer hunters about these plants, as the contrast between dark bark and crimson berry makes for a spectacular combination in the autumn forest.
Northern hollies are often found in patches, since the berries are a favorite food of birds. The birds will feast on the berries, perch on a nearby branch, and deposit the seeds in their poop. Up pops a new Northern holly bush, and the cycle continues!
Another distinctive plant John noticed this week is the black bindweed. John spotted the bright red, spear-head shaped leaves vining up and over shrubs, fences, and any other horizontal surface in the forest.
John ended the report by reading his article on how (and why) deciduous trees grow and drop their leaves each season. He also describes why different fall colors become more apparent in the leaves depending on season and weather conditions.
That does it for this week! For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
