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Like lemonade? Try sumac-ade, a wild alternative!

Vibrant red berries of a staghorn sumac pop out amongst green leaves.
Contributed
/
Melody Dunning via iNaturalist
A staghorn sumac shows its ripe red seedheads in Maple Grove on July 12, 2025.

During the Phenology Report for the week of July 21, 2026 Staff Phenologist John Latimer remarks on sumac, ripe berries, and a veritable rainbow of wildflowers.

This week on John Latimer's phenology report we learn about the height of summer in Northern Minnesota: berry season, baby birds and tadpoles almost becoming frogs!

He'll also connect us the flowers currently in bloom, by color. Like the tall yellow flowers of brown eyed Susans, mullein and the invasive tansy.

Send us your nature notes via Speak Pipe - and share this information and podcast with your friends!

For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter and podcast or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.

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Charlie Mitchell (she/they) joined KAXE in February of 2022. Charlie creates the Season Watch Newsletter, produces the Phenology Talkbacks show, coordinates the Phenology in the Classroom program, and writes nature-related stories for KAXE's website. Essentailly, Charlie is John Latimer's faithful sidekick and makes sure all of KAXE's nature/phenology programs find a second life online and in podcast form.<br/><br/><br/>With a background in ecology and evolutionary biology, Charlie enjoys learning a little bit about everything, whether it's plants, mushrooms, or the star-nosed mole. (Fun fact: Moles store fat in their tails, so they don't outgrow their tunnels every time conditions are good.)
For more than two decades, Heidi Holtan has helped shape the sound of KAXE. Since joining the station in 2002 as a volunteer music programmer, she has worn many hats including the weekly book program, Realgoodwords, hosting the Morning Show, creation and host of the weekly call-in program Between You and Me, serving as Outreach Producer. Program Director, News Director and currently Director of Content and Public Affairs.
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