The flowering season is coming to an end but the fruits of plants’ seasonal labours are now in full evidence as many species ripen their fruits in August and September, particularly those that produce drupes, berries and nuts. Once the seeds inside are dispersed, there is a chance that they will germinate and produce the next generation.
These fruits also provide a lifeline for animals, which must also store food for the winter, as well as migrating birds. What is not so evident are the underground roots and storage organs of perennial plants where the food that has been manufactured by photosynthesis all season is stored, providing the reserves that the plants will draw on for new growth next spring, and in many cases allowing for vegetative reproduction.
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 2024-08-17. Photo: K. Mpulubusi.
Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 2024-08-22. Photo: K. Mpulubusi.
Beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta), Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 2024-08-17. Photo: K. Mpulubusi.
Woods' rose (Rosa woodsii), Fort Saskatchewan Prairie, 2024-08-26. Photo: M. Parseyan.
Fireberry hawthorn (Crataegus chrysocarpa), Parlby Creek, 2024-08-24. Photo: S. Neuman.
Purple prairie-clover seedhead (Dalea purpurea), Fort Saskatchewan Prairie, 2024-08-26. Photo: M. Parseyan.
Bracted honeysuckle (Lonicera involucrata), Magee Lake Natural Area, 2024-08-24. Photo: S. Neuman.
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), Magee Lake Natural Area, 2024-08-24. Photo: S. Neuman.