Minnesota Seasons

These are locations in Minnesota where native plants, birds, and other wildlife can be viewed. With very few exceptions, these destinations are open to the public.

Visitors can share their own photos, videos, plant and wildlife sightings, and other observations.

Native, naturalized, invasive, or simply planted—any plant growing outside of cultivation in Minnesota.

More than 800 plant pages include photos, a description, a multi-sourced distribution map, and a list of sites where the plant has been found.

Insects and arachnids found in Minnesota.

More than 700 insect and arachnid pages include photos, a description, a list of sightings by MinnesotaSeasons.com, visitor sightings, and distribution maps.

Birds and bears, snakes and squirrels, toads and turtles—wildlife found in Minnesota.

Wildlife pages include photos, a description, and a list of sightings, as well as distribution maps for amphibians, mammals, and reptiles.

Mushrooms, lichens, and other fungi found in Minnesota.

More than 150 fungi and lichen pages include photos, a description, a list of sightings by MinnesotaSeasons.com, visitor sightings, and distribution maps.

Download free high resolution wallpapers (screen backgrounds). These are photos of destinations featured on MinnesotaSeasons.com. The wallpapers are grouped by ecological season. Each wallpaper is optimized for the screen resolutions used most often on desktops, laptops, and tablets.

The autumnal ecological season, called fall in North America but autumn elsewhere, needs no explanation. It is that time when the landscape transitions from summer to winter. It follows the serotinal season (late summer) when leaves of deciduous trees and many forbs and grasses begin to change color, and precedes the the usually snow-blanketed hibernal season (winter). In Minnesota, the Autumnal season usually begins about September 15 and ends about December 1. In the Twin Cities metro area it typically arrives late September to early (north metro) to mid- (south metro) October. Deciduous leaves are in full fall color then turn brown and fall to the ground. Birds migrate back to wintering areas.

The advance of the season can be watched on the Minnesota DNR's Fall Color Finder Web page. The map displayed there is updated daily. The Autumnal season has arrived in those areas colored red (75–100%) and dark brown (past peak). The northwest corner is the first area in Minnesota to see peak fall colors each year.

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Rim Lichens (Lecanora spp.)

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northern bluet (Enallagma annexum)

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porcupine grass (Hesperostipa spartea)

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bog birch (Betula pumila)

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undivided lucent (Didea fuscipes)

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racemed milkwort (Polygala polygama)

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Can-of-worms Lichen (Conotrema urceolatum)

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narcissus bulb fly (Merodon equestris)

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goat’s rue (Tephrosia virginiana)

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braconid wasp (Meteorus spp.)

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walking fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

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linden looper (Erannis tiliaria)

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twoleaf miterwort (Mitella diphylla)

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marsh fly (Tetanocera plebeja)

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mosses (Phylum Bryophyta)

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treehopper (Cyrtolobus tuberosus)

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large crane fly (Tipula trivittata)

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bee-like robber fly (Laphria sericea complex)

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candy-striped spider (Enoplognatha ovata)

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tuberculated crab spider (Tmarus angulatus)

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crabonid wasp (Astata unicolor)

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horned spanworm moth (Nematocampa resistaria)

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cloudy-winged miner bee (Andrena nubecula)

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boreal combfoot (Steatoda borealis)

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buttercup cuckoo sweat bee (Sphecodes ranunculi)

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ichneumon wasp (Melanichneumon spp.)

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ichneumon wasp (Colpotrochia trifasciata)

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spurred carpenter bee (Ceratina calcarata)

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tachinid fly (Subfamily Exoristinae)

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six-spotted orbweaver (Araniella displicata)

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dwarf spider (Ceraticelus fissiceps)

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potter wasp (Leptochilus spp.)

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square-headed wasp (Ectemnius maculosus)

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square-headed wasp (Tribe Crabronini)

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harvestman (Leiobunum politum)

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short-winged meadow katydid (Conocephalus brevipennis)

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dark-winged fungus gnat (Eugnoriste spp.)

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tuftlegged orbweaver (Mangora placida)

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orchard orbweaver (Leucauge venusta)

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arabesque orbweaver (Neoscona arabesca)

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lattice orbweaver (Araneus thaddeus)

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Potter’s funnelweb spider (Agelenopsis potteri)

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lined orbweaver (Mangora gibberosa)

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European pine sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer)

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pale green weevil (Polydrusus impressifrons)

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leaf miner flies (Liriomyza spp.)

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chalcid wasp (Family Torymidae)

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gall midges and wood midges (Family Cecidomyiidae)

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metallic wood-boring beetle (Agrilus cyanescens)

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plains wild indigo (Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea)