Phenology

Observations by Gary Fewless for Green Bay WI (Lat.N 44.51° Long. W 88.02° ), except as noted. For flowers lacking conspicuous petals or sepals I define "anthesis" as release of pollen by mature anthers.

August 2001

Observations by Gary Fewless, except as noted

Date	Observation (Click on links for photos)
Aug 29	Late summer flowers have taken over. Goldenrods are very conspicuous now in fields. Ragweed pollen levels are near the peak for Green Bay area--the levels high by nearly anyone's standards.
Aug 8	Zig-zag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) in flower, Door Co (Gary Fewless).
Aug 7	Another prolonged heat wave continues in the Green Bay area. It has been warmer than average and quite humid since July 31 with temperatures in the upper 80's and low 90's. Only 0.18 inches of rain fell so far in August and 0.85 inches in July, which is nearly 2 inches below average for this period. The grass in lawns has generally stopped growing and is turning brown if not watered. Some deeper rooted plants such as Chicory are doing well however.
Aug 5	Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) in flower, Green Bay. It's hard to pinpoint the exact first day, because these flowers do not have showy petals. Common Ragweed and Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) cause more pollen hayfever than all other plants combined. You may notice in the next month that many people will be complaining of "summer colds" that just won't go away. In many cases the cause is actually hayfever caused by ragweed.
Aug 4	Large-leaved Aster (Aster macrophyllus) in flower, Brown County, Suamico. Canadian Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) in flower, UWGB (Gary Fewless).
Aug 3	Although a few plants have been in flower previously, Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola) is now conspicuously in flower in northeastern Wisconsin.