Ash Management Guide for Private Forest Landowners

Mesic hardwood forests have a diversearray of wildflowers. Some of theseplants, the ephemerals, make their entireliving in a few weeks before and duringleaf-out of the maples.Wildflowers:• Spring beauties• Dutchman’s breeches• Wild leeks• Dwarf raspberry• Large-leaved aster• Sarsaparilla• Yellow & sessile-leaved bellworts• Canada mayflower• Early meadow rue• Clayton’s sweet cicely• Rose twistedstalk• Hog peanut• Wild ginger• Wood anemone• Yellow violets• Sweet-scented bedstraw• Zig-zag goldenrod• Bluebead lily• Hairy Solomon’s seal• Maryland black snakeroot• Hepatica• Starflower• False Solomon’s seal• Wild strawberry• Red baneberry• Jack-in-the-pulpit• BloodrootGrasses and sedges are not normallyabundant and the most common are:Pennsylvania sedge, peduncled sedge,and mountain rice grass. Where exoticearthworms have infested MH forests,Pennsylvania sedge can form large, continuouslawns. Mesic hardwood forestsare diverse plant communities. On average,one can find 43 different species ofplants in 400m 2 .Some rare plants and animals aredependent upon mesic hardwood foresthabitat in Minnesota.Earthworms should be consideredas a serious threat to native regenerationin the Mesic Hardwood Foresttype.Mesic HardwoodSystemGLOSSARYChapter 5The Native PlantCommunitiesephemerals: Ephemeral plantsare marked by short life cycles,usually 6-8 weeks. Ephemeralmeans transitory or quicklyfading.A MesicHardwood forestPhoto: MN DNR45