Late Summer Blues

Aug 30, 2023

By Christian Begeman

I recently went through a spot of late summer blues. You might think I’m referring to the upcoming end of summer, and that is a bit disconcerting, but that isn’t exactly it. Late summer blue colored wildflowers inspired this column. In certain remnant tallgrass prairies and fens of eastern South Dakota, wild blue gentians and other blue and purple shaded allies start their blooms this time of year. These wildflowers seem like they’ve borrowed their hues from a late summer evening sky. Dotted amongst the green and yellow found in the August grass-scapes, it’s almost as if the summer sky has rained a little drop of its own color down onto the swaying prairie.

Growing up in the mixed grass prairies of rural Ziebach and Dewey counties in the 1980s, I thought August was one of the worst months of the year. It was often unbearably hot and usually dry. Tumbleweeds, grasshoppers, dust and wind seem to stick in my memory. Plus, August meant it was nearly time to go back to school. That in itself was enough for me to dislike the month in general. It wasn’t until I started searching out native wildflowers on the northern plains that I realized August was actually full of color and delights.

This August, I found myself in rural Stanley County gazing over vast sunflower fields with fresh blooms to start the month. Later, I roamed the hills of Foster Bay Recreation Area finding wild four-o’clocks, purple gayfeather with plenty of pollinators and even ripe plums in the thickets at the top of the draws between the hillsides. Mid-month, I discovered a few more nature areas in Grant and Moody counties. It was there that the blues really kicked in. I found and photographed bottle gentian, lesser-fringed gentian and blue lobelia.

I recently took a final August trip through rural Brookings and Deuel counties. The Aurora Prairie Nature Preserve, Jacobsen Fen and 7-Mile Fen Preserves provided more blues as well as late season white wildflowers, including a favorite orchid called Great Plains ladies-tresses.

These late summer blooms arrive just in time for the monarch butterfly migration that is about to get into full swing. Other pollinators like bees, flower flies and various beetles will accompany you if you choose to go out and experience the blues yet this season. There is a lot that goes on in those stretches of grassland and wetlands that often gets overlooked. I will admit that the ticks, deer flies and mosquitos can be a deterrent, but strong repellent and a nice summer breeze will mitigate the annoyance and hopefully allow you to really enjoy those late summer blues.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he's not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.