i found this plant in my back yard, and then i spent the better part of this evening trying to identify it. i googled seed heads, mn seed heads, fluffy seed heads, cotton candy seed heads, q tip seed heads, prairie clover seed heads, mn clovers, bottle brush seed heads, cottony seed heads, prairie plants july mn, disturbed soil plants midsummer mn, etc. etc. etc. eventually i turned it over to my husband, who spent more time than i had on the quest, and eventually came up with rabbit foot clover. my point is, if poetry is about evocative and precise use of language, is there a poet around who could have out-poetried the scientist who came up with rabbit foot clover? it’s perfect. it’s poetic. it’s science.

rabbit foot clover

rice creek trail, saint paul, minnesota