WARNING! This Minnesota Spring Pastime Could Land You in Jail
After a long and at times, unending winter, it's finally springtime in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. The hiking trails are open, the campsites are starting to fill up and at long last, folks are getting their boats out on the water.
While there are plenty of fun things to do in Minnesota during the spring, one seemingly harmless outdoor activity could land you behind bars in the North Star State.
Minnesota's State Flower-The Pink Lady's Slipper
The Pink Lady's Slipper was adopted as the state flower of Minnesota back in 1902 and can be found in damp woods and swamp areas with plenty of sunlight. It takes an astonishing 16 years to produce its first flower and is a protected plant in the state of Minnesota.
The Pink Lady's Slipper is extremely rare in Minnesota and has been protected for nearly 100 years. Here's what the state of Minnesota has to say about the wildflower:
Since 1925 this rare wildflower has been protected by state law (it is illegal to pick the flowers or to uproot or unearth the plants).
-State of Minnesota Website
And the Pink Lady's slipper isn't the only flower you can't pick in Minnesota. There are also a number of other plants within the state boundaries that have restrictions on placed on them.
No person shall distribute any species of orchids (Orchidaceae), any gentian (Gentiana), arbutus (Epigaea repens), lilies (Lilium species), coneflowers (Echinacea species), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), any species of trillium (Trillium species), or lotus (Nelumbo lutea), which have been collected in any manner from any public or private property without the written permission of the property owner and written authorization from the commissioner.
-State of Minnesota Website
To see the full list of restrictions placed on Minnesota wildflowers, check out the article from the state of Minnesota.
Story Source: State of Minnesota Website
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