Of the many botanists who discovered and described the species of plants that grow in Minnesota, Thomas Walter deserves special mention. He lived in South Carolina in the 18th century, when Minnesota was still a wilderness. Yet he described and named Cypripedium reginae, the showy lady's slipper, which later became the state flower of Minnesota. Another botanist whose work in taxonomy has been helpful in the identification of Minnesota plants is Carolus Linnaeus. He described and named Tilia (basswood) and Acer (maple), the two principal trees of Camden State Park in southwest Minnesota. He also described and named the genus Bromus, a grass that adorns the Minnesota prairie, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Botany class students in Minnesota universities occasionally go on field trips in which a professor helps them identify plants. These same botany professors will help to identify a plant taken to them by a member of the public. Some state parks of Minnesota employ naturalists who offer assistance in plant identification, too. Field guides to Minnesota plants are available, according to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The USDA website and other websites also offer information on Minnesota plants.
Stems, leaves, flowers and fruit should be examined carefully to identify Minnesota plants. For example, someone acquainted with the foliage and seeds of the maple tree and ash tree may examine an unfamiliar tree and find that it has seeds like the maple tree and leaves like the ash tree. With a little research, the tree can be identified as the box elder, popularly known as the ash-leaved maple, according to the University of Texas website. Similarly, an unfamiliar plant may look something like a grass but has a triangular stem. A little research will reveal that it is a sedge, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) website.
It is easier to identify plants if the ecosystem in which they grow is understood. Minnesota has more than 10,000 lakes and extensive wetlands, where duckweed and water lilies are found, according to USGS. It has forests, especially in the north. It also has prairies and cultivated lands, where amaranth and lamb's quarters grow, according to the website of the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University. Knowing what kind of plants grow in each ecosystem makes identification easier.
The Minnesota Native Plant Society is involved in the identification, study and preservation of native plants of Minnesota. It holds meetings, conducts symposiums, goes on field trips and publishes a newsletter, according to the society's website.