I saw on the news this morning that winter storms in the southern United States could potentially cause delays in floral deliveries to the Twin Cities today. Apparently, in the floral industry, Atlanta is a major distribution city for flowers that come from South America and Florida. Flight cancellations in Atlanta could result in empty vases and broken hearts on Valentine’s Day in Minneapolis…

Never fear, Exploring Minnesota’s Natural History is here. We have plenty of floral varieties for you to share with your loved ones. Fill their inboxes and facebook walls with any or all of the following images along with your Valentine’s Day greetings…

– White water lily

– Anemone patens, Pasque flower, February 1944

– Rosa Arkansas, Prairie Wild Rose, March 1940

– Rosa rugosa, Rugosa Rose, March 1942

(From the Ned Huff Lantern Slide Collection in the Department of Botany records)