Late blooming iris (Iris setosa) and lowbush cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)

Observation by Anna R John:

On 10/07/2018, I went berry picking. During fall time, we only hand pick when the blackberries turn brown. As I was picking I saw this wild iris, like it bloomed just few days ago. The petals are still intact. They didn't discolor. Still standing straight up and it's my favorite flower to look at. I was very awed to see this flower in October. The rest of the wild iris have discolored in September. Also included is a photo of a flower of cranberry (redberries). I've been seeing late bloomers while picking berries in October.

Comments from LEO Editors:

This observation has been added to the Late Bloomers project. This project is collecting observations of flowers blooming at unusual times, to better understand arctic and boreal plant responses to warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons.

Weather history for Tooksook Bay shows a normal high temperature in the 40-degree range. In 2018, the temperature range for October 1st was between 52-58 degrees Fahrenheit. Erica Lujan