The world would be an even more wonderful place if we were all so open…
Tag: Wildflowers
Victim of the dreaded lawnmower…
Victim of the dreaded lawnmower… There were several bulbous buttercups scattered on the road. They thought the lawnmower was bad. Wait until they encounter automobile tires…
Blue grass flowers!
Grass flowers are so lovely! I am always startled by their tidy perfection and their sky-blueness!
Wild mustard! Yum!
Wild mustard is a wonderful spring wild edible. If you’re lucky, you’ll see fields of it in bloom!
Beyond cherry blossoms!
There is more to admire than cherry blossoms this time of year! Check out the flowering weeds! At the edge of a tiny park in Leonardtown, MD I was startled to discover Veronica (Speedwell) in full bloom, carpeting a large area with the most darling tiny flowers in endless shades of sky blue. A perfect bouquet for a fairy.
Veronica is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Plantaginaceae, with about 500 species; it was formerly classified in the family Scrophulariaceae. Common names include speedwell, bird’s eye, and gypsyweed. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Veronica
Lumberjack’s Toilet Paper still blooming in southern MD!
I now have a bouquet of Lumberjack’s Toilet Paper, aka Common Mullein, in my kitchen in December! Hard to believe it is still blooming here in southern Maryland. We’ve had several frosts.
Blue flowers in autumn
The Virginia Dayflower is one of my favorite blue flowers in autumn. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, native to the mideastern and southeastern US. It is important to count the blue petals. The Virginia Dayflower has 3 blue petals. The Asiatic Dayflower has only 2 blue petals, plus a tiny white one. They bloom now too, often close to each other in wet soil, and are a deeper blue.
It’s a boy! Sexing Monarch butterflies!
This Monarch butterfly is a boy! You can tell because there is a small black dot on his hindwing (lower wing). Look for it on the narrow vein close to the butterfly’s abdomen (back end of his body). Who ever thought sexing butterflies could be so easy?
Here is a shot of the underside of the hindwing. This Monarch is enjoying nectar from wing stem sunflowers. Find some tasty flowers and enjoy butterfly watching while the weather is still warm and wonderful.
Wildflowers of Aug/Sept: Water Pepper
Water pepper, AKA marshpepper knotweed grows in southern Maryland in damp areas. It is also called smartweed, though I thought smartweed was pink. The little white blossoms and seeds were used by colonists as a spice similar to what you might use in chili. If you taste one, you will discover they are HOT! Some say they taste similar to Sichuan pepper. They are enjoyed by ducks, small birds and small mammals.
Wildflowers of August: Thoroughwort (I know it’s September but…)
Thoroughwort blooms in southern Maryland in August and September in damp soil. It’s a member of the aster family and is also called white boneset, feverwort, agueweed and Indian sage. It is beloved by butterflies, wasps and bees which can cover the blossoms so completely that you can’t see the flowers. Has some medicinal uses but should be avoided because it can be toxic and is poisonous to humans and livestock.
