We found the Pussytoes in the cemetery, but there are many patches of these in the ditches. Pussytoes are really Antennaria neglecta, they are a plant native to Minnesota, their flower heads resemble a cats paw. They are an allelopathic plant, which means they give off a chemical into the soil that discourages other plants to grow near them.. I tried to capture this in the photo..Creeping Charlie comes very close to being friends with this unsociable plant. Creeping Charlie or ground ivy or Glechoma hederacea grows in large carpets of color, it is a non native plant. He is very pretty from a distance.
Hoary Puccoon or Lithospermum canescens is a native plant, one of the four puccoons found in Minnesota. This one has roots that can be used to make a red dye. This one makes his appearence in the ditches known by his bright orange color.
Prairie Smoke or Geum triflorum is a native plant, one of those true Prairie plants..he holds his head down until his soft long hairs emerge and sway in the breeze..then his smoke like bloom is held upright.
The Iris, the one on the left we found in a public garden in town. The tiny one on the right, and I do mean tiny was blooming in the cemetery..before they mowed it down. I know this for a fact as I went back the next day to see if it was spared..it wasn't. It was about the size of a fifty cent piece. These are probably not really wildflowers. Years ago people planted real flowers at the cemetery..so they brought plants from their home gardens to share:)
Nice...beautiful flower pics...your Prairie Smoke looks similar to our columbine...
ReplyDeleteI have that nasty, nasty Creeping Charlie in my yard and I can NOT get rid of it.
ReplyDeleteI liked the pussy toes, I have never seen any before.
Good post!.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
I wish I could remember flower and plant names. I even took a class so I could identify the plants I see but it's no use. I haven't seen pussytoes for a long time.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to Eastern Washington recently, I realized I hadn't been there during the spring since I was first married. I was there at the right time and in a particular spot where arrowleaved balsamroot grew and bloomed all over the place. I had no idea what it was and it took me asking a dozen or more clerks and such, clearly folks who lived there, before I found someone who could even give me the common name. I think I would love to travel all over just to look at other folks' flowers and birds. But I'm thinkin' I need to hook up with the likes of you as a tour guide for those plants that I am not familiar with.
ReplyDeleteWe see a bit of the prairie smoke around but mostly we have large leaved Geum here. It is one of my favorite "weeds" and so I let it grow and have even purchased its cousins for in the garden. We have a yellow iris in our wetlands. I like your inclusion of non-natives in your collection of wildflowers, for after all what really is a wildflower but some lovely thing gone wild, eh?!
It's very interesting seein' the different wild flowers that are native to your part of the country. Beautiful pictures, your feedin' my OCFD sister!
ReplyDeleteYa'll have a fantastically blessed Friday!!!
Beautiful pictures Connie. I love seeing native plants to your state. I hope you all have a very nice weekend.
ReplyDelete"Very pretty from a distance"--true of so many unwelcome plants! Thanks for the photos and descriptions.
ReplyDeleteI love irises. They have the sweetest fragrance. They remind me of my mother. She always grew a large variety of them. We use to browse the bulb catalogs looking for new ones. My favorite is still the purple and white bearded iris.
ReplyDeleteCreeping Charlie I can do without. It is a noxious nuisance as far as I am concerned. I battle it every year in my lawn.
Well now I am learning the names of some of these wildflowers. I agree with Rae: iris are the most incredible scent, so delicate. Keep 'em coming, Connie, you're doing great!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love all these wildflowers! And Chance's adorable paws... ;-)
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful photos and it's nice to see winter has gone finally and the plants are out. They are so different from ours here except for the irises. I especially loved the Pussytoes. What a wonderful name.
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