One by- product of all the rain is a plant called Culver's Root or Veronicastrum virginicum. It is a native plant and it is in the Snapdragon family. The four fused petals make up the flower petals and they have two brown tipped stamens. The flowers bloom from the bottom to the top. This is the very first year that I have seen it on our property. Usually it is found in wet ditches, I have seen this plant all over on the edges of the woods where I have never seen it before. It must like all the rain.
Bouncing Bet or Soapwort or Saponaria officinalis is found all over blooming in clumps in the ditches. It is a member of the Pink family. It is a non native and the flower can vary from white to light pink in color. I think the name is cool and I tried to get Adam to remember it last week..no luck. When I asked him what it was called he said "Whatever you said before Grandma." I guess I have no budding Horticulturists to tutor.
Grey-Headed Coneflower or Ratibida pinnata is a native plant. It is one of those tall native prairie plants..it can be found in our yard, blooming its heart out. It has droopy petals and the cone starts out grey until it fills with tiny brown flowers from the bottom of the cone and on up.
The Creeping Bellflower or Campanula rapunculoides is another non native plant. It is commonly found on old homesteads..it can be invasive. A couple of years ago we had one plant that bloomed, last year we had none, and this year we have two. Since it is nothing that we have planted, I will blame or thank the birds depending on how aggressive it is. The flowers are located on one side of the stem only..it is a very organized plant.
The Bee Balm is blooming prolifically along the ditches. It is also called Wild Bergamot or Monarda fistulosa. A native plant that is made up of a cluster of tubular little flowers, usually a light to medium lilac color. Bee Balm is in the mint family and has the characteristic square stem of the mints.
Have a good day everyone:)
I feel your pain with trying to get the young-ins to grab onto what things are. I'd be happy if I could get my crew to remember that the gladioli is the large tall spiky flower while the begonia is the squat hanging basket flower. Hmmm Fat chance on that one. Well, until they get married, then they turn into garden gestapos themselves!
ReplyDeleteI love the veronica, have the garden version all over in various gardens here, blue seems to be the color that really sticks - though I do have a white and some pink but it seems to be a bit different. But I have a dickens of a time getting my monarda to stick around. None of these are wild or even gone wild here.
Bad year for skeeters here too, nasty creatures.
Mosquitos drive me crazy! Sorry to hear they are so bad there. I can imagine what the explorers and the pioneers went thru with bugs--hehe! Love the wildflowers! :)
ReplyDeleteLovely flowers yes we have the pink ones growing all over the road side here too, hugs and thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVery nice wildflowers, as usual. I think the Bee Balm is my favorite from this group.
ReplyDeleteLovely, as always.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried the OFF clip-on yet? My husband likes it but I have yet to try it. Mosquitoes are worse than a nuisance. They can set up skin infection in some people - - not to mention the diseases they transmit.
ReplyDeletemisslynda, No we have not tried that one yet..we have been using Deep Woods something and Skintastic..and Yard Guard..and a special candle..we might have to try Chances "stuff":)
ReplyDeleteLovely flowers. Thanks for braving those monstrous mosquitoes and taking pics for us...
ReplyDeleteNot sure I have relaxed one little bit on my hol... Will need another holiday to get over this one! ;-)
Ya'll are a girl after my own heart. I do love my wildflowers and you and captured your in all their glory! I never realized that Bee Balm was akin to the mint family.
ReplyDeleteGod bless ya and enjoy your beautiful day!!!
pretty flowers. i don't remember seeing these anwhere. good photos
ReplyDelete