Buttercup

In the midst of chilly winter, a little buttercup popped up.

 

Snake Master?

This interesting flower has some terrible names: Rattlesnake Master, Button Eryngo, Button Snakeroot, Beargrass.  It's eye catching among a garden of flowers.  Weirdly, it's in the carrot family.  (see here)

 

Weed?

I don't know how this flower got its name.  It's not the color of iron, and its not really a weed.  It's New York Ironweed.  (see here)

I guess any native plant could be called a weed?

I've tried to grow it but the rabbits love to chew off all the leaves.

 

Water Hemlock

Growing on the edge of the lake, the water hemlock is blooming.

Very pretty, but don't eat!

 

Experiment

Durant park has an experiment going on.  They are creating a wildflower meadow from a grassy area.  They need to kill the existing lawn.  In the first plot they covered the grass with cardboard, waited 8 weeks and then planted the wildflower seeds.

It looks lush with tall plants growing.

In the second plot they covered the grass with black plastic for 8 weeks and planted.  It looks slightly more lush than the first.

In the last plot they just planted the wildflower seeds.

 

There are many more weeds and several bare spots.

The real test will be later this summer when the wildflowers start to bloom.  We'll be checking back!

Last of the flowers

Lady's Thumb in front, Goldenrod in the background.

Sweet Everlasting 

Climbing Hempweed.

Calico Aster.

 

False foxglove

The purple false foxglove was blooming in a tangle of plants.  (see here)

 

Cardinal

One lone cardinal flower bloomed in the wetland.  Was it named after the bird?  It is the same color.

 

Sleeping plant

It's a Partridge Pea, also known as a sensitive plant or a sleeping plant.  I think it gets it's nickname because it folds it's leaves when touched and at night. (see here)

 

Horsemint

This cutie was blooming all over the prairie at Horseshoe Farm  Nature Preserve.  It's Spotted Bee Balm.  (see here).  Also called Horsemint. It looked like something Dr. Seuss would think up.

 

Native but invasive?

Can a native plant be invasive?  The orange trumpet vine would qualify.  Wikipedia calls it's growth vigorous, and says ruthless pruning is recommended.  (See here)

 

Jewel Weed

The leaves on the jewel weed plant were wilting in the heat. 

(See here for more on the plant)

 

Meadow

The meadow at Wilkerson Nature Preserve is springing to life.   These lovelies are Oxeye daisies, considered invasive but sweet.  (see here)

This one is a Helmet flower (see here)

 

Is it hungry?

The coneflowers are just beginning to unfurl.  At this point they look like man-eaters.

 

Buzz

The field of Joe Pye weed was buzzing with different insects.  This one is a Scoliid wasp.  (see here)

They're beneficial insects because they control grubs and pollinate plants.  The two bright yellow spots on their abdomen are startling. 

 

Duck potato

They do have roots that can be eaten like a potatoes, but not by ducks.

It's a broadleaf arrow plant.  (see here) I thought it was missing petals, but it only has three per flower.

 

Yellow coneflower

The yellow coneflower looked like they were wearing skirts.

 

Pollinator garden

The pollinator garden at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation has a small pond with water flowers,

Purple cone flowers

and Black-eyed Susans.

All ready for the butterflies.  There were a few bees, but no butterflies.

 

Mayapple

The leaves of the mayapple look like umbrellas. And the flowers hide underneath.  

 

Last flowers of fall

Only a few flowers still cling to life.

Eastern Baccharis

Aster