Snow on the Teasel

Most of the spring and summer wildflowers have wilted and faded away, but the Common Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) can still make a presence in the depth of winter.The nectar rich flowers of the teasel have been replaced with a tough, thorny skeleton of the seed head.



The tough stem and seed head of the teasel isn't going to submit to a little snow.

Where have the wildflower gone ...

There have been a few frosty mornings this week and many of the wildflowers have wilted. I found 5 bumblebees (the fifth bee is on the backside on the right) busy gathering nectar from a small goldenrod bloom.

Wildflower - New York Ironweed

The New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) is still blooming in our neighborhood. This member of the Aster family starts blooming in early summer and reaches its peak around the end of July. Butterflies, bees and other insects are attracted to the brightly colored flowers and its nectar..



Once New York Ironweed is established it can take over fields. One of our hay fields is over-run by New York Ironweed since the haymaking process tends to spread the seeds.

Wildflower - White Wood Aster

The White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata) is a short plant with very small blossoms.  The center of the flower will appear yellow when the blossom first opens and changes to reddish as the  stamens open.



The flowers are less than an inch across. but what the flowers lack in size, they make up with numbers. This perennial plant is native to eastern North America and over time will create dense clumps of flowers that bloom in the late summer and early fall.

Wildflower - Field Milkwort

Field Milkwort (Polygala sanguinea) is a wildflower native to Eastern North America. The plant's common name is derived from an old belief that cows eating this plant would produce more milk.



Field Milkwort is generally found in wet, acidic soils in open fields.I found these flowers in an old overgrown farm field.



It produces pink-purple flowers in a cylindrical cluster 1/2 inch across.

Wildflower - New England Aster

Today is Labor Day in the United States, which marks the unofficial end of summer. Traditionally fall begins at the autumnal equinox in about three weeks, but this change in seasons can also be marked by the blooming of the New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) in our neighborhood. The New England Aster is native to almost every area in North America east of the Rocky Mountains. This native wildflower brings fall flower color to roadsides and can grow up to 6 feet tall.

The New England Asters are starting to bloom along Joyce Road.

Wildflower - White Campion

White Campion (Silene latifolia), which is native to most of Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa and has naturalized in North America. The White campion in our neighborhood is a bright white, but it can cross-breed with red campion (S. dioica) to produce a pink-flowered hybrid.



The flowers grow in clusters at the tops of the stems with a distinctive inflated calyx and five white petals. This plant is also know as Bladder Campionhe due to the inflated calyx.



It is also known as the Grave Flower or Flower of the Dead in parts of England as they are seen often growing on grave-sites and around tombstones.

Wildflower - Smallflower Hairy Willowherb

As the name Smallflower Hairy Willowherb (Epilobium parviflorum) would imply, this is a very small flower. The four petal blossom is about 1/4 inch in diameter.

Epilobium is a genus in the family Onagraceae, containing over 160 species of flowering plants including fireweeds. The name "parviflorum" comes from Latin meaning “small flowers”.



Smallflower Hairy Willowherb prefers marshes and moist open areas. This form of Willowherb is found in larger numbers in the wetland area of the natural gas pipeline right-of-way on our property.



The plant can reach a height of 3 feet and tiny flowers that are pale pink or pale purple.

Wildflower - Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) is native to temperate regions of Europe and has been naturalized in North America. One of its common names is wild carrot and domesticated carrots are a subspecies. The flower's name is derived from its resembles lace.




The flower head is composed of multiple branches that reach outward with clusters of small flowers to form and umbrella shaped head.



Queen Anne's lace is used in grade school demonstrations to show how freshly cut flowers will change color by placing them in colored water. A close-up view of a flower cluster.



Many farm fields turn white with Queen Anne's lace in late summer and the USDA has listed it as a noxious weed.

Wildflower - Teasel

The Common Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) is a flowering plant that has a unique shape and structure. An egg-shaped flower head is located on top of a stiff, tall prickly stem that can reach 8 feet tall. This non-native plant from Eurasia and North Africa looks like a thistle, but is in a class by itself, the family class Dipsacaceae (Teasel Family).




A view of the thorny stem and spike covered flower head (with a bumble bee).



A close-up view of a bumble bee collecting nectar from the many small four petal flowers on the flower head.



There were 3 or 4 bees on some of the flower heads working to collect nectar from the flowers as soon as they opened. While the bees and other insects like the flowers for the nectar, many birds feed on the seeds during the winter.

Wildflower - Hedge Bindweed

Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) is a member of the Morning Glory family (Convolvulaceae). This plant has been classified as a noxious weed because of its quick growth and clinging vines which can overwhelm and pull down cultivated plants.



The trumpet-shaped, 1.5" to 3" diameter flowers, are white or pale pink with white stripes.





The Hedge Bindweed flowers are a favorite of bees and butterflies.

Wildflower - Steeplebush

Steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa), also known as meadowsweet or hardhack, is a member of the Spiraea family and prefers moist to wet soil and full sun. I found several Steeplebush growing near our pond.



Individual Steeplebush flowers are about 1/16 of an inch wide and are arranged in narrow, pyramid-shaped clusters that can be up to eight inches long. Butterflies and other nectar-feeding insects are attracted to the flowers.

Wildflower - Chicory

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a common roadside flower along Joyce Road in the summer. Chicory is known by other names, such as: blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailors, blue weed, bunk, coffeeweed, common chicory, cornflower, hendibeh, horseweed, ragged sailors, succory, wild bachelor's buttons, wild endive, witloof. Chicory originated in the Mediterranean and cultivation in North America began in the 1700's.

A view of a recently bloomed Chicory flower where the stamens haven't opened to release the pollen.



A Chicory flower with open stamens and white dots of pollen.



Many insects, such as bees, are attracted to the Chicory flower.

Wildflower - Butterfly Weed

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is one of the wildflowers that always draws my attention for several reasons when it blooms. Butterfly Weed is a perennial plant with bright orange color that makes it stand out from the green background. We only have a couple "clumps" of Butterfly Weed growing on our property, but we are lucky to have it growing next to our cabin driveway where it can easily be viewed when in bloom.



Butterfly Weed has many common names, such as, Canada Root, Chieger Flower, Chiggerflower, Fluxroot, Indian Paintbrush, Indian Posy, Orange Milkweed, Orange root, Orange Swallow-wort, Pleurisy Root, Silky Swallow-wort, Tuber Root, Yellow Milkweed, White-root, Windroot, Butterfly Love, Butterflyweed, and Butterfly Milkweed. As some of the common names imply, butterflies and bees are attracted to the flowers.

Two bumble bees work on a flower cluster as a third set of bug eyes watch,



Bees of all types are attracted to the flowers.



While it is easy to find the two bees in this photo, there are at least 6 ants on the same flower cluster.

Wildflower - Wild Bergamot

As we approach mid-summer, patches of blueish/purple  Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) are appearing along the roadsides and fields. Some of the many common names for this plant are bee balm, horsemint, bergamot, and Oswego Tea. Wild Bergamot is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae and has fragrant leaves.



Butterflies, hummingbirds and bees are attracted to Wild Bergamot as a nectar source. It is commonly planted in gardens to attract wildlife and also to provide a “naturalized” appearance in a border.



As the common name Bee Balm implies, bees are attracted to the flower for its nectar. A close-up of a bumble bee with its face deep into the tubular part of the flower.



A close-up view of the center of the flower.

Wildflower - Black-eyed Susan

As we reach the hot, "Dog Days" of summer, patches of Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) appear along Joyce Road. The Black-eyed Susan is a member to the Asteraceae (Aster) family and is native to the Eastern and Central United States. This large, showy wildflower is widely cultivated in gardens, for summer bedding schemes and borders.




Butterflies (and grasshoppers) are attracted to large mass plantings of Black-eyed Susans.

Wildflower - Butter and Eggs

Depending on weather conditions, some wildflowers are more abundant some years than other years. This summer we have an abundance of the wildflower Butter and Eggs (Linaria vulgaris). This wildflower goes by several names, such as Common Toadflax, Bread and Butter, Brideweed and Bridewort. The wildflower Butter and Eggs is native to most of Europe and northern Asia and is now common in North America.

The flowers are similar to those of the snapdragon, pale yellow except for the lower tip which is orange.

Wildflowers - Mullein

Many of the summer wildflowers are in bloom on our property and two types of Mullein are currently blooming. The Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) and Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) are both members of the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) family and are non-native invasive species that have naturalized in the United States.

Common Mullein can grow to 6 feet tall or more. Its small yellow flowers are densely grouped on a tall stem.



A close-up view of the Common Mullein flowers.



Moth Mullein gets its name from the resemblance of its flowers' stamen to that of a moth’s antennae. While the Common Mullein is easy to locate due to its tall thick stem, Moth Mullein is shorter with a very thin stem. There are two color variations Moth Mullein in our area, white and yellow.

The white Moth Mullein is the most common variation in our area.



While not as easy to find, yellow Moth Mullein can be found growing side-by-side with the white variety.