Blooms – Page 5

Always — New Things!

Clasping Aster, Symphyotrichum patens — Clasping Aster, *Symphyotrichum patens*

The Joy Of Discovery

Each day as I start out on my hike there is anticipation. What new things will I find? Summer is drawing to a close and with it, the days, which earlier this season had been extremely wet, are now quite dry. The waterfall which I pass along the way is a mere trickle compared to the rushing torrent it had once been. But still there is that anticipation. What new insect will surprise me. What new flower will startle me with its sparkle of color?

Yesterday’s New Thrills

As my hike was nearing an end yesterday, as I approached my last mile, I was thinking that perhaps there would be few new “discoveries” for this season. After all how many new flowers can come about, this late in the growing season? Silly me! No sooner had those thoughts crossed my mind, when I spied an unusual color up on the side of the road, at the top of a cut that VDOT had made for water runoff. A lovely soft, grape color. What I found was a new plant! A Clasping Aster that gets its name from the fashion in which the rough textured leaves surround the stems. If you look closely at the photo above, I think you’ll be able to see what I’m talking about.

Sunshine Yellow Centers

Had I captured these photos when the flowers were just a bit earlier in their development their centers would have been a bright yellow, much like a daisy with purple petals. Along with the grape-purple petals, these blooms differ from the other asters that are so plentiful up here, in that they are a good bit larger. These blooms are about 1.25 inches across.

Gemmed Satyr, Cyllopsis gemma — Gemmed Satyr, *Cyllopsis gemma*

But Wait, There’s More!

This was yesterday, when I was thinking there would be no more surprises, right? Well, just a little bit further down the road there was a butterfly skittering around trying his best to get my attention. He was trying with all his might to get my attention but he wasn’t all that cooperative as a model. Despite that, I managed to capture him in pixels and I didn’t realize what I had captured until I got back to my studio.

New Butterfly

This fellow is a Gemmed Satyr, who gets his name because of the sparkly eye-spots on his hindwings which look like gems stones. The book that I found this fellow in, Butterflies Through Binoculars, says that this butterfly is, “small and inconspicuous.” How very true until you take a photograph of him and look carefully at the picture! New to me, and mighty cool!

Don’t Blame The Goldenrod!

Such A Cheer!

The brilliant yellow of Goldenrod is such a cheer for any day in late summer. There are more that 50 species of Goldenrod in North America. That’s a daunting number for someone who is a compulsive classifier. One of these days I will tackle, figuring out which of the 50 species I have here on my mountain!

Common Ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia — Common Ragweed, *Ambrosia artemisiifolia*

Hayfever’s Cause

Though many people think that Goldenrod is responsible for their sneezing, and worse, during the hayfever season, it is Ragweed’s pollen that is the nasty culprit. Perhaps it is understandable. Ragweed takes a backseat when it comes to being noticed. There it sits along all those roadsides, being totally inconspicuous, in green flower — blending in with all the other greens, while the more beautiful Goldenrod stands out with it’s shimmering yellow.

Pollinators

There are definitely benefits to having Ragweed around. I see many pollinators enjoying the benefits of having it on the mountain as I hike. The flower of the Ragweed is so minuscule that one would have to use a hand lens to enjoy its structure and beauty but it is there for the insects of the world to enjoy. Meanwhile I will enjoy the striking yellow of the Goldenrod, one of the natives that I have in my garden, thanks to Mother Nature’s distribution system, also known as volunteering!

Great Ragweed, Ambrosia trifida — Great Ragweed, *Ambrosia trifida*

Brilliant Yellow Wingstem

My First Up Close Look

I got my first up close look at this brilliant yellow Wingstem while checking out a wonderful field of Sunflowers that my yoga teacher had planted at her studio. There were so many Sunflower “faces” looking toward the sun, but the Wingstem caught my eye, in a wild patch of various plants, calling out for my attention. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but took lots of photographs.

The “Wings”

The flowers of the Wingstem originate where the leaves meet the stem and flow into the “wings” on the stem.

The Leaves

The leaves of the Wingstem are rough in texture, and pointed at both ends.

What Butterflies Will Seek The Wingstem?

I’m seeing most of these flowers in the lower elevations, but being the seed gatherer that I am, I have one plant blooming in my front yard! I’m hoping I’ll get more, for the Silvery Checkerspot butterflies that use the Wingstem as a host plant and for nectaring.

Chicory Or Blue Lettuce?

Blue Lettuce, Lactuca floridana var. villos — Blue Lettuce, *Lactuca floridana*

Such A Tall Blue Flower!

Several days ago I came upon a very tall flowering plant that took me by surprise. It made me think of a plant that I often see with yellow flowers that is quite common in power line rights of way. This one, though, was definitely periwinkle blue! What in the world was this plant. As is my usual course of action, I took lots of photographs. This plant, the only one like it in the area, was very tall, well over 6 feet tall, and I had to bend it over to get a good look at the flowers. I was quite struck by the flower. It was so very similar to the flower of the Chicory plant.

A New Flower – To Me

This new flower, which I had never seen before was Blue Lettuce, Lactuca floridana. Since that first sighting I’ve seen it a few times at higher elevations, on plants that are more easily photographed, not nearly as tall.

Chicory, Chicorium intybus — Chicory, *Chicorium intybus*

Compare The Two

I’ve photographed the two flowers, so that you can use my hands as a means of measuring. The Chicory flower is nearly 1.5 inches. The Blue Lettuce flower is a good bit less than 1 inch. The Chicory flowers grow in groups of 1 to 3, while the Blue Lettuce flowers grow in clusters of 15 to 34. The Chicory plant grows from 1 to 4 feet tall. The Blue Lettuce plant will grow to be from 2 to 7 feet tall.

The Leaves Are Different Too

The leaves of the Chicory plant are narrow and can be dandelion like, while the leaves of the Blue Lettuce plant are wider and 3 to 12 inches long.

Another Periwinkle Blue!

So now I’ve added another periwinkle blue flower to my inventory of flowers here on the mountain. I’m always glad to find new and beautiful things!

Blue Plate Special With Crab

**A White-banded Crab Spider Waiting For Lunch**

I love to photograph the Chicory plant, Cichorium intybus, when it is in bloom. Its periwinkle blue coloring is such a cheery sight! Today, as I hiked up the mountain, I didn’t intend to capture this particular flower in pixels but I took a peek and there was a spider looking back at me! So I couldn’t resist getting a photo! This guy is a White-banded Crab Spider, Misumenoides formosipes. He’s got a magic trick up his sleeve too. Given a couple days, he’s capable of changing color to better blend in with his surroundings. Wonder if I’ll find him on the same flower tomorrow. I’ll have to check in on him!

Blue Lettuce

So many plants called Lettuce. Tall and most often with little yellow flowers. I was very surprised a couple days ago to find something similar looking but without the usual lobed leaves and BLUE flowers! Yesterday I pulled down one of these tall plants, so that I could actually see the flower and was struck by how similar it is to the Chicory (Cichorium intybus) flower. This 7 footer though, is a Blue Lettuce (Lactuca floridana var. villosa). ISO 400, f/5, 1/200, 50mm, Canon 60D.