'WILDFLOWER WEDNESDAY' ~ A WALK IN THE WOODS

"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man."

~ Author Unknown

A GATHERING of WILDFLOWERS

(Hubbard Lake Woods ~ Northern MI)

CANADA GOLDENROD

(Solidago canadensis)

"There are over 100 types of goldenrod in North America and over 20 in Michigan, all looking similar, thus difficult to identify. While most yellow autumn flowers are a type of goldenrod and are often blamed for hay fever, most hay fever is caused by Ragweed. Only 1-2 percent of autumn airborne pollen is from goldenrod."

(Wildflower of Michigan Field Guide ~ Stan Tekiela)

SPOTTED TOUCH-ME-NOT

(Impatiens capensis)

"Also called Jewelweed because water droplets on its leaves shine like tiny jewels, the Spotted Touch-me-not is a tall annual plant of wet areas. Its stems are nearly translucent and contain a slippery juice that can be used to soothe the sting from nettles or Poison Ivy."

(Wildflower of Michigan Field Guide ~ Stan Tekiela)

EVERLASTING PEA

(Lathyrus latifolius)

Flowers pink, ranging from white to purple, resemble the cultivated sweet pea of the garden

DAYLILY

(Hemerocallis fulva L.)

WOODLAND FERN

QUEEN ANNE'S LACE (Wild Carrot)

(Daucus carota)

Click on Queen Anne's Lace for more information ...

CANADA HAWKWEED

(Hieracium kalmii)

One of 15 species of species of hawkweed that grows in Michigan

BLACK-EYED SUSAN

(Rudbeckia hirta)

Also called Brown-eyed Susan ... originally a native prairie plant ... seeds make abundant food source for goldfinches

"May all your weeds be wildflowers."

~ Author unknown

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Celebrate Wildflower Wednesday

with Gail (Clay and limestone)

BLOOMING HEART of QUEEN ANNE'S LACE

Queen Anne's Lace

Her body is not so white as
anemone petals nor so smooth--nor
so remote a thing. It is a field
of the wild carrot taking
the field by force; the grass
does not raise above it.
Here is no question of whiteness,
white as can be, with a purple mole
at the center of each flower.
Each flower is a hand's span
of her whiteness. Wherever
his hand has lain there is
a tiny purple blemish. Each part
is a blossom under his touch
to which the fibres of her being
stem one by one, each to its end,
until the whole field is a
white desire, empty, a single stem,
a cluster, flower by flower,
a pious wish to whiteness gone over--
or nothing.

~ William Carlos Williams
(1883 - 1963)

(POET'S CORNER)

~ Queen Anne's Lace

(Daucus carota)

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Gardener's Note: "Queen Anne's Lace, also called Wild Carrot, is tall with stems covered by tiny hairs. Once a European garden plant, it has escaped to the wild and is considered a week because of its aggressive growth. Flower clusters dry and curl, forming the bird's nest shape often used in dried flower arrangements. its long taproot can be dug, roasted and ground as a coffee substitute. During its first year, the roots are soft enough to eat. It is thought to be the ancestor of the common garden carrot. TAKE CAUTION: Queen Anne's Lace is sometimes confused with deadly WATER HEMLOCK. Look closely for Queen Anne's CENTRAL PURPLE FLORET. A host plant for Black Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars."

~ Stan Tekiela

WILDFLOWERS of MICHIGAN