Lily Pad Flower

The inner workings of a lily pad flower are quite interesting--- don't you think? Who could imagine such a thing? A whole dance floor for frogs!

This picture from my archives this morning, was taken on a warm summer day. May it warm your heart.

Joe-Pye Weed

I love Joe-Pye Weed. It attracts birds, butterflies, bees and other insects. It is currently blooming along the fringes of bogs, marshes, and other wetland areas.

And with a heavenly fragrance I couldn't imagine how it came to be called Joe-Pye Weed. According to Wikipedia the name comes from a Native American by the name of Joe Pye who used the plant to heal people.

Joe-Pye Weed is a native wildflower.  

Butterfly Weed

A member of the milkweeds, Butterfly Weed attracts many insects, butterflies and even some hummingbirds included.

One of its many common names is Butterfly Love.    

Hoosier Virginia Bluebells

Looking just like their name, (for once!), Virginia Bluebells are ringing in the May flowers at Coffee Creek.

Bluebells are getting rarer as wetlands and flood plains are dried up, filled in, and bulldozed.

But in the flood plain of  Coffee Creek they are putting on quite the show this spring.

Blooming out

Some plants get more interesting as time goes on.     

After the flowers are spent the tangled locks of this plant are quite beautiful.





 

Sneezeweed -- God Bless you!

Doesn't it feel good to sneeze?

This beauty gets its name from its previous use as snuff.

A person who felt the need to clean out the sinuses would take a snort of the dried leaves of this plant and would sneeze.  

This is a member of the aster family. This specimen was found in a swampy area at Coffee Creek and is currently in bloom.   

Flowers into Autumn

The flowers are still going strong at Coffee Creek; all golden. Butterflies and birds are celebrating the arrival of autumn this week. We better get out and enjoy it while it lasts.   

Bee -- Hind

It's Monday so we're starting off the week as busy as the bees collecting pollen among the flowers at Coffee Creek.

The pollinators are hard at work first thing every morning. There is hardly a flower that doesn't have some insect buzzing around or hiding within its petals.

Click on the picture for a larger view of the pollen laden bee legs.

Wild Bergamot

The best thing about Wild Bergamot is that it starts out as a tiny green package sitting on top of a tall stalk of green. You would miss it among all the green of early July if you weren't paying attention.

A few days later, as the packages expand and open into flowers, it becomes impossible to miss.

Wild Bergamot is in full bloom now and is very plentiful in Indiana; especially at Coffee Creek. It's a member of the mint family and makes a wonderful tea that is great when you have the flu or a cold.

This plant also goes by the name of Bee Balm. Due to its antiseptic properties it has been used to treat minor skin conditions and gingivitis.  

Blue Flags

Summer must be near. The first Blue Flag appeared this morning.

Blue Flags appear in poetry and literature. Gene Stratton-Porter, an Indiana author, put them in her books. Anywhere you need a breath of summer you need a Blue Flag.

Just don't eat this delicate looking flower; it's poisonous to humans and animals. And the sap can cause dermatitis.

They grow wild in and near wetlands in Indiana.

Source: Wikipedia

Sweet Williams

The Sweet Williams or Wild Blue Phlox are blooming in the woodlands now. The purpley-blue flowers grow in small bouquets under the trees. They need rich soil to grow in. The flowers shown at the left are wild but there are several hybrid garden varieties. Sweet Williams are said to represent gallantry.

The closest thing I could find to a reason behind the name was a story about a Scottish lass; Janet, the daughter of Lord Lundy. Her Sweet William went off on a journey. In the meantime Lord Lundy discovered the budding romance and did not approve. Lord Lundy ordered Janet to marry another; but, just in time to pre-empt the wedding, Sweet William gallantly shows up and weds Sweet Janet.  

Sources: Audubon Field Guide to Wildflowers; Wikipedia