Blue Vervain

Aside from the abundance of Baltimore orioles around here is the abundance of flowers bursting-forth in the prairie planting north of the house.  Its genus category - Verbena - is Latin for 'sacred plant' likely harking back to the past when this plant may have been used for purported medicinal properties.

click on the flowers to enlarge

Coming online in the past two weeks is Verbena hastata - Blue Vervain - a native plant with a long stem and a bright blue flower spike that blooms from the bottom-up.  Big, giant clumps of them like in the photo above.

This plant likes wet feet and wet feet we have around here what with the abundant precipitation.The bees like this flower for its nectar. 

Stay tuned as more native plants begin to show-off their colorful flowers.