Pollinator Habitat

The Frau took this photo the other day.

She shared it with me.

And I'm sharing it with you.

 

Wildflower Blooms

From our morning walk the other day there were these showy, native flowers.

Bee Balm

Black-Eyed Susan

Blue Vervain

Compass Plant

Gray-Headed Coneflower

Joe Pye Weed

Obedient Plant

Prairie Blazing Star

Purple Coneflower 

Purple Prairie Clover

Wildflower Blooms

Several years ago we reduced the size of our turf grass in the yard and seeded a bunch of native plants. It takes several years for these plants to establish themselves and we just noticed, yesterday afternoon, that the ‘upland’ location (where the ancient farmhouse foundation is buried) is putting-on its own fireworks display. 

 

I figure as summer progresses more are going to pop. 

 

Here's what we got blooming so-far.  

 

Bee Balm (Wild Bergamot), Black-Eyed Susan, False Sunflower (Ox Eye), Motherwort, Pale Purple Coneflower and Feverfew (Wild Quinine).

 

 

 

More Native Blooms

Yesterday I posted some photos of the green-up ten weeks following our prescribed burn.  From our walk recently are some additional native prairies species that are blooming.....

Compass Plant

Foxglove Beardtongue

False Sunflower

Purple Prairie Clover

Pale Purple Coneflower

Native Blooms

On May 4 of this year we conducted a prescribed burn on the prairie planting out back behind the house. Yup, we set the entire backyard on fire.

Today marks ten weeks of green-up since the burn. And I am tickled to report that not only is it greening-up it is greening-up more vigorously than imagined.Here are some before and after photos for comparison.       

Panoramic view - Left (north) to right (east)          

View south with the house in the background       

And a few examples of nature's handiwork that are thriving post-burn .....     

Black-eyed Susan        

Boneset       

Pale Purple Coneflower       

Milkweed       

Gray-Headed Coneflower

Backyard Pharmacopia



Jill was off yesterday with her girlfriends for a second day of exploring  the peninsula so the girls and I did some exploring of our own – out back.  All quite convenient.  It was cooler than Saturday, a whiff of manure spreading in the air and enough breeze to keep the mosquitoes away.  It was a good day for a walk and take time to smell the wild flowers.     

 

 

Eupatorium perfoliatum – Boneset - a member of the aster family and is also related to Joe-pye weed.  Butterflies are attracted to its nectar.  It is also said that a tea made from its leaves has healing qualities.  For aficionados of the healing arts the plant is said to be useful for setting bones.  Today it continues in use as an emetic (induces vomiting), a treatment for the symptoms that accompany influenza and pneumonia and for joint pain.       

 

 

Achillea millefolium – Common Yarrow – another member of the aster family characterized by a flat, composite collection of small flowers and feathery, fern-like leaves.  This plant propagates by means of underground rhizomes.  The name is derived from Achilles who is said to have used the healing qualities of this plant to stem the bleeding from wounds during the course of the Trojan War.  Nowadays, this plant is used to treat coronary and cerebral thrombosis, reduce blood pressure and treat diarrhea.    

 

 

Echninacea purpurea – Purple Coneflower – yet another member of the aster family sporting a large flower head with droopy petals.  Native Americans and early settlers used parts of this plant to treat all manner of complaints ranging from the mundane like coughs, colds and tooth aches to snake bite and gonorrhea.  It persists in our modern pharmacopeia as a stimulant to the immune system.      

It was only afterwards as I composed this post that our walk was actually a small tour of folk remedies and the modern healing arts.  Who knew?. 

The most amusing part was the air of stoic indifference the elderly black Lab demonstrated in the face of the dive-bombing protestations of a redwing blackbird.

Wildflowers

From our Saturday morning walk I present the following....

Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia hirta

False Sunflower (Ox-Eye) - Heliopsis helianthoides

Blue Vervain - Verbena hastate

Purple Coneflower - Echinacea purpurea

click on images for a closer look

 

Compass Plant - Silphium lacinatum

Raising a toast to native plants and the pollinators and birds that they serve...

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purprea.  The purple coneflower is a member of the aster family and a common contributor to herbal medicine.

click on images to enlarge

Butterflies are attracted to the nectar and the local goldfinches are crazy for the seed it produces.

Wildflowers

There are all sorts of wild flowers blooming now.  Like this...

Purple Coneflower - Echinacea Purpurea.

click on image to enlarge

Butterflies are attracted to its nectar and goldfinches are attracted to its seeds.  One of the first to bloom in a prairie.