Blazingstars and Gayfeathers — that’s 2 of the common names for this fall beauty, or if you prefer, the scientific name Liatris, a genus in the Aster family. And a big SHOUT-OUT for the ….
First Day of Autumn 2016
Seems like a long time ago (but only a dozen years) when I bought my first digital camera. We all know what happens then - lots of photos. Everywhere I went, photos. About the same time, I got tired of city living and bought a used RV (comfortable 30' Class C) and started spending every weekend in the woods. Long weekends.
The garden Liatris
After awhile, as the folders of digital photos multiplied, unlabeled, I figured I should start learning the names of what I was seeing. It was a rough start. My first guide was the Audubon Field Guide to Florida, small but it covered the most common plants and bugs I might run into. Other guides followed with mixed success and eventually online reading and searching got easier.
… and its twin.
While camping, I met other nature-lovers and that lead to volunteering on invasive plant removal. Workdays and ID hikes opened up a whole new world - hanging out with botanists and sharing the fits and starts of learning with budding naturalists like me.
A panicle of Desmodium — it’s everywhere.
Eventually the RV ended up as a weekend cabin at This 5 Acre Garden while I refurbished the home and property. Again another world spread before me as I spent hours and days and seasons and years deeply engrossed in my backyard.
Some lean left...
Back to the names of these wildflowers — there's guidebooks that use the common name Gayfeather for some species and Blazingstar for others. Since I was a bit farther along in naming plants, I never learned the different common names and went with that used by the folks around me at the time - Liatris. Knowing each species name is next.
… and some lean to the right.
Liatris quickly became my favorite wildflower, and since my yard had none, I scoured the roadsides for bloomers and seeds. It was a slow start. I remember the first one to come up from scattered seed - too shady and died the second year. Some of those seeds were spread to other spots but I can't say for sure if this one below came from the first.
Some have long stems...
One time when I was harvesting seedheads along the main road, a Liatris came up by the roots in the sandy soil. It was a simple root system with 2 small bulbs. I took those home and planted by the garden. They're well-watered and as tall as me. That's the 2 of lighter color in the first couple photos.
… while some plants are short and barely big enough to flower.
Some get multiple heads (cause “somebody” whacked the top off with his stick last summer)
This Liatris below may be the rare endemic species found at Spring Canyon — Liatris gholsonii. It wasn’t planted on purpose but maybe the seeds rode home on me somehow and found a spot. Actually they seed easily and have now been planted in gardens all around the local counties. If I had one a few years ago, then that is a dozen this fall and dozens thereafter.
I think I have these Liatris species: gholsonii (above); elegantula (the garden Liatris); spicata (cover shot, by the gate); aspera, chapmanii and gracilis are possibilities. There are a few other species that grow in the pinelands near here such as elegans and squarrulosa.
OK, that’s everything I don’t know about Liatris. On to Desmodium!!
Again another plant where the common names confuse me — tick-trefoil, tick clover. I don’t get it, something to do with the seedpods looking like ticks as they stick to you, but lots of plants do that, especially in this Pea family.
The Panicled Desmodium is a pretty little native but… Right now I’m chopping off stems along trails, that or pick them off my jeans later. This next one may be a non-native weed. It spreads along the ground, runners to 2’ but they don’t root in. I’ve been digging them up and this perennial has some awesome roots and easily penetrates the hard clay. The biggest was split in a V, each taproot 6” long and 1” thick with finer roots running out from the ends, like a carrot. Most are 3-4” & ½”.
Blue Mistflowers coming on strong — never learned its other name, too long to remember.
Wednesday update: Another day = more photos.
Agalinis tenuifolia
Agalinis blooming along the trail by the westside fence. Again another plant where I learned the scientific name and not the common — False Foxglove. They’re known for being semi-parasitic but mostly I like them as a host plant for Common Buckeye butterflies.
I spotted 3 caterpillars on the same plant but it was tough to get them all in focus. Plenty of chances yet as this goes on into October.
Skinny leaves means skinny fast-moving caterpillars.
And one final Liatris for the day — I adjusted the exposure setting on the Camera+ app on the iPhone 5SE and it looked great at 4” but then seeing it on my monitor — well obviously over-exposed but it’s cool the way it enhanced some aspects.
Well that’s it, 3 days picking on this Bucket, and if another day goes by, there will be more photos. There's a video I might toss in yet, I’m trying to get it to work. Better finish this up and publish so y’all have a place to report the observations of the natural world around you. See ya in the comments!
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