Bidens bipinnata; Asteraceae (aster family)
[regular blog entries on hiatus until late September]
Spanish Needles
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Flower of the Day: Beechdrops
Epifagus virginiana; Orobanchaceae (broom-rape family)
Right before leaving on the road trip I made a quick scramble along the Cabin John Trail, and was once again rewarded. I’ve read about this parasitic plant but had never seen it before; that day, I saw dozens of them. They live off the roots of beech trees so that’s where to look for them.
My Beloved Potomac River
The blog is still on hiatus while I travel in Nova Scotia. Here’s a scene from July 28: Potomac River just upstream of Cabin John Creek, early evening.
Flower of the Day will be sporadic until late September.
Flower of the Day: Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica; Campanulaceae (bellflower family)
Another find from Cool Spring (see yesterday’s post) in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. Stately plant, several feet tall. The bright blue flowers are even more stunning when you see them in the deep shade.
USDA shows this plant as unreported in Jefferson County, where I found it. Hmmm.
Time for a Quickie
purple coneflower; Echinacea purpurea; Asteraceae (aster family)
Back from Montreal, and I have a few days before heading to Cape Breton Island, so I’ll write a few quick entries to autopost. No time for research and writing details.
Almost every picture I’ve posted since April I’ve taken in the Potomac River gorge, between Great Falls and the American Legion Bridge. A few were taken along Cabin John Creek, no more than 2 miles upstream of the Potomac. This one was not, though. I found this and a host of spectacular plants one afternoon at a really nifty privately owned nature preserve called Craftworks at Cool Spring, near Charles Town, West Virginia. Please click on the link to read about them, and go visit if you’re so inclined. The property is beautiful.
Elizabeth's Wildflower Blog 