Except for very late bloomers like witch hazel, late September is really more about which flowers are still blooming rather than which are just starting. Spotted touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis) is a good example of flowers that will bloom right up until a good frost. As day length shortens the plants will produce smaller, closed flowers with no petals and no nectar. They self-pollinate and their sole purpose is to produce plenty of seeds.
When spotted touch-me-not flowers first open they are male, but then change to female. The way to tell is by looking for white pollen. If white pollen is present the flower is male. Female flowers will have a small green pistil in place of the pollen seen in this photo.
I used to think that black eyed Susan’s (Rudbeckia hirta) were the longest blooming of any wildflower but once I started paying attention I found that wasn’t true. But it is a marathoner rather than a sprinter and can bloom from June right up until a hard frost.
This plant was always believed to have been given its common name by English colonists, but that caused a real conundrum among botanists who all agreed that it was a prairie native. Though everyone still agrees that it is a prairie native, recent research has shown that it was growing in Maryland in the 1600s. In other words it was most likely growing in all parts of the country then, just as it does today. I can’t understand why botanists thought that a prairie native would simply stay there. Why wouldn’t it have spread far and wide, just like plants do today?
Knapweed is terribly invasive and hated by pasture owners but even though I know all of that its flowers win me over every time. This was one of just a few left in a large group of plants that had all withered and turned brown.
I was surprised to see this mullein (Verbascum thapsus) plant blooming so late in the year. I wonder if it will have time to set seeds. Mullein is a biennial and flowers and dies in its second year of growth. It is considered a weed but if all of its flowers opened at once along its tall flower stalk it would be a prized garden specimen.
By the time I got to the spot along the Ashuelot River in Gilsum where big leaf asters (Eurybia macrophylla) grow they had almost all gone by, but I did find one or two that were still hanging on. The big leaves on this plant are very different from other asters, so it’s a hard plant to misidentify.
This plant taught me a good lesson; the photo I took of it last year was chosen by the State of Georgia for inclusion in its new wildflower guide because it showed both the flowers and leaves, so if you think that you might like to sell your wildflower photos try to include some foliage whenever possible.
Even phlox, a plant known for its late bloom period, has almost gone by now. There are many varieties of phlox but I think the one pictured is Phlox paniculata, which is native to the eastern United States.
Arrow leaved tear thumb (Polygonum sagittatum) has small tufts of pinkish white flowers at the ends of long, weak stems. It is usually found sprawling on and around other stronger stemmed plants that help support it. It loves to grow near water.
The reddish, 4 sided stems of arrow leaved tearthumb have tiny, backward pointing prickles that the plant uses to hang onto other plants when it crawls over them in search of more sunlight. These prickles are plenty sharp enough to tear into the flesh of your thumb (or any other body part) if you try to pull at the plant without gloves on, and that’s where the common name comes from.
Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has a period of bloom in June through August and then rests for a while before giving it another go. Mankind has had a relationship with this plant since before recorded history and dried sprigs of it have been found in Neanderthal graves. The ancient Greeks used it on wounds to staunch blood flow and so did Native Americans.
According to the book The History and Folklore of North American Wildflowers by Timothy Coffey, in England if a boy put a sprig of yarrow in his nostril and twisted it around three times and got a nosebleed, he was sure to win his sweetheart. It is said that the boys in Suffolk call the plant green ‘arrow and recite the following rhyme:
Green ‘arrow, green ‘arrow you bears a white blow;
If my love love me, my nose will bleed now;
If my love don’t love me, it won’t bleed a drop;
If my love do love me, ‘twill bleed every drop.
I know that this purple morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) isn’t a wild flower but I had to sneak it in because of the amazing light that seemed to be shining from it.
Autumn asks that we prepare for the future —that we be wise in the ways of garnering and keeping. But it also asks that we learn to let go—to acknowledge the beauty of sparseness. ~Bonaro W. Overstreet
Thanks for stopping in.
Such a lovely and informative post. And I always like your end-quote. You’re allowed to sneak in that luminous morning glory, but my fave is the spotted touch-me not for its beauty almost as much as its name.
Thank you Cynthia. I like the spotted touch me nots too, in fact I really like them all.
The flowers are few and far between now but I think that makes them all the more of a welcome sight. The purple morning glory is lovely. I saw some in Germany growing on wasteland but didn’t get the chance to take a photo.
I agree-any flower I see right now draws me like a magnet. That morning glory grows on a rusty chain link fence at the post office.
An astounding group of flowers still existing this late! Beautiful!
We still haven’t had a good frost here but there aren’t many flowers left, so this will probably be the last post devoted to them for a while.
You’re so right about the mullein! If it all bloomed synchronously, people would be clamoring to get it!
Yes, and dandelions too if they didn’t come up on their own in everyone’s lawn.
I love the quotation at the end too.
Thanks Ben. I like that one too.
Reblogged this on Dawn of Divine Rays.
beautiful, knapweed will take over anything!
It sure has taken over that spot! Sunny, hot and poor soil.
I am with you on the knapweed. It is a real beauty. I am not surprised that your pictures are appearing in guides.
Thank you. I was very surprised! It seems if you love what you photograph it comes through in the photo and people pick up on it, just like with your and Mrs.T’s photos of Matilda.
So big leaf aster is now Eurybia? For some reason I had assumed it was Symphiotrichum. I guess not. When we live in Wisconsin we had a big stand of touch-me-not, though we called it Jewelweed.
The U.S.D.A. lists big leaf aster as Eurybia macrophylla but I’ve noticed that a lot of people use Aster macrophyllus. They change so often now because of DNA testing that it’s hard to keep up.
We call it jewelweed or spotted touch me not. I thought “touch me not” would remind people of the snapping seed pods it has at this time of year, so I used that name in this post.
I was pleased to recognise quite a few of your flowers this time. It is an interesting point about trying to include the foliage in a shot of flowers for identification purposes, often because of the size it is difficult to produce an attractive and useful photograph. I don’t have a good European wild flower identification book and I wonder often whether a photographic one or a drawing one would be easier to use for someone who is not familiar with wild flowers. What do you think? Amelia
It is often very difficult to get both the leaves and flowers in focus when shooting wildflowers, but if you can then you should.
I prefer the guides with photos because they are usually grouped by color and it seems to make looking them up a lot easier. It also helps when you’re colorblind like I am because what you see in a photo is what color the flower really is, so you don’t have to rely on descriptions that use words like “steel blue.”
Thanks for that. My last comment whizzed away before I could congratulate you on having your flower pictures included in the book. It must be very satisfying having your photographs included in a work like that.
Thank you Amelia. Yes it is satisfying to know that you’ve done something that others appreciate, and also a bit humbling.
It’s not surprising that several of your photos have been chosen to used in wildflower guides, your blog IS a wildflower guide! I’ll bet that you include more information than most of the guides in which your photos appear as well. Congratulations!
Thanks Jerry! I know what you mean, many wildflower guides really aren’t much help. The new one being published by the New England Wildflower Society next year is supposed to have 1000 photos in it so I have high hopes for it. I’ve talked to the person who is writing it and he really knows his stuff!
I am very amused by what you tell us about wonderful Yarrow. I would be most surprised if our local Suffolk boys these days poked it up their noses to see if they get a nosebleed or not. Much too much trouble! According to my younger daughter, boys usually ask a friend to go up to the girl they fancy and say ‘My mate wants to go out with you’ while the ‘romantic young man’ stands looking on with other smirking friends. Oh, the trials of being young and in love!
Congratulations on getting your photographs chosen to be included in wild flower guides. I like all the little gems you have given us today.
Thank you Clare. Your boys and girls don’t sound much different than ours where romance is concerned. I wondered how old that information was when I was copying it from the book. It sounded more like it came from Victorian times than today. I think I’d rather pull the petals off a daisy while reciting she loves me, she loves me not than stuffing yarrow up my nose!
I quite agree!
Thanks for your super posts. It is like taking a walk with a naturalist and I look forward to it every week. I did not know about the changing sex in the Impatiens. I’ll have to take a closer look next time. My kids love exploding the seed pods.
Where do you get your amazing collection of quotes? I agree with your awe and joy in so many of your posts when you come across something in the woods…seeing the beauty in nature really does seem like a gift to us living beings during our short time on Earth.
You’re welcome Lara. I used to love exploding touch me not seed pods too, when I was a boy. If yours ever get poison ivy the juice from touch me not is a good way to stop the itching.
I find the quotes online. I just Google “nature quotes” and there they are. Many times their quotes get me interested enough in the person to read their books and I’ve spent many happy hours learning more about nature that way.
It’s hard not to feel joy and awe when you walk through the woods. It’s all so beautiful and all we need to do is look.
Thanks for visiting.
Congratulations on having your photos selected for publication. I think that you sometimes underestimate how good they are. Like the others, I learn a lot from your postings. I definitely am drawn to the beauty of that morning glory. Wow!
Thanks Mike. I see many photos every bit as good and many better than mine on several blogs I read, so I think it’s more the luck of the draw than anything else. People looking for flower photos just happened to stumble on my blog, I’d guess, but nevertheless it is an honor to have them selected.
I’m glad you’re learning something about plants here-that’s what it’s all about. I’m also glad that you agree with my assessment of the morning glory!
I’m not surprised Jewelweed is also called touch-me-not. I swear, if you look to hard at the seed pods, they pop open. I guess that is partly why they grow en mass in some areas. I have some of that Arrow Leaved Tear Thumb growing near my pond and I can attest to the sharpness of the spines on the stems!
Those spring loaded seedpods can be startling when you’re standing beside them when they decide to explode! That is how the plant got that name, and it’s a good one.
I’m sure you’ve discovered that gloves are a must when you’re working with tearthumb. You’ll come away bloody otherwise.
I am not surprised to learn that you are able to sell your photographs in the way you describe. Although not a botanist myself I am learning a lot looking at your blog.
I’m not really a botanist either Susan. More of an amateur botanist and amateur photographer rolled into one I’d say, but I have sold a few photos. The New England Wildflower Society just bought five of them for inclusion in their new wild flower guide and I thought that was quite an honor.