Wildflowers 4

“Wildflowers are the loveliest of all because they grow in uncultivated soil, in those hard, rugged places where no one expects them to flourish.”
~Micheline Ryckman.

Below are some of the beautiful wildflowers I saw in Virginia between McAfee Knob (Rt 311) and Bearwallow Gap (Buchanan)  in late June.

This bright pink flower is called Deptford pink or mountain pink. It grows in fields and trail edges and its cheery presence is ubiquitous in June along the Appalachian Trail!

Black-eyed Susan may be an extremely common wildflower, but its golden yellow beauty always makes me smile!

Considered a “noxious weed”, spotted knapweed is an aggressive invasive species that is having all kinds of negative impacts. It increases soil erosion rates, poses wildfire hazards, and is causing large reductions in available food for grazing animals. This pest is growing in Virginia!

A type of wild ginger, little heartleaf has some of the prettiest leaves I’ve ever seen! These evergreen heart-shaped leaves are aromatic when crushed. This plant does have a flower, but the flower grows so close to the ground that it is usually obscured by leaf litter!

Yellow sweet clover is an all-around wonderful plant. A valuable crop, it replenishes the soil, it fights weeds, and it provides livestock forage. Additionally, yellow sweet clover is a fantastic honey plant — one of the best in the world. Beekeepers in ancient Greece recognized sweet clover as a wonderful honey plant. It is used both medicinally and in food — Gruyere cheese is flavored with its seeds. Interestingly, yellow sweet clover is one of the few plants found throughout all 50 states!

Skullcap is a common native perennial wildflower. There are 350 species of skullcap worldwide, and I have no idea what species of skullcap this is. The flower gets its name from the shape of the flower, which looks like a little helmet or skullcap. It is also known as helmet flower and Quaker bonnet. Skullcap has numerous medicinal uses.