We should enjoy this summer, flower by flower, as if it were to be the last one we’ll see.
~André Gide
September 6, 2021
Hike from Marion, Virginia, to Damascus, Virginia
Since this was a late summer Labor Day Weekend hike, I saw almost no wildflowers in the woods other than pearly everlastings and galax, but I saw plenty of sun-loving wildflowers on the many balds that I hiked across.
Most of the wildflowers were ones that I have seen before— daisies, Black-eyed Susan, red clover, jointed charlock, yellow sweet clover, whorled loosestrife, golden Alexander, asters, smeezeweed, jewelweed, fleabane, woodland sunflower, yarrow, and Queen Anne’s lace.
However, I did identify a few new ones!
This striking tall purple plant is tall ironweed. Tall ironweed can grow to be over six feet tall! We saw it in a cow pasture, and it is most commonly found in overgrazed pastureland. Surprisingly, ironweed flowers are often used for dying wool a beautiful forest green!
This striking plant is purple-flowered raspberry. It’s flowers are edible but fairly furry and sour.
This five-petaled purple beauty is a kind of lobelia. A perennial wildflower found in the eastern half of the United States, it has many medicinal uses.
While hiking over the balds, I saw a number of thistle plants. As someone of Scottish descent, thistles always make me happy even though they are generally considered to be a weed. Thistles are much-loved by butterflies and bees, and thistle seeds are great forage for goldfinches and other seed eating birds.
And I walked through fields of common wrinkle-leaved goldenrod. This plant is insect pollinated and highly sought after by native bees and butterflies for pollen and nectar.
One of the high points of spending so much time on the Appalachian Trail this year has been seeing the progression of wildflowers, from early spring beauties to late summer goldenrod.
It is always a great day to take a long walk in the woods!