A couple of weeks ago, I went on a short bike ride around my neighborhood. There are always interesting and sometimes unexpected things to observe. On this ride, I noticed several Western Ironweed bushes growing along one section of the trail. Since I had never looked at them closely, I thought this would be a good opportunity. Although I had my Nikon P950 with me — I always carry it when I bike — I decided to use my Samsung S23 phone for all of these images.
Western Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii) is a member of the Aster family (Asteraceae). It is a stout, hairy perennial that grows about 3 to 5 feet tall (90 to 150 cm), sending up its red-violet flower clusters on short branches near the top of the plant. One detail I found interesting is that the blooms are made up entirely of disc florets — there are no petal-like ray flowers at all — which is what gives each cluster that soft, fuzzy look. In the close-up, you can see the curled, thread-like style branches that create that texture, along with the tightly overlapping, scale-like bracts that wrap each flower head and bud.
I photographed these in late June, which is right at the start of the plant’s long bloom season — it flowers from summer until the first frost. The early showing may well have been prompted by all the rain we had in June. That timing showed clearly in the field: many of the heads were still closed buds, their coppery, overlapping scales stacked like tiny artichokes, while only a few had opened into full violet tufts. Western Ironweed is known as an excellent nectar source, with special value to native bees, and it also draws butterflies and other insects. I was lucky to catch a honey bee working one of the open blooms — a small sign of how busy these flowers get once they open. (The phone resolution is a bit fuzzy.) The long, lance-shaped leaves lining the stems round out the look of a plant that spreads by rhizomes and can form large colonies where it is happy.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Cellpic Sunday, FlowerHour, Honey Bee, Teravista, Texas, Western Ironweed, Wildflowers, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour #36.
Posted for John’s Cellpic Sunday.
Sources:
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Vernonia baldwinii — https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VEBA
- USDA PLANTS Database — Vernonia baldwinii — https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/VEBA
- Flora of North America — Vernonia baldwinii — http://www.efloras.org/browse.aspx?flora_id=1&name_str=Vernonia%20baldwinii
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation — Pollinator Conservation — https://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation
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Terri Webster Schrandt
Western Ironweed a a very pretty flower, Egidio! Nice to know they have a long growing season!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback, Terri. I’m nearly caught up with the Flower Hour challenge. All I need to post is this week’s challenge, number 38.
Terri Webster Schrandt
I’m always glad to see your flower posts!
Anne Sandler
Beautiful image and flower. It’s amazing what you can see when you stop and look. I think we need to take those precious moments more often.
Egidio Leitao
Anne, your words should be taken to heart: take those precious moments more often. Thanks for the feedback.