08/24/2009 Evening Primrose

Common Evening Primrose - Oenothera biennis

Showy Evening Primrose

 Mrs. Morse and I were chatting about wildflowers a couple of months ago when the subject of primroses came up.  She commented on how lovely they were, and I agreed.  Then she mentioned that she looked forward to their yellow color, and I got a puzzled look on my face.  I told her that the ones I’ve been watching are pink, and they’re already blooming.  Mrs. Morse got a puzzled look on her face.

Of course, we had run into the “common name problem.”

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It’s been a while…

I apologize for the relatively long hiatus from a post here on the Journal, and this one isn’t even to present a flower.  I haven’t posted here for over 10 days, but I have been real busy.  I’m not only talking about my day job, and the time I’ve spent enjoying a visit from my youngest daughter and her four sons (her hubby was only through here for a couple of days, but it was nice to see Andy again,)  and the quick overnight trip to Nashville with 12 grandchildren and more to visit relatives up that way, or the trip to Atlanta to deliver folks to the airport. 

No, on top of that, there have been some changes on the USWildflowers.com website.  Read on if you’re interested in hearing about them…

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08/09/2009 Mullein

Common Mullein - Verbascum thapsus

Moth Mullein - Verbascum blattaria

Mullein isn’t native to the United States, but there are eighteen species that grow wild in the USA. Two of those species are presented here, and this non-native plant is now so widespread that Moth Mullein is found in every state except Alaska and Wyoming, and Common Mullein is found in every state in the union. You’ve seen these, I’m sure, along the roadsides where they are typically found with both of these species growing several feet tall, each with a tall stem terminating in a spike of small, showy yellow flowers.

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