Friday, July 21, 2006

Philadelphia Fleabane

Common Name: Philadelphia Fleabane
Latin Name: Erigeron philadelphicus

Up this close and personal to a Philadelphia Fleabane, you may not realize this is often a very common weed and if you saw it in your garden you would rip it out immediately. It is very much a weed you don't want growing in your back yard. But I do see a delightful beauty here - growing at the side of a construction site when there is nothing but dirt to see, then these flowers stand out. Besides just being a flower in pinkish/purple it can also been seen more commonly in it's white version. Depending on where this plant is growing it functions as a bi-ennial or a perennial.

Blooms: April to August
(Picture taken June, 25th, 2006)

Hoary Vervain

Common Name: Hoary Vervain
Latin Name: Verbena Stricta

This plant can literally be found all over Canada's Eastern Region. This one in particular was found in High Park in Toronto, ON. I think this plant is truely beautiful, and can be seen in shades of pink, and purple. My boyfriend and I were eating at Grenadier restaurant there at high park, and after we came out we went and did a little wandering. I saw a whole bunch of undiscovered flowers I hadn't taken pictures of - this was one of them.

Blooms: June to August
(Picture taken June, 24th, 2006)

Monday, July 17, 2006

Common St. John's Wort

Common Name: St. John's Wort
Latin Name: Hypericum perforatum

Although known as the natural anti-depressant, this is not the worlds prettiest flower or plant. The truth be known however, it is a nasty weed here in Canada. It chokes out other valuable plants. You can pick this plant as much as you like, although I'm not sure why you'd want it unless you were a budding homeopath. The black dots on the petals of this plant, is what contains the compound hypericin which is used in natural remedies, for insomnia, depression, etc. This particular plant was found growing near a track at a school.

Blooms: June to Septemeber
(Picture taken June, 27th 2005)

Orange Daylily

Common Name: Orange Daylily
Latin Name: Hemerocallis fulva

This particular flower was found at a construction site, where there was a new development just added in Ajax, Ontario. However, the same plant is now no longer there it was mowed down. We have a rampant supply of these Perennials growing all around Ajax along the Waterfront Trail. Since these blooms are not in short supply, do not feel bad about cutting a few and adding it to a vase at home.

Blooms: June to August
(Picture taken June 28th 2005)