Growing by the water. A variety of bugleweed. The genus name Lycopus means wolf foot, and the plant is so named because some varieties have leaves that resemble a wolf’s foot print. (Seems unlikely!) This species has many historical medical uses, especially as a sedative. Sessile-leaved means the leaves are attached to the main stalk without any stem. Mint Family.
Sessile-leaved Water Horehound, Clasping Water Horehound (Lycopus amplectens)
Grows in bogs and near water, blooms til first frost. Beautiful. Notice how the petals are not separate, but kind of pleated. Borage family. Native to Europe and Asia.
True Forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides)
Growing at water’s edge at Longfellow and at the Needham Town Forest. Blooms late summer through fall. Aster Family. Native.
Flat-top Goldenrod, Grass-leaved Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia)
I need enhanced macro power! Anyway, thanks to A.F. Donna for suggesting I check out Longfellow Pond. There are several new finds there. This is swamp milkweed—the flower clusters are not as spherical as common milkweed, and the color is brighter. Has specialized roots for swamp living. Attracts Monarch butterflies.
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
A modest little aster by the trail. Not too many new blossoms back in the woods…
Long-stalked Aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum)
One blooming at Charles River Peninsula, and one just getting started at Wilson. Furry little things. Was used by midwives to prevent uterine infection and for other pregnancy-related issues; that’s how it came to be called Motherwort. Mint family. Originally from Central Asia but widely distributed due to its medicinal uses.
Motherwort, Lion’s Ear, Lion’s Tail (Leonurus cardiaca)
In a clearing at Noanet with asters and indigo. The dried leaves are milder than commercial basil. Looks a little like Self-heal, but on these, the top petal flips up, and in Self-heal that top petal flips downward. Mint family. Native.
Wild Basil (Clinopodium vulgare)
In a dry clearing at Noanet. Aster family. Native.
Toothed White-topped Aster (Sericocarpus asteroides)
Spikes of yellow flowers and toothed divided leaves with 5 leaflets. This is one of those herbs with a long recorded history of medicinal use, from ancient Greece through the Middle Ages in Europe, and was prescribed for ailments on this continent into the 19th century. A bit of folklore: if you hold it over someone’s head, it will induce a deep sleep until you take it away… Rose family. Native.
Agrimony (Agrimonia)
Bonus photos for A.F. Marilyn, who likes a little context with her wildflowers. This park has 6 meadows with bits of woods separating them (for the most part), and they all serve up different flora. Here is one of them:
Toward the end of the hike, there’s a little creek. It’s running low because it’s such a dry hot summer (about 95 during this walk), but here is Lucy getting all the satisfaction she can from an inch of water:
A garden plant escaped from cultivation in New England. Growing at Centennial out in the poison ivy; I shot this in Dover Center. Hummingbird favorite. Mint family.
Oswego Tea, Bee Balm, Monarda, Bergamot (Monarda didyma)