One I did not spot last year! And truly blue, which is unusual. Also known as “carpenter’s herb” because it was thought to help stop bleeding. Evidently makes a good groundcover for shade if you don’t mind that it can be invasive. Native to Eurasia, escaped from cultivation. Mint family.
Bugle, Carpet-bugle (Ajuga reptans)
Self-heal is one of those perennial herbs with a long history of being eaten raw, cooked, infused into drinks, and used medicinally as a poultice and also taken internally as a medicinal tea. Is being studied for antibacterial action, and in AIDS and allergy research. Plus, just grows in the yard. Native to Europe, Asia and North America.
Common Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
One of my favorites because of its excellent name and color, and because mere ovoid petals weren’t enough, they needed that little barb on the ends. There are several varieties of blue-eyed grass—Stout is often pale blue like this. Native perennial. Iris family.
Stout Blue-eyed Grass (sisyrinchium angustifolium)
Each flower lives only one day, but each plant produces 20 or more flowers per stem. The sap has a viscous quality and can be stretched between your fingers like a thread of spider silk. The stems, leaves and flowers are edible, raw or added to stew. The flowers can garnish your salad!The Lakota made a blue paint from the flowers and a poultice for insect bites and stings from the crushed leaves.
(The spiderwort genus is named after John Tradescant, who was a gardener for King Charles I of England (1600-1649). His son brought spiderwort seeds or plants from Virginia to England in 1637. It became a popular exotic plant. Native. (Photo June 4.)
Spiderwort, Cow Slobber, Widow’s Tears, Trinity Flower, Indian Paint (Tradescantia virginiana)
Okay, locally we have at least three kinds of vetch to keep straight. This is cow vetch, and the other two are common vetch (which is magenta and looks like a sweet pea) and crown vetch (pale pink and shaped like a crown). This is similar to a pea in habit, with tendrils that fasten on to (and can strangle) other plants. Widely used as forage for cattle. Pea family. Origin: Eurasia.
Cow Vetch, Tufted Vetch, Bird Vetch, Boreal Vetch (Vicia cracca)
I didn’t make a study of their wildflowers, but I had to notice this one! I can’t figure out what it is, maybe a kind of lavender?
And on another botanical note, I can tell you that in the small town open-air markets and on the sidewalks of Paris, they have splendid produce stands. They look beautiful and everything seems to be perfectly ripe and ready to eat.
And I can tell you they love wisteria. And lilacs.
Also, we visited the chateau where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life, and here is one of his drawings… we can recognize that he was out in the yard drawing the violets… peonies or roses? fuschia?
There are several similar-looking kinds of Speedwell. This kind has flowers on long stalks instead of stalkless in the axils. In Italian it’s known as “gli occhi della Madonna,” which means “the eyes of the Virgin Mary.” Native to Europe. Photo: May 8, 2013.
Bird’s-eye Speedwell, Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica)
Dark blue and purple orchid-like flowers. This plant is introduced and invasive. It belongs to the Mint family. (Photo taken April 30, 2013. I’m way behind on posting photos, so I’m going to add the actual dates I collected the photos, for the AFs who are trying to compare this year with last year—you know who you are!)
Creeping Charlie, Ground Ivy, Gill-over-the-ground, Haymaids (Glechoma hederacea)
Beautiful delicate little flowers. A delight to spot them. Madder family. Native. Last week, we went to an oratorio which included this short poem written by a troubled WWII soldier (John Meneely) to his wife:
I know a land where roses bloom
And bluets mark their compass points.
The oriole with findlong tongue
The breeze anoints.
This land I know within my heart
Is lost unless you bring the chart.
Bluets, Quaker Ladies, Azure Bluets, Innocence (Houstonia caerulea)
