spring flowers #3

More spring flowers. I like both of these as much for the habit of the seed head as for the flower itself.

It took me several days to correctly identify Centaura montana, commonly called Mountain bluet though in the Midwest it is sometimes referred to as Perennial cornflower. One of the problems was that I couldn't remember where I obtained the original specimen. Erroneously, I believed the plant to have come from a native plant sale and indeed it may have. However, I could never locate it in any of a number of native guide books. The reason? It is native to the mountains of Southern Europe but has been introduced into the US where is has established a fairly wide distribution. Although typically found in higher elevations than the great plains, it has acclimated itself very well to a sunny, well-drained spot in the garden. It's seed head always reminds me of a reptile because of its scalar appearance. Despite the flower's fragile appearance it is actually a decent cut flower and the profusion of blooms and length of the bloom period (as long a month) are a double bonus.


One of the real gems of the late spring garden are red poppies. The color on these poppies stops neighborhood walkers in their tracks; it's fun to watch them go in for a closer look like they're an insect searching for pollen. There are few other flowers with this vibrant of a red and when these blooms open they're about 6 inches across. When they close up (clouds or rain will shut them up) they form an almost perfect triangle. Their seed heads are so interesting they send some folks soaring.

This version corrects an earlier post.