You know that summer is drawing to a close when the ironweeds (Vernonia) start to bloom.
Some pastures are full of these rather ugly plants.
This one used to have large numbers of them, but now they grow only in uncut areas, like up next the barn.
Those of you who are more observant may notice a butterfly on the ironweed flowers.
I have no idea what species it is.
My entomological knowledge is pretty poor!
I think they’re pretty!
By the end of September, when they start to die off, they are extremely ugly.
Speaking of pictures, where did you get that picture of a toad? If you blow up that picture you see that the tiny black dot on the rock just left of the toad is a bug! Wish I could take pictures like that!
I take a lot of crappy photos. Every once in a while I get a good one.
Thanks. Me, too. I got a tiny picture of a mink, though. At least I think it was a mink. Didn’t know we had those around here till one ran right past me and my Point ‘N’ Shoot.
I might fund that out if the deer would leave them (and the Joe Pye Weed) alone.
I love ironweed! I let two or three plants grow up along the edge of my yard eery year. They’ll grow to be 12 feet tall some years. Butterflies & native and honey bees love them in the summer, and chickadees and goldfinches love them in the winter when the fuzzy seed heads are left on the plant.