Sunday, July 22, 2012

On the Roadsides


Soapwort (Bouncing Bet)

Chicory

Phlox

Queen Anne's Lace

Bee Balm

Five common wildflowers blooming on our western North Carolina roadsides just now.
Can you guess which are native and which are introduced? The  introduced ones probably arrived with the earliest colonists hundreds of years ago. 

Here's  a hint -- three are introduced.  I'll give the answer in the comments later in the day...
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15 comments:

Ms. A said...

I don't know nothing, about nothing, but I could make an estimated guess at one!

Judith said...

I'd guess soapwort, chickory and Queen Anne's lace. Those three have practical uses, so are more likely to have been brought over by the colonists.

Martin said...

JudyB has beaten me to it. Hers would be my pure guess.

jennyfreckles said...

How have I managed to miss so many of your posts? Catching up now. I think we have some of these plants too but I don't know bee balm, so maybe that's a native to you?

Kath said...

I can guess at Bouncing Bet and Queen Anne's Lace. Since Chicory usually shows up next to Queen Anne's Lace, I'll make that my third guess.

Marta McDowell said...

I believe that the natives are bee balm and chicory. Love the quiz!

Jean Baardsen said...

If I had to name the flowers and plants, I would never get to post any pictures of them!

KarenB said...

I cheated and looked them up, so I'm not answering. When we hike and look up the flowers we're aren't sure of, I'm surprised at how many common wildflowers are alien species.

Brian Miller said...

nice...the chicory is so delicate...and love the color of the bee balm...

Frances said...

Vicki, I don't know the answer re imports, but your terrific portraits of these flowers remind me of a childhood warning from my mom. Do not go near Queen Anne's Lace...it's filled with ticks!

Since I obeyed her, and stayed away, I still don't know if ticks do have an affection for these flowers.

xo

Carol said...

I've seen Queen Anne's lace in England where they call it cow parsley, but I don't know about the others.

Darla said...

I've no idea, but love the photos and the quiz ... I'm guessing the natives are chicory and ... oh ... soapwort. There, now I've strained my brain first thing in the morning--ouch!

Stella Jones said...

I didn't read the other comments. I'm guessing that the bee balm and the chicory are native to north America. We have so much, what I call Gypsy Lace over here and phlox and soapwort that it must be the others?

NCmountainwoman said...

Bee Balm is native and I love it! We have red and purple and some with double heads. Great photographs.

Vicki Lane said...

Judy B's got it. As do several more of you. Bouncing Bet(soapwort), Chicory, and Queen Anne's Lace are the foreigners in the lot.

Just back from my trip to Historic Rugby -- pictures to download and laundry to do...