Wildflower Wednesday, August, 2016

I tend to post a lot of photos in my Wildflower Wednesday posts, and today is no exception.  I am glad Gail from Clay and Limestone created this, as it keeps me posting at least once a month.  I did something a little different this time.  For quite a few plants, I have a photo of a whole plant, and then a close up.  I tried to include as many insects as I could in the close ups.

The joe pye plants in the yard have been full of bees each time I go out.   There are usually around 10 in this one at a time.

The Illinois bundleflower buds will be turning brown soon.  This plant got taller than usual this year.  As with a number of other plants, I had to tie it up so it wouldn't fall over.

The cup plant has been getting larger each year. Next year, I want to cut it back a bit from the sidewalk, so it doesn't flop over it as much.

Flowering spurge gets visits from tiny insects that I have trouble getting photos of.

I had to catch this photo of the monarch on the liatris, which I am thinking is scariosa.

The brown eyed susans, coneflowers, and blue mistflowers are filling up any bare spots in this area!  I think I see a clump of riddell's goldenrod that will be blooming soon in there, too.

There were no visitors this time, but these blooms are being utilized by some pollinators.

I think this is the third season for the big leaf asters, and maybe the first year they've bloomed.  Most of the asters were eaten down by the rabbits, so I am glad these are blooming.

The native Helen's flower got huge because I didn't cut many plants back this spring, hoping for more blooms on the tour we were on on Father's Day.  Next year, they should be shorter and bushier if I get them pruned.

They are drawing in several kinds of pollinators, some quite small.

I cut back the liatris aspera in this curb area in the spring.  I'm glad it took it fine, and is blooming.

There is usually at least one bee on it.

The hoary vervain is having another flush of blooms, since I deadheaded it in the spring.  The several butterfly milkweed plants around are looking great.

Ironweed is one that self sows around.

These normally have insects on them, but didn't when I took the photos.

Someone's honey could be pretty tasty, since the bees are feeding on short tothed mountain mint.  Another clump had one of the black wasps that are frequent guests.

This is a native plant given to me from a member of a Facebook group we are in, Gardening with Nature in Mind.  I'll need to look up the name of it.

I hope we start seeing more butterflies soon.