And if that is not enough, Hyptis is coming on too.
Curious about something you saw while walking in the woods? Spot the coolest bug ever? The prettiest flower and butterfly? Stumble on a rock and found a fossil? Or was it? This is the place to show your discoveries and share in the knowledge of the natural world right outside our doors. Join in the fun everyday at The Daily Bucket.
August 2016
Once more into my woods I go but this time I'm at the edge of the woods below my house where it's sorta sunny, sorta shady. Smallanthus is in the Aster family, a Damn Yellow Composite if you like. It started blooming here a month ago and looks like it will flower into September. The bees, flies, and butterflies love it and work the rambling plants over and over from sun to set.
It was a DYC when it first appeared a few years ago. I got lucky this year and discovered the name - Smallanthus uvedalia. Common names are Hairy Leafcup, Bear's Foot, Yellow Leafcup but I'll stick with the memorable Smallanthus. Kinda rolls off the tongue doesn't it, but what does it mean?
Over at Eat the Weeds they have a great defintion. The article refers to Yacon in the same family and grown as an edible in South America.
The genus name was first proposed in 1933, advocated in 1978, and as the botanists say “currently preferred” some 79 years later. It means “small flower” which is certainly more descriptive than a “pensive goddess ” (Polymnia - previous name, my ed.) The flowers aren’t really that small but the plant grows rather large so they look smaller than they are.
Smallanthus appeared after a few large trees fell several years ago (the Water Oak that rotted at the base had huge grape vines running thru the top and over to a Southern Magnolia that caused it to break in half and strip the limbs off a Loblolly Pine as it all fell.) So a big clearing with just enough sun for all my usual plants to sprout (Beautyberry, Devils Walking Stick, Smilax, Sweetgum, Loblolly) but since I have so many of those, I've been pulling them up. It's hard to say how many Smallanthus are growing there because they get quite big and spread out and run into and onto each other. No idea how they started.
It’s a favorite for Zebra Longwings, and me as I watch them from the kitchen window. I guess the flowers produce a lot of nectar because I see the longwings, skippers, and bees visiting the same flowers constantly all day. The petals may fall but still they come probing the centers.
One final photo — and it’s a mess down there; makes it very hard to focus on any visitors so I usually shoot wide and hope for the best. This shot caught nothing but it was in focus.
I was going to talk about the Hyptis that is just starting to bloom. Not as showy as the Smallanthus but the Zebra Longwings love it since it generally hits primetime about when the other stops. And at some point, the Monarda decides it is going to flower after growing thru the winter in a very special spot with constant water and nutrient (end of the leachfield).
Yikes, it’s 10 already, time to publish. See ya in the comments!
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