Thursday, April 13, 2017

Spring Wildflowers in the Sandhills

Along the roadsides in April are some pretty exquisite blooms.

Below is Lupinus diffusus (Blue Sandhill Lupine, Oak Ridge Lupine, Spreading Lupine, Skyblue Lupine). NC Native Plant Society has some great photos.

Below are some photos I took last spring along our very own River Road. I won't tell you exactly where, as you're just gonna have to slow down behind me and look as well. :-)

If you're like, holy cow, I've got to dig that up! Don't bother. Years and years ago we tried to transplant some and it was a no go. So please, just enjoy it where it's at, usually along the roadside in a sunny, sandy patch in front of longleaf pine.

Among the lupine you may see another wildflower NC native, Asclepias humistrata or the Sandhill Milkweed. I find this little, low-crawling plant bewitching when you suddenly come across it at your feet and register all its subtle colors and intricate textures in flower and leaf.

Here again, please don't dig it up. Rather buy a seed pod or two off a site for local native plants, like the NC Native Plant Society, or buy a cultivar. Leave these wild beauties for us all to enjoy.

There's something dreamy about these beautiful flowers floating above the white pocosin sand.

What about Fall?

Right now at the end of August, you can find beauty berry in full...berry...and the last of the horsemint, Monarda Punctata, if you look carefully along the River Road (sorry, no pics yet). Your speed will piss off whoever's behind you, but hey, you only go this time around once.

More Posts

No comments:

Post a Comment