Another look at the Gray's Lily

These images are from the last day in June 2010. I decided to take a day and travel the backroads of Montgomery and Floyd counties before heading out to see if my favorite wildflower, the Gray's Lily, was in bloom. I found a very nice area of a wide assortment of wildflowers along one back road, and spent a bit of time in that area. Then it was time to check on the lily. It was in bloom and this year I was able to photograph it in its prime glory. Unfortunately, some bugs had already gotten to the blooms and had eaten away at them. However, this extremely rare and beautiful wildflower is still worth every bit of effort.

 This wildflower is Bouncing Bet, also known as Soapwart (Saponaria officinalis).

  This wildflower is Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosis).

 This wildflower is known as Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus).

  This wildflower is Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans).

  This wildflower is Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans).

  This beautiful wildflower is Gray's Lily (Lilium grayi). The easiest way to determine the Gray's Lily from the Canada Lily is that the Gray's Lily has speckles all the way to the tips of the petals. The Canada Lily has speckles, but they stop before the tips of the petals. Canada Lilies also are more orange/yellow that the red Gray's Lily.

 

 

 These wildflowers are Gray's Lily (Lilium grayi).

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Bedford County

These images are from June 9, 2010. Taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Bedford County, the elevation for most of these images is about 2500 feet above sea level, which puts them one to two weeks behind the wildflower bloom cycle in the valleys below.

 

 

This wildflower is Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosis).

 

 This group of wildflowers is Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis).

This wildflower is Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). The butterfly is a Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly.

This wildflower is Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis).

 

This wildflower is Yucca (Yucca filamentosa).

June Butterflies

These images are from the first week in June 2010, and most of the images were taken at the Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden. The Butterfly Weed was in bloom, and there were more than a few Butterflies willing to take advantage if the tasty treat.

 This is the Golden Star (Chysogonum virginianum). This wildflower plant is known as a semi-evergreen ground cover.

 This is a Butter-and-Eggs plant (Linaria vulgaris). It is also known as Common Toadflax and Yellow Toadflax.

 This is Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium montanum). It is a stunning bloom.

 This wildflower is Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis).

This is a Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly on Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa).

 This is Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa).

This is a Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly on Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa).

Anyone for Yellow Goatsbeard

In the last week of May and the first week of June, I watched a small stand of Yellow Goatsbeard go through its amazing morning dance. In the morning, the pods open to expose the yellow bloom, the bloom then closes by late morning. The pod then opens again in a few days as a seed pod in the form of a large ball of seeds, similar to Dandelions, but much larger. These images show the various stages of this interesting, tall wildflower.

 This is the Yellow Goatsbeard (Tragopogon dubius). This image shows an open bloom and several closed seed pods.

 This is the Yellow Goatsbeard (Tragopogon dubius). This image shows an open bloom.

This is the Yellow Goatsbeard (Tragopogon dubius). This image shows an open seed pods.

 

This is the Yellow Goatsbeard (Tragopogon dubius). This image shows a close-up of an open seed pods.

Late May around the Roanoke area

These images are from late May, and are around the Roanoke area, Franklin County, and Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden. Just a few images in this post.

 This flower is known as Heal-All or Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris).

If you can help identify this wildflower, it would be appreciated.

 This is Yellow Foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora).

This flower is known as Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia). 

This Wildflower is called Purple Vetch (Vicia dasycarpa).

Early May on the Blue Ridge Parkway

These images are from the second week in May 2010. Some of these images are from the wildflower garden at the Roanoke Valley Garden Club offices on Colonial Avenue, one is from my yard, and the rest are along the Blue Ridge Parkway on the high plateau in Floyd County. I was distressed while shooting the images on the Parkway because the large amount of Flame Azalea and Pinxter Flower bushes along the Parkway were destroyed by the severe winter snow and ice that we had during the winter of 2009/2010. In one area that I would visit often, almost 95% of the bushes were gone. Where once stood about twenty Pinxter Flower bushes, only one remained. It was devastating. I know it is the way of nature, but the damage was disheartening none the less.

  This is Blue Salvia (Salvia divinorum).

 This is Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis).

This is Wild Blue Flax (Linum lewisii). Stunning colored blooms.

 This is the Bachelor Button (Centaurea cyanus), also known as a Cornflower.

This is Virginia Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana). This image was shot while it was raining.

This wildflower is Star Chickweed (Stellaria corei) 

 This wildflower is a Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum). This single bloom was one of hundreds in the area.

 The Flame Azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum). Most of the Flame Azalea where this photo was taken were killed off by a brutal winter storm.

 The Flame Azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum), the Floyd County version.

 These are Pinxter Flowers (Rhododendron periclymenoides). Their numbers were decimated in this area by a brutal winter.

 This wildflower is Bowman's Root (Porteranthus trifoliatis)

 This wildflower is Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia).

Above is a Pinxter Flower (Rhododendron periclymenoides). Very odd, yet stunning in their frailty.

Introducing the Showy Evening Primrose

These images are from May 6, 2010, and I found a patch of wildflowers called Showy Evening Primrose, also known as Mexican Primrose, Pink Evening Primrose, and Pinkladies. This group of wildflowers were the only images I shot that day. These are very photogenic wildflowers, so I decided to show three images from the shooting that day. I hope you like them.

 The Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa). Nice close up, Mr. DeMille.

 The Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa). This was a very colorful grouping.

 

The Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa). Another nice close up.

Images from Week 1 of May 2010

These images are from the first week in May 2010. The weather is starting to get warmer during the day, but more important, it is staying warmer at night. I particularly like the month of May for wildflowers. Just like when the leaves change in the fall, you can move higher in elevation to move back a few weeks to catch wildflowers coming to bloom after they have faded in the valley.

The Flame Azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum), the Franklin County version.

 The Flame Azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum), again located at a wildflower wonderland in Franklin County.

 The Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex). This one is again located at that wildflower wonderland in Franklin County.

The Fire Pink (Silene virginica). I really like this wildflower. This one is in the Franklin County Wildflower Garden.

 Red Azalea (Rhododendron x Gable "Stewartsonian"). The butterflies love this stuff.

Periwinkle (Vinca minor). This is the variegated variety.

 This is Deptford Pink. (Dianthus armeria). I was constantly looking for this wildflower until it started growing in my yard.

 Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta), again located in my yard.

 More Deptford Pink. (Dianthus armeria). This is a very small wildflower, on a very tall stem.

Yellow Azelia. (Rhododendrum luteum).