Wildflowers: A visit to my yard - IX
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As the most impressive flower in the early spring, the Bluebonnet, once again chokes the front yard with blue, Texas Paintbrush rises at its side, and Prairie Spiderwort establishes itself on the edges of the yard, a new flower makes its appearance with them. |
Lemon Paintbrush If you don't know this flower exists, it can appear as quite a puzzle. Several visitors have spontaneously identified it as an albino paintbrush. The stem and leaves are the same as Texas Paintbush. The petals, however, are somewhat more rounded than its relative. In Texas there are three varities: yellow, red, and purple. Common names include Lemon Painted Cup and Citron Painbrush. |
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Texas Dandelion Meanwhile, Texas Dandelion begins its annual effort at taking over the middle of the back yard. It towers over its smaller relative, the Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). The word Dandelion refers to the similarities of the plant's leaves to the teeth of a lion. The Texas Dandelion, like the common version, is very tenacious. If mowed, it reappears over and over in slightly shorter versions. Unlike the common version, it blooms for most of the spring and sometimes into the summer before going to seed. |