Thursday, April 12, 2012

K is for...


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   Today's wildflower is the "Kansas Gayfeather"   Liatris pycnostachya. I get a kick out of one of its other names "Hairy Button-snakeroot", but I already had an H. This is a tall drink of water, growing 2-5 feet high. It is also very showy, half of the height is covered in blooms. There are 14 other gayfeather plants found in Texas, but this one prefers the wetlands or damp sand. The others prefer more dry areas. Part of the name of this plant comes from the Greek word for crowded. That perfectly describes the flowers on this plant, that bloom from the top down. Kansas likes to show off it's blooms from June all the way through October. This plant is another favorite of the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. 



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Picture from University of Texas Plant Resource Guide