If you haven’t noticed – I’m ready to be done with winter and ready to be back out photographing wildflowers. Since nothing is blooming yet here in the DC area, I’m looking back over some of the wildflower photos I took last year. I decided it was time for a bunch of bright yellow flowers. All of these flowers are members of the Aster family and were photographed on my trip to Colorado last summer.
Yellow Salisfy (Tragopogon dubius). Native to Europe, Yellow Salisfy is found throughout the United States except for Hawaii, Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi. It grows to about 4 feet tall along roadsides and in fields. It is also known as Goat’s Beard.
(c) 2011 Patty Hankins
Nodding Sunflower (Helianthella quinquenervis). Nodding sunflowers are native to much of the western United States. They generally have one flower – that appears to nod or bow it’s head. It has five prominent veins in the leaves – which the species name quenquenervis refers to.
(c) 2011 Patty Hankins
Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata). Arrowleaf Balsamroot is another bright yellow flower native to much of the Western United States and Canada where Native Americans used them for both food and medicine. The leaves of the Arrowleaf Balsamroot are arrowshaped – hence it’s name. It is not uncommon to see hundreds of Arrowleaf Balsamroot in a field.
(c) 2011 Patty Hankins
Orange Sneezeweed (Dugaldia Hoopesii). Also known as Owl’s Claws, Orange Sneezeweed is native to much of the western United States. The pollen of these plants can cause serious sinus problems for some people – thus the name sneezeweed. Sheep ranchers dislike the plant – it can cause spewing sickness in sheep when they eat it.
(c) 2011 Patty Hankins
(c) 2011 Patty Hankins
I hope this set of bright yellow wildflowers had helped brighten up your day.