Hiding in plain sight are some incredibly beautiful plants. They are very likely in your yard right now. You cannot see them from your window, and most you cannot see walking around. They are very small. Tiny in fact. And many have been blooming for over a month!
First up are these blue beauties. This is corn speedwell and has a low creeping habit. In my yard, this one has been in bloom since February. Its bright color helps make it stand out even though it is so small. |
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| Tiny corn speedwell, Veronica arvensis, sports incredible blue-purple coloring. Photo by Sam James. |
Next up is the diminutive Whitlow grass, Draba verna. It has bright white flowers on a long stalk with a basal rosette of hairy leaves. Very elegant under close observation.
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| Draba verna, or Whitlow grass is a very small plant in the mustard family. Photo by Sam James. |
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| Whitlow grass has deeply cleft petals similar to that of chickweed. Photo by Sam James. |
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| A good look at the fuzzy whorl of leaves of whitlow grass. |
While none of the flowers on this post are native, they are still interesting. To my knowledge they are not serious invaders, rather taking advantage of disturbed places in high impact areas such as roadsides, lawns, and gardens. Not to say they cannot become problems. I continually battle the invasion of gill-over-the-ground in my garden beds.
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| Gill-over-the-ground, Glechoma hederacea, is an aggressive grower in the mint family. However, its deep throated blue flowers are great for bees and small butterflies. |
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| Chickweed, Stellaria media, is also low and creeping. The petals are so deeply cleft that is can appear to have 10 when if fact there are only 5. |
Another small plant in the mint family that is attractive to pollinators is purple Dead Nettle, Lamium purpureum.
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| Purple dead nettle often grows en mass. |
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| The cluster of flowers on each plant is like a nectar buffet for bees, moths, and butterflies. |
There are a myriad of species of cress, some native some not. All are in the mustard family. In your yard there could be several different kinds, but they can be a bit of a challenge to tell apart.
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| This early blooming cress has a basal rosette of leaves each with several leaflets. The leaves definitely make a stronger statement than the flowers. |
For the last of the smaller, but eye catching flowers we have field pennycress. The plant itself can get quite tall, but the flowers remain small and dainty. The seedpods also lend interest to this overlooked plant.
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| A birds-eye view of field pennycress, Thlaspi arvense. Photo by Sam James. |
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Again, the rosette of leave at the bottom of the plant are attractive. The grayish purple stem is also nice.
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We would be remiss if we didn't spend just a little bit talking about dandelions. They are not small and you can definitely see them from your window. There are a lot of strong feelings out there about dandelions. Whatever your feelings are about this plant, they have a long history and are incredibly interesting. So much so that there is a whole book that has been written about them. The Teeth of the Lion: The Story of the Beloved and Despised Dandelion by Anita Sanchez.
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| In your yard you might notice some of the dandelions have adapted to being mowed. Instead of growing tall and blooming, the blooms are low to the ground to avoid the mower blades. |
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| The single bud looks like its ready to explode! |
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| These are familiar leaves to many folks. They are easily recognizable even without the flower. |
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| A highly adaptable plant, in more mild winters dandelions can been seen blooming well in to the fall and in very late winter. The bright yellow color is no doubt a cheery sight during these times. |
So, go outside and hunt around for some wildflowers in your own yard. While you're at it, get down on your hands and knees, crawl around and give your neighbors something to talk about!
Post by: Robyn Wright-Strauss
