Ho-hum.......and, yes, I know its very tiresome and tedious, but here's another "wort" flower post for your perusal. Can I help it there's so many "worts" growing around here!!? This time the name is Woundwort, or "hedge nettle", Stachys palustris, a member of the mint family.
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The Woundwort in this photo below is growing in our road ditch, near the fenceline of a hayfield. My wildflower books states: "Early settlers used parts of this plant as a nauseant, an expectorant, and antihysteric, and vulnerary (a substance tht promotes healing of wounds). The Chippewa used it as a colic medicine. Medicinally, this species is thought to be the most important of the nearly 200 species in the genus."
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Most likely, Woundwort would prove of no avail to a wounded heart......but, it might prove valuable if you'd grabbed onto this Canadian Thistle, below, with your bare hands. Ouch!......and pass the tweezers, please!
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My Peterson Field Guide states that Canada Thistle is an "ALIEN"........whoa!! From whereabouts in outer space, I wonder!! Its scientific name is Cirsium arvense. It was originally a native of Europe (well, why did they attach the name "Canada" to it, then?? If I were Canadian, I would protest being connected with this sharp, bristly plant!!), where it is known as Creeping Thistle, because it springs from creeping roots. Yikes......that's kinda.......creepy!! Its lavendar blooms are almost pretty, though......poor things.
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Here is an Iowa nature link:
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Have a pleasant day........I have to get busy and act like I'm not planning a surprise party for someone around here!!
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P.S. - Hey, here's another new blog link.......To Trish's "Welcome Friends" blog, which is a blog consisting of a list of blogs, but also has a stunning black & white header photo, which you really should take a gander at!
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8 comments:
Hey jeannelle...thx for the nod to the list of blogs. I have more blogs but had to go incognito for a while. I Love love love your blog. I am going to send you an invite to my very own blog....
Hi, trish!
Thanks for dropping by! I do just love that B&W photo on your blog!
Creepy...no way! The Canada thistle would be just lovely if it would just stay confined to a garden bed. My sister has some ornamental thistles growing next to her house...they look quite lovely there, but my dad can't get over the fact that she would actually plant thistles!
Yea, Canadian Thistle is a nuisance! Took me two years of consistent persistance...to rid my back flowerbed of it's existance!
Hi, Judy and w.o.w. factor,
Hm-m......you two reflect opposite opinions of thistles! Judy, maybe your sister should be evaluated by a psychiatrist.....kidding!!
Jeannelle, I think you've done it. I've been trying to identify this horrid thistle in my yard, and I think it's Canadian thistle. It's the one I wrote about in my post Deep Weeding. Ye Gods, the roots do go deep, and it just laughs off Weed B Gone. But somehow I feel better just knowing its name.
Hi, Ruth!
Looks like maybe you can just call it an "ornamental thistle" like Judy's crazy sister does!
Per Ruth's comment, like I said...2 years to rid my beds of it, and that was with Round-Up heavy duty, daily therapy during growing season!
Wish her luck!
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