It rained for many weeks in May and June, so often that most wildflower species in my yard grew as tall as they could, and some even delayed flowering.
Annuals and perennial plants that reemerge each year after dying off in the fall have to keep up with the competition for sunlight and focus on growth when conditions are wet.
In fact, drought stress is what triggers flowering in many species.
The constant rain this year delayed flowering and also the emergence and development of new seedlings because of the fewer hours of bright sunlight each day and the lower soil temperatures.
After two previous years with springtime droughts, I didn’t think it would be possible to get so much rain that it caused problems with germination or be annoying, but we did this year.
Orange Milkweed
Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) flowers in the late spring before many other species.
Milkweed
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) has pink blossoms.
Kankakee Mallow
The Kankakee Mallow (Iliamna remota) is a rare plant that was limited to Langham Island, a small island in the Kankakee River in Illinois.
Coral Honeysuckle
Coral Honesuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is a native honeysuckle that stays green all winter.
Cutleaf Coneflower
Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) blooms in late spring/early summer.
Passionflower or Maypop
Passionflower or Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) is the exclusive host of the caterpillars of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly.
Rattlesnake Master
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a plant with superficial resemblance to the yucca plant.
Rattlesnake Master has seeds that vaguely resemble fanged rattlesnake skulls and also snake scales.
That vague resemblance is why folk medicine decided that the plant was good for rattlesnake bites.
Much folk medicine is based on this sort of association by likeness of form.
Bears Foot Leafcup
Bears Foot Leafcup (Smallanthus uvedalia) is a plant that can tolerate partial shade, and so it is commonly seen on the edges of woodlands.
Baldwin’s Ironweed
Baldwin’s Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii) is native to the Mississippi Valley and is sometimes called Western Ironweed.
Wild Indigo
Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) flowers early.
