The summer’s end is here, and those cool mornings are a hint of things to come.  Wildflower selection is changing too, heralding autumn.  Sticking to the more ‘classic’ flowers of late summer, here’s some of the blooms I’ve seen this month.

Wingstem is an excellent wildflower to highlight this month.  There’s a good amount of it around, it being one of a number of yellow sunflowers and coneflowers that are dotting the late summer countryside (though technically it’s a member of the Aster family).  Its petals are swept back, and the central flower area is ‘spiky’, which separates it from some of the more traditional prairie and field plants in bloom right now.

Speaking of all of those yellow prairie-style flowers out now, here’s a look at some others:

Three-Lobed Coneflower

Black-Eyed Susan

Grey-Headed Coneflower

Green-Headed Coneflower

Notice the leaves are a darker green and thicker-lobed than its cousin the Grey-Headed.  It blooms later in the season, too.

Cup Plant

Note how the leaves clasp the stem of this plant- water can collect in this ‘cup’ area, providing settlers with a convenient drink; hence the name.

Helianthus

Helianthus is a name of a particular genus of plants in the Aster family- think of them as sunflowers.  These plants can be hard to tell apart, and they hybridize, too.  A few of the more well-known plants of this type are Ox Eye, Jerusalem Artichoke, and Woodland Sunflower.

Hairy Sunflower

The stiff upswept leaves help identify this prairie flower.

Whorled Rosinweed

This tall prairie plant has whorls of 3  leaves spaced along the stem.

Prairie Dock

Perhaps the most notable prairie plant, with its large flowers and massive basal leaves.  This plant can reach 10 feet tall.

Other prairie flowers:

Purple Coneflower

Wild Bergamot

Blazing Star

Cardinal Flower

Perhaps Ohio’s reddest wildflower.

Other notable and numerous late summer plants:

Queen Anne’s Lace

Some call this plant Wild Carrot.

Chicory

Its roots are sometimes used as a coffee substitute.

Fleabane

This has been in bloom since last spring, but now white Asters are starting to bloom, so you can’t just assume it’s all Fleabane now!

Ironweed

My favorite midsummer wildflower.

Evening Primrose

Sweetclover

Sneezeweed

JoePyeWeed

Lady’s Thumb

Obedient Plant

Self-Heal

Wild Lettuce

Blue Lettuce

Horseweed

This plant is prominent in waste areas and can fill whole fields.  It can interfere with planted crops.

Pokeweed


Thistle

There are different types of Thistle, such as Field Thistle and Bull Thistle.

Canada Thistle

Biennial Guara

Foxglove

Curly Dock

This plant is more often rust-colored than green in late summer.

Birdsfoot Trefoil


Tansy

This plant looks like all of its petals have been nibbled off- but there’s no petals!

St. John’s Wort

Spiny-Leaved Sowthistle

Monkey Flower

This uncommon plant can be spotted in moist areas.

Common Teasel

Its purple blooms are often browning by now.

Cut Leaved Teasel

Its white blooms separate it from Common Teasel.  It blooms later, too.

Snakeroot

This classic late summer plant is slowly increasing in number.

Boneset

This plant likes moist areas, and can be identified by its leaves that hug the stem.

 

Mountain Mint

There are a few plants that look like Morning Glories:

Bindweed


Wild Potato Vine

Morning Glories

These classic flowers can be seen in white, purple, blue and red colors, sometimes growing on cornstalks in farmer’s fields.

Greater Ragweed

Lesser Ragweed

If you suffer from hay fever, Ragweed is often the culprit!

Tall Bellflower

Agrimony

Often found along wood edges.

Blue Vervain

Nightshade

Its purple blooms are often accompanied by berries now.

Common Burdock

Yarrow

Crown Vetch

Jewelweed

A favorite of Hummingbirds, found along wood edges.

Woodland plants:

Wood Nettle

These can sting, be careful!

Jumpseed

Leaf Cup

Wetland plants:

Cattails

Purple Loosestrife

Swamp Rose Mallow

Swamp Milkweed

Seen around the yard:

Dandelion

Clovers

Plantains

Wood Sorrel

And finally, autumn foliage slowly but surely starts blooming:

Goldenrod

Asters

Stay tuned for more autumn flowers to come!