Blue-Eyed Mary | Madison Indiana

Here are a couple more shots of one of the many varieties  of wildflowers that cover the landscape here in Southern Indiana, the Blue-Eyed Mary is another one of the beautiful blue colored wildflowers that are a favorite to view and photograph !!

According to Wikipedia…

Collinsia parviflora is a species of flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae known by the common names maiden blue eyed Mary and small-flowered collinsia. This tiny wildflower is a common plant throughout much of western and northern North America, where it grows in moist, shady mountain forests. This is an annual plant with a spindly reddish stem and narrow lance-shaped green leaves with edges that curl under. The minuscule flowers grow singly or in loose clusters of several. Each flower has five lobes, the lower deep blue to purple and the upper white. The whole corolla is only a few millimeters across.

I  find Clifty Falls State Park is a favorite place to find them in mass colonies along the bottom part of trail 8 leading down onto the gorge, this specimen  grows along rocky stream beds and along old road beds as well.

They are just another one of the great wildflowers that grow here and are a fantastic subject to capture, hope you enjoy the pics and thanks for taking a look !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Virginia Bluebells | Clifty Falls State Park Madison Indiana

Sorry for the absence on posting wildflowers this spring but I am right in the middle of a stretch of weddings that is keeping me busy.  So this morning I have a minute and thought I might share some images of one of my favorite wildflowers from here in Southern Indiana and that is the Virginia Bluebell.

The Virginia Bluebell is a erect plant with smooth gray-green foliage and nodding clusters of pink buds that open into light blue trumpet-shaped flowers. The 1-2 ft. branched and arching stems of Virginia bluebells bear large drooping, terminal clusters of lavender-blue, bell-shaped flowers. Large, gray-green, oval leaves line the stems of this perennial.

When it grows in masses, this species makes a spectacular show, especially in the Midwest.  I tend to find them growing along stream banks and steep hillsides here in Southern Indiana.

I have found colonies of this plant that covered entire hillsides in some of the gorges that line the Ohio River near Madison Indiana, I especially enjoy photographing one colony that grows at Clifty Falls State Park.

Virginia Bluebells are one of the most amazing wildflowers to view and photograph and I could never imagine a wildflower season without taking the time to stop and enjoy this wonderful little wildflower. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look and I hope you enjoy the pics I have included with this post !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woodland Phlox | Clifty Falls State Park Madison Indiana

Here is another example of a beautiful wildflower that grows in the woodlots of Southern Indiana, Woodland Phlox is a wonderful and very fragrant wildflower that is  a great subject to photograph because of the erect structure and vivid color of this  amazing species.

According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center…

The decumbent stem of wild blue phlox roots at the nodes sending up erect branches 8-18 in. Loose, flat clusters of fragrant, lavender or pink flowers with notched petals occur at the top of these stems. The leaves on decumbent stems are broader than those on flowering stems. A loose cluster of slightly fragrant, light blue flowers tops a somewhat sticky stem that produces leafy, creeping shoots at the base.

This beautiful species is most common in midwestern woods and fields. It is sometimes known as Wild Sweet William, a name also given to P. maculata. The mature plants in the eastern part of the range have notched petals; those in the western do not. The basal runners of the lovely Creeping Phlox (P. stolonifera) form large patches; it has fewer stem leaves and fewer flowers in its clusters; it occurs from Pennsylvania and Ohio south to northern Georgia.

And her a couple of examples of this wonderful little gem and I hope you enjoyed the pics and information !!