Frostweed
Frostweed; click to enlarge.
One fall-blooming species whose flowers I’m still occasionally coming across in late November is Verbesina virginica, although today’s picture goes back to October 6, when I wandered along the shaded banks of Bull Creek in my northwest part of Austin. In the stage shown here, most buds were still closed, while some had just begun to open. You may think, quite reasonably, that the common name frostweed is a reference to the white ray flowers—other species of Verbesina have yellow rays—but that isn’t why people call this plant frostweed.
To see the many places in the southeastern third of the United States where Verbesina virginica grows, you can consult the state-clickable map at the USDA website.
© 2011 Steven Schwartzman
Sometimes the simple are the most beautiful – thanks for sharing.
Dawn
November 27, 2011 at 6:11 AM
Well said, Dawn.
Steve Schwartzman
November 27, 2011 at 7:58 AM
Lovely capture! It looks so delicate. Cheers!
Steve
November 27, 2011 at 12:01 PM
Thanks. The flowers may look delicate, but the plant is hardy and can grow to be 10 ft. tall.
Steve Schwartzman
November 27, 2011 at 1:41 PM
I never heard of frostweed, but it is lovely and beautifully photographed too.
skip704
November 27, 2011 at 12:37 PM
Thank you. I’ll provide another view of it tomorrow.
Steve Schwartzman
November 27, 2011 at 1:43 PM
[…] last post provided a bud-opening view of Verbesina virginica, commonly called frostweed. Today’s picture of a slightly more advanced stage reveals a few […]
Frostweed gets a visitor « Portraits of Wildflowers
November 28, 2011 at 5:31 AM
Steve, it resembles milkweed in this photo, doesn’t it? I may have seen something like this around my 40 acres. I will keep an eye out for it when vegetation starts growing again. ~Kyle
Kyle
February 4, 2012 at 10:14 AM
I think your idea is the best one, keeping an eye out for the plant once vegetation comes back. I know how hard it can be to identify plants from their winter forms, when so many species look alike.
Steve Schwartzman
February 4, 2012 at 10:20 AM