Frostweed flowers make an early appearance

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Since the end of last year I’ve pointed out native plants that have been flowering well before or after their “normal” time. Here’s yet another: it’s frostweed, Verbesina virginica, whose flowers don’t usually appear till September. I found these blossoms on June 19 across the street from a corner of Great Hills Park in northwestern Austin.

If you take a good look at the picture above, you may notice that a tiny dark fly was getting sustenance from these white flowers. If you don’t know or recall how frostweed got its name, especially if you’re in a place where the summer heat feels oppressive, you’re welcome to take a cooling look back at the posts of November 29 and December 9.

© 2012 Steven Schwartzman