Autumn in the heat

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Afternoon temperatures in central Texas have been in the 90s every day this month, and sometimes even slightly over 100°, but my eyes tell me that in floral terms we’ve already passed into autumn. For some time now I’ve been finding species of native plants that bloom in the fall, and yesterday on the prairie in far north Austin I came across this goldenrod, Solidago altissima, that was already fully in flower. Note the giant ragweed, Ambrosia trifida, in the background.

© 2012 Steven Schwartzman