The prairie comes alive

The high temperature in Austin on October 3 was still around 90° (32°C), but that’s not unusual here, nor did it hinder the prairie plants from doing their fall thing; in fact it probably encouraged them. Here’s a scene I found that morning at an undeveloped lot on E. 51st St. at Overbrook Dr. The prominent purple flower spikes are Liatris mucronata, known as blazing-star or gayfeather, of which I’d found a surprisingly early harbinger a mile further east way back in May. The stately plants in the background of today’s picture, some as much as 8 ft. (2.5m) tall, are Maximilian sunflowers, Helianthus maximiliani.

© 2012 Steven Schwartzman