A Final Gasp

The 70 degree temperatures in northern Indiana today were likely our last taste of summer for quite some time. As I walked the trails on our property after work, most of the plant species that I couldn't wait to see flowering just a few short months ago were long gone, dormant until the winter doldrums are once again melted away by vernal verses. Only a few hardy species are still in flower.

Trifolium pratense (Red Clover)

Taraxacum officinale (Common Dandelion)

Aster pilosus (Hairy Aster)

Aster simplex (Panicled Aster)

On a related note, Tony told me that today he saw Caltha palustris (Marsh Marigold) in bloom near Logansport, Indiana, four months outside of its flowering time either way you look at it.