LITTLE BITS OF SUNSHINE

These were taken some time back at Cox Farms Fall Festival in September 2012. They are called Swamp sunflowers. It is also called Narrowleaf sunflower, Narrow-leaved Sunflower, Narrow-leaved Coreopsis and Sunflower.  Botanical name Helianthus angustifolius.

I have had a lovely time looking through my old flowers on this chilly, rainy day. When I came across these, I knew it would be perfect for my next blog post. I haven't been out to the gardens for a while and am running low on flowers. With the season changing, I will be sharing more of my old photos I'm sure. The Swamp sunflower is a plant species that is a member of the Aster family. It is a yellow perennial that grows well in damp gardens and tolerates the salt of coastal areas. It spreads in small, slow-growing clumps, and you can plant them in the Spring and the Fall. Good news, it is also non-toxic to humans and pets 

I was told the flower above with our visiting bee is a Cutleaf coneflower, also known as Green-headed coneflower, Wild golden glow, Sochan and Thimbleweed. Its botanical name is Rudbeckia laciniata. It's unusual for me not to get the whole flower, or even take more of them. I remember there were a lot of animals around. Perhaps I got distracted. It is a perennial and planting time is in Spring, early Summer, Fall or early Winter. This wildflower has a similar look to the Sunflower or Blackeyed Susan, but the Cutleaf coneflower has a greenish-yellow center and back-tilted rays. It is an important food source for honeybees, butterflies and songbirds. You can see more info at this link, along with photos. 

I hope your week has gone well and thank you very much for visiting. Enjoy your day!