The vibrant blue Chicory wildflowers can be seen everywhere all over Cape Cod fields and roadsides. Chicory grows on a stiff stalk with stemless flower heads whose petals are fringed at the ends. Each flower lasts only about a day and close at midday.
Chicory wildflowers are about 1 to 1/1/2″ and the plants grow to 2-4 feet from June through October. Love their pistil and stamens… they look like little bright blue rods.
I saw this wonderful native Bristly Sarsaparilla wildflower when we were up in Provincetown last week. It was so pretty and unusual. It has flower clusters at the top of erect, bristly stems and grows 1-3 feet with blooms June and July. The flowers turn into dark blue berries. Pretty cool, huh?
Have you ever seen a Bristly Sarsaparilla wildflower?
I was taking a hike at Fort Hill the other evening when I saw this little bit of purple out of the corner of my eye. It was on the side of the trail at Fort Hill and pretty hidden in the climbing vines.
But, I was able to take a photograph of it and then look it up in my wildflower book when I got home. It is a Climbing Nightshade wildflower and very delicate and pretty. Its flowers almost look like the Shooting Star wildflowers that I used to see out in Colorado.
The Climbing Nightshade is a climbing vine with purple shooting star shaped flowers with 5 petals which grow in clusters at the end of long stems. The flowers are just 1/2″ to 1″ and bloom from June to August.
This is my first Climbing Nightshade. Have you ever seen one?
I planted a lot of flowers in my yard here on Cape Cod to try to attract the butterflies and hummingbirds. This White Cabbage butterfly liked my Zinnias the best!
A White Cabbage butterfly is about 1 and 5/8″ with black on its forewing tips. The male has one black spot and the female has 2 black spots, so this is a female.
After she had her fill of the Zinnias, she alighted on the rock slab at the base of our bird bath and spread her wings, showing her true colors.
I was taking a walk the other day when I saw this pretty little Spotted Wintergreen wildflower. I did not know what it was until I got home and could look in my wildflower book.
The white, waxy flowers grow facing downward ( as seen in the second photograph) and then when they bloom they face upward toward the sun.
Have you ever seen a Spotted Wintergreen? So pretty!
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.