Trees, Plants & Flowers

The morning after our first big storm storm, I looked out the window to witness a stunning winter wonderland before me. This was especially exciting, because the combination of frigid cold, ice and snow had left the most beautiful snow covered trees. As an added bonus, there were partially cloudy skies and little wind. I knew I would have some nice light to work with. I often find that after a snowstorm such as this, there will be cloudy skies, the temperatures will warm up and the wind will take all of the snow off of the trees. Not this time. I had all day to photograph this natural wonder.

I got all of my winter gear on and grabbed my camera bag and set out to see what I could find. I came across some of my frequent wildlife visitors, so of course I had to take photographs of them as well. I took several photographs throughout the day and these are the ones that made the final cut. I think the day turned out to be pretty fruitful and as you view the following photographs, I hope you agree as well.

Bending white birches (Betula papyrifera).

Snow covered trees.

An American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) posing for the camera.

An American red squirrel eating an apple core.

Winter fruit trees covered with snow.

A snow covered pond.

Falling snow from the branches.

Snow and ice covered branches.

A black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) perching on a snow covered branch.

A black-capped chickadee perching in the snow.

Snow covered fruit trees.

Snow covered branches against a blue sky.

A snow covered tree line.

Apple trees (Malus pumila) covered in fresh snow.

A curious black-capped-chickadee.

The end of a perfect day.

The day before our first big snowstorm of the 2018/2019 season, we experienced a full day of freezing rain. As a result, the snow that had fallen stuck to the trees very nicely. This was the perfect formula for great photography, but not so much for the trees. Especially not our white birch trees. They transformed into bent arches all over the yard. We shook as much of the snow off the birches as we could, but the ice layer had prevented a full recovery. There was also about a foot and a half of snow on the ground and with a combination of the frigid cold and another big storm coming, the snow isn’t going to be disappearing anytime soon. I captured the following photographs at different times throughout the day. Some of the photographs were taken from around the house, our road and back in the woods, behind the house. I will also share photographs from the day after this snowstorm in my next post. Winter has definitely made its appearance and I don’t think it will be over any time soon.

Snow falling early in the day.

The backyard covered under a blanket of snow.

Our small apple tree ((Malus pumila) in the front of the house.

The white birch trees (Betula papyrifera) bending under the weight of the ice and snow.

Snow covered country road.

The freshly snow-blown driveway.

Snow covered birch branches.

Snow covered trees near the stream.

Our poor blueberry bush (Vaccinium) flattened by the snow. No worries though, this happens every winter and in the summer the bush will provide a good yield.

Snow covered apple trees.

Bent white birch trees over the pond.

Catkins covered in ice and snow.

A snowy trail in the woods.

Snow covered bent tree branches.

Winter beech leaves (Fagus).

Snow covered trees trunks in the woods.

Ice and snow covered red sumac berries (Rhus).

Another view of snow covered apple trees.

Bent white birches almost touching the ground.

As I have mentioned in other posts, the fall is and always will be my favorite season. Since moving to Maine, the fall and winter have been really great for getting outdoors for seasonal activities and photography. I find going outdoors for the later part of the spring and summer are not so good for me. The property is surrounded by running water, which is beautiful, but also attracts the dreaded black fly (Simuliidae). Black fly season in Maine typically starts in mid-May and these insects will hang around until mid-June or later. I’m going to go with the later, because every time I think it safe to go outside, I will have acquired a new black fly bite. I am one of the lucky few, who is allergic to these bites. A couple of summers ago, I was almost hospitalized with a severe infection on my neck after being bitten twice. I though it was a rash from the sun at first, because I am also one of the lucky few, who is also allergic to the sun. After three weeks of antibiotics and cold compresses, the infection had gone away. I will spare you from viewing the photographs I had taken from that event. Since then, I now have to wear a head insect net, long sleeves and pants. This includes every time I go outside, even to go to the mailbox. The only safe place seems to be the pool. Anyway, enough of that. This brings me back to the point of how wonderful the fall season is. With very few bugs to deal with, I could get outside into the woods of the backyard and observe the daily changes that come with the season.

The following photographs and videos are a collection from the time I spent outside around the yard and or daily walks during the month of October. I tried to capture the changing leaves and lighting, as well as some subtle details as the days of the month had gone by. I hope you enjoy and I only wish the fall foliage lasted longer than it does.

The early fall canopy.

Sugar maple leaves (Acer saccharum)

A shaded sugar maple leaf (Acer saccharum).

Looking up at the maple leaves (Acer) against a blue sky.

Changing oak leaves (Quercus)

A fall leaf covered ground.

Looking up at the tree canopy.

A red maple leaf (Acer rubrum) at the bottom of the stream.

Fall golden-colored leaves.

Brightly colored leaves.

Fall ferns (Polypodiopsida)

Warm fall colors.

Autumn leaves against a black background.

A fallen red maple leaf (Acer rubrum) resting on moss (Bryophyta).

Fallen crunchy autumn leaves.

Decomposing maple leaves (Acer) resting on moss.

A fallen sugar maple leaf, (Acer saccharum).

This is my first photograph I took, using a new polarizing filter. Do you think the blue in the sky looks more dramatic?

Here is a video of the fall foliage on a beautiful and slightly breezy day.

A group of mushrooms (Fungi) growing on moss.

Fungus growing on an old tree stump.

Mushrooms growing on a dead log.

Varying green shades of lichen.

A close-up of moss (Bryophyta).

A group of mushrooms (Fungi).

While I was out taking photographs in a section of the backyard that has a mixture of mosses, lichen and mushrooms, I was greeted by this cheeky American red squirrel. I’m not sure if it was greeting me or chattering at me in protest. I have a feeling it was the latter. I took a few photographs and video of it, before it took off.

An American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) climbing branches.

An American red squirrel looking at the camera.

An American red squirrel in the sunlight.

Our road during the early fall

One of the old logging trails we walk on in the fall.

An apple tree (Malus pumila) bathed in the autumn light.

A photograph taken from one our recent walks. There are now fewer leaves on the trees and it is starting to get darker earlier now.

Snow covered leaves after our first light snowfall.

Here are a couple of photographs from our first snow storm during the end of October. I believe they called for 3-5 inches of snow, but we only got about 1-3 inches. It turned into freezing rain overnight and we even had thunder and lightning. The power went as well. We lost power three times this month.

Falling snow in October.

A visiting white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) during the snowstorm.

These pictures are from an attempt at photographing the stream next to the house. This day was slightly cloudy with the sun coming through at times. I took two photographs, one at a shutter speed of 1/30 of a second and the second photograph at 1 second. The sunlight really affected the type of photograph I was going for and not in a good way. There is too much reflection on the water from the sun. I have since picked up neutral density filters for these types of shots and I hope to start using them soon in order to remedy this problem.

A stream filled with fall leaves.

An autumn stream.

I only received two mosquito bites while taking these photographs. Did I mention, they love to bite me, too. I hope you enjoyed these few scenes of fall and now it is time to move into November.

I received a wonderful book sometime ago now from a woman who I am very fond of. She’s an extraordinary person and quite the artist. She thought of me and my photography and was very considerate in gifting this book to me. The book is called, A Wilder Life: A Season-by-Season Guide to Getting in Touch with Nature by Celestine Maddy and Abbye Churchill. The book is filled with inspiring photography and it serves as a guide for each season. It describes how we can connect with nature through topics covering self-reliance, gardening, cooking, health and beauty and the wilderness.

With autumn on the horizon, I wanted to get ready for all the good things that comes with the season. I’m craving the cool and crisp air and all the activities we enjoy, such as hiking, bike riding, apple and berry picking, harvesting from the garden and the baking that goes along with that. I can’t wait for the delicious aroma of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and clove coming from the kitchen. By the way, we just picked a five pound zucchini from the garden. We are sure going to be making a lot of zucchini bread!

Anyway, I was looking through the book and I found a nice section on Ikebana. This got me thinking about one of the presentations that I gave in college. I had taken an Asian studies class and when we got to the section on Japan, we were required to do a presentation that could also include a demonstration. I chose to do my demonstration on Ikebana. I purchased flowers and a special vase that is required for Ikebana. I settled on a Starry Night square-shaped Ikebana vase that I found on the Georgetown Pottery website. When I received the vase, I was quite pleased and thought it was a very nice interpretation of Vincent Van Gogh’s, The Starry Night, 1889. Van Gogh just so happens to be my favorite artist. My demonstration went very well and everyone in the class, including my professor, wanted to know where I had purchased the vase. This was also right before the break and everyone was looking for gifts for the holidays. I had found this very amusing and I ended up feeling like a sales rep for the company by the end of my demonstration.

Georgetown Pottery’s ceramic Starry Night Ikebana vase that was handmade in Georgetown, Massachusetts.

With the idea from the book and all of the beautiful flowers we have growing here in the garden, I decided it would be the perfect time to make an Ikebana arrangement. At this point you are probably asking, what is Ikebana? I was just getting to that. In this post I would like to share the basics principles of Ikebana and the style that I have chosen to make.

What is Ikebana?

Ikebana, literally means “living flowers,” and is the ancient and disciplined Japanese art of flower arranging, also known as kado, the “way of flowers.” The name comes from the Japanese words, ike, meaning “alive” or “arrange” and bana, meaning “flower.” Similar to many of the traditional Japanese arts, Ikebana follows the philosophy of practice with a focus on personal development as well as artistic achievement. Design principles follow the Zen Buddhist philosophical traditions of the simplicity of harmony between nature and humanity. This concept is influenced by the miniamlist design principles of a rhythmic creation of balance, harmony and form between flowers and their surroundings. The life and death of the flowers are balanced, because even though the flowers are cut and taken from their old environment, they are put into a new environment, with the addition of water and given the chance to flourish again.

Materials required for Ikebana:

While practicing Ikebana, traditional scissors are used to cut flowers, but regular scissors work just as well.

While choosing your flowers, make sure to know their proper names, because it is disrespectful otherwise. I chose to work with musk mallow (Malva moschata), cosmos (Coreopsideae) and an orange lily (Lilium bulbiferum).

Flowers are arranged in a shallow vase and secured on a kenzan or needlepoint holder, also known as a metal frog.

This is also the area that is filled with water to aid in keeping flowers fresh.

Styles of Ikebana:

There are three basic styles of Ikebana consisting of the cascading, slanting, upright styles. While Western arrangements favor a full bouquet of flowers, Ikebana follows the Zen school of aesthetics; bare and minimal and achieving more with less. In fact, in many arrangements, there are only three or so blooms, so that the focus is on the actual form of the flower. This basic form puts emphasis on shape, line and form. The lines consist of three main vertical lines of varying height. These lines are used to convey the harmony that symbolize the three main points between heaven, humankind and earth. The artist’s intention behind each arrangement is shown through color combinations, natural shapes and graceful lines.

The distinction between Ohara (cascading style), Nageire (slanting style) and Moribana (upright style) can be observed by the style of container used. Nagaire is a single flower arranged in a narrow-mouthed, tall container without the use of a kenzan or a metal frog. This style has the main stem hanging lower that the rim of the container. Flexible materials are used to create beautiful lines that are balanced with flowers. Unshin Ohara broke away from the Ikenobo School and started the Ohara School. In 1895, he came up with a new style called Moribana. Moribana is considered to be the most basic arrangement. Moribana literally means “piled-up flowers.” Flowers are arranged in a shallow vase and secured on a kenzan or needlepoint holder, also known as a metal frog. This creates beautiful volume which can be viewed from three sides. The main idea is to arrange the flowers to heighten the appeal of a vase. Moribana shares the emphasis on the natural beauty and characteristics of flowers and plants. There are three common Moribana styles, upright, slanting, and water-reflecting, with many variations within each of these style. Beginner’s will usually start by learning the upright style. I will be presenting this style.

Creating a Ikebana arrangement in the Moribana style:

A key principle in Ikebana is not only the importance of creating beautiful flower arrangements, but the importance of the journey as well. This type of meditation technique and observation has been practiced for many centuries by Buddhist monks. The idea of spiritual enlightenment through concentration and practice is a key element in the Zen Buddhist philosophy. For many practitioners of this art, this is a lifelong journey and lesson in achieving an inner calm and spiritual connection to the world. The spiritual aspect of Ikebana is considered a very important aspect to its practitioners.

Silence is practiced during the art of Ikebana. It is a time to appreciate things in nature that people often overlook because of their everyday busy lives. One becomes more patient and tolerant of differences, not only in nature, but also in general. Through practice of Ikebana and looking inward, one finds Zen and feels a closeness with nature, which provides relaxation for the mind, body and soul.

There are three main types of flowers and branches used. The longest branch, called shin, represents heaven. The medium branch, soe, represents humanity and the shortest branch, tai, represents earth. The length of the shin can be up to 1.5 the length of the vase. The length of the soe can be 3/4 of the shin and the tai can be 3/4 the length of the soe. Additional flowers can be added after these three main branches are placed in the vase. This is where the prongs of the kenzan will come into use for allowing the flowers to be placed in an upright position.

From the top: shin: musk mallow (Malva moschata), soe: cosmos (Coreopsideae) and tai: orange lily (Lilium bulbiferum).

Arranging your materials:

Moribana arrangements are similar to sculpture. These arrangements are triangular in shape and take advantage of three dimensional space in every direction.

You can create the most basic style by placing the shin at the center back of the kenzan.

Next, place the soe forward and left of the shin.

Last, place the tai to the right of the soe and at the front.

Here are a few different photographs of my finished Ikebana arrangement:

As you can see, Ikebana follows the philosophy of practice with a focus on personal development as well as artistic achievement. There are endless possibilities when choosing materials for your arrangements. Also, remember how all of your materials work together and that you have achieved harmony and balance in yourself through your creation.

Last spring, I decided to fix up one of the gardens in the front yard as well as make an additional garden with a slate rock walkway. One of the issues I faced with the new walkway has been a major overtaking of weeds. In order to make this space a little more manageable and aesthetically pleasing, I decided to add creeping thyme (Thymus praecox). I planted the seeds directly into the soil, but I couldn’t keep track of its growth. The creeping thyme I had planted was now competing with the weeds and I was concerned about removing the new growth of creeping thyme along with those dreaded weeds.

Back in May, I started a few of the seeds indoors in egg crates. You can read all about that here. I purchased a packet of 10,000 seeds from MySeeds.Co and have been using Black Gold all purpose potting soil. I discovered using larger containers worked better than the egg crates and I was able to extract the new growth easier and transplant them into the ground more efficiently. If you would like to try growing creeping thyme yourself, here are a few helpful tips.

Instructions for growing creeping successfully from seed:

1. Sow seeds in containers, taking care to cover the seeds lightly with soil.

2. The soil should be kept between at 64-75 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Germination will take place between 14-21 days.

4. The soil should be kept moist, but not too wet. I use a small spray bottle and this seems to give a nice amount of control in order to prevent over watering.

5. As the plants get bigger, you can proceed with regular watering to maintain proper moisture.

The following photographs are from my experience of growing creeping thyme seeds:

Young creeping thyme started from seed growing in clear plastic containers.

A hole dug for planting creeping thyme in the ground.

Freshly planted creeping thyme in the garden pathway.

Here is creeping thyme that I planted earlier in the season with the instructions I had mentioned above.

This is creeping thyme that I had planted last summer.

A close-up view of creeping thyme that I planted last year.

Creeping thyme grows well in USDA hardy zones 4-9. Make sure to plant creeping thyme 8 to 12 inches apart to allow for proper spreading. It will grow in well-drained soil and thrive in full sun to light shade areas. Creeping thyme should be pruned in the spring in order to maintain a compact appearance and again after the small white flowers are done blooming if additional shaping is preferred. It can be walked on and does well as a lawn replacement, among stepping zones and pathways. It is also edible with a flavor and scent similar to that of mint.

I’m hoping by next spring, to see the whole path covered with this beautiful creeping thyme. We will have to see what happens next year!

We’ve had quite a cool spring season this year here in Maine. As a result of this cold weather, the blooming of a few types of flowers have been delayed. The following photograph are from what we have growing here so far. I have planted many flower seeds over the spring and hope to share more photographs as we move further into the summer months.

There are almost 80 to 100 species of Spiraea in the family (Rosaceae).

Spirea are easy to care for shrubs that flower best when grown in full sun.

Geranium is a genus of 422 species of flowering annual, biennial and perennial plants that are commonly known as cranesbills in the family (Geraniaceae).

Apple blossoms (Rosaceae) are delicately colored and very fragrant during the springtime. Every year, our backyard is filled with a fragrance similar to that of sweet roses.

Most apple blossom petals are pink in color when the flower first blooms and they fade to white as the season progresses.

Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) is a perennial with needle-like foliage with small starry, five-pointed flowers in red, pale purple, pink, white or bluish-purple. These flowers bloom in the spring and produces long, spreading stems, which become woody with age.

Red clover (Trifolium) is a distinct reddish round flower and has a head made up of numerous tubular-shaped flowers. Its green leaves have a white or pale green chevron on the upper side which helps to guide pollinator insects to the flower head.

White clover (Trifolium repens) is a herbaceous, perennial plant. It is a low growing plant, with heads of whitish flowers, often with a hint of pink or cream that may come on with the aging of the plant.

Sweet white violets are a flowering perennial plant in the Violet family (Violaceae).

Sweet white violets (Viola blanda) begin from a basal clump of dark green heart-shaped leaves that give rise to fragrant white flowers on single stalks. Plants spread via seed and underground runners.

Blackberry blooms (Rubus Fruticosus) are produced in late spring and early summer. Each flower has five white or pale pink petals. We have these all over the property and at certain times of the day, the air smells very sweet.

There are some 300 species in the genus Iris (Iridaceae).

Iris (Iridaceae) have three large outer petals called falls and three inner upright petals called standards. The falls can have beards or crests. Bearded iris are called so, because they have soft hairs along the center of the falls. In crested iris, the hairs form a comb or ridge. Most irises flower in early summer and attract an array of butterflies and hummingbirds.

Lupine is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, (Fabaceae). These are my favorite blooms in the garden so far. I planted a few seeds last spring and I wasn’t sure if these would grow. What a beautiful surprise!

Lupines (Fabaceae) are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annual plants and a few are shrubs as well.

Lupines (Fabaceae) are erect spires that can reach up to 4 feet tall. In some varieties the flowers are bicolor blossoms that pair a set of white petals with a second set of petals in a primary color, creating a layered effect. Small pleated leaflets grow in rings around a central point, forming a cup-like shape.

Buttercups (Ranunculus) also called crowfoot, consists of about 250-600 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family (Ranunculaceae).

Buttercups grow in many different variations, but most can be identified by their yellow cupped flowers.

Buttercups often climb or sprawl, with leaves arranged in spirals.

Daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) bloom from late spring to autumn. These are a typical grassland perennial wildflower, growing in meadows and fields, under scrub and open-canopy forests.

Songbird Dove Columbine (Aquilegia) are also known as granny’s bonnet and crowfoot. These white flowers are a herbaceous perennial with soft yellow centers that rise over medium green foliage. They also attract butterflies and hummingbirds and and ignored by rabbits and deer.

(Aquilegia) is also known as granny’s bonnet or columbine and is a genus of about 60–70 species of perennial plants that can found in meadows and woodlands. The leaves of this plant are compound and the flowers contain five sepals, five petals and five pistils. Underneath the flower are spurs which contain nectar, mainly consumed by long-beaked birds such as hummingbirds.

Hawkweed is a weedy plant of the genus (Hieracium) of the family (Asteraceae), consisting of more than 100 species. Some species are cultivated as garden ornamentals for their attractive flower clusters.

A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus (Rosa), in the family (Rosaceae). Roses form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing or trailing with stems that have thorns. These flowers vary in size and shape and are usually large and showy in color, ranging from white through yellows and reds.

Leaves of a rose bush (Rosa) with freshly fallen rain droplets.

Tall Grass (Poaceae) covered in rain droplets.

Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) is a species of flowering plant in the poppy family (Papaveraceae). These plants are valued in gardens and in floristry for their heart-shaped pink and white flowers during the spring.

Rhododendron (Ericaceae) is an attractive flowering bush that is fairly low maintenance when properly planted. Most species have brightly colored flowers which bloom from late winter through to early summer.

Garlic flowers (Allium Sativum) are the flowering seeds, or bulbils, of the garlic plant. They emerge at the top of the garlic’s above ground stem. Garlic flowers can be consumed when raw are cooked.

Potentilla usually called cinquefoil in English, is a genus containing over 300 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the rose family (Rosaceae). They have compound leaves of five leaflets and five-petaled yellow flowers. These flowers look similar to strawberries, but differ in usually having dry, inedible fruit.

(Taraxacum) is a large genus of flowering plants in the family (Asteraceae), which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The common name dandelion, comes from French dent-de-lion, meaning “lion’s tooth.” Each single flower in a head is called a floret. Although dandelions are an unwanted species in manicured lawns, they are one of the most vital early spring nectar sources for a wide host of pollinators and provide nutritional benefits for wildlife.

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) are annual herbaceous flowering plants, that can be easily grown in flower gardens, planters and hanging baskets. These plants thrive in sunny areas and prefer well-drained soil. The flowers are showy and often grow in intensely bright shades of red, orange and yellow. These flowers as well as the young leaves are edible with a peppery taste and are popularly used in salads, as garnishing and decorating desserts. Nasturtium seeds are easy to grow from purchased seeds or collected from your own garden. Proper collection and storing of these seeds improves successful growth of your plants for the following year. This can be accomplished in three easy steps, which will be explained at the end of this post.

Annual and edible bright orange nasturtium blooms growing in the summer garden.

Yellow nasturtium growing in the flower garden during the late summer.

Nasturtium climbing the front steps in the late summer.

One of the nasturtium gardens in the front of the house.

Nasturtium seeds usually grow in pairs near the base of the old flower.

Nasturtium seeds on the ground ready for collection in the autumn.

A handful of collected nasturtium seeds ready for the drying process.

Collected nasturtium seeds.

How to Collect & Store Nasturtium Seeds

Step #1 Collect seeds from healthy and disease-free plants.

Step #2 Spread the seeds out in a bowl or plate to dry in a cool, dry and dark location. Allow the seeds to dry for about one to two weeks, making sure the seeds have turned from green and moist to brown and dried.

Step #3 Place the dried nasturtium seeds inside a jar and screw the lid on tightly. You can also add a silica packet to aid in moisture control. Store the jar in a cool and dark area until you are ready to plant the seeds in the following spring.

This is my first attempt at gathering and storing nasturtium seeds, so check back in the late summer and we will see if these seeds grow successfully!

A bumblebee (Bombus) sitting on a bright orange annual African marigold (Tagetes erecta) in the garden.

A bumblebee feeding from a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

A painted lady butterfly (Vanessa Cardui) visiting mammoth sunflower (Helianthus).

Bumblebees visiting a mammoth sunflower (Helianthus) during the early autumn.

A bumblebee feeding from a perennial purple coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea).

A Bumblebee feeding from a purple cornflower growing in The perennial wildflower garden.

A Grasshopper (Orthoptera) sitting on bright yellow false sunflower (Heliopsis Helianthoides).

California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are also known as Californian poppy, golden poppy, California sunlight and a cup of gold.

Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus), are also known as bachelor’s button, bluebottle, boutonniere flower, hurtsickle, bluebonnets, blaver, blue-poppy, thimbles, brushes, corn pinks, witch’s bells, bleuet, barbeau And casse lunette.

Garden Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) are annuals that bloom in the summer and autumn and attract a variety of birds and butterflies to your garden.

Sulphur cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) are also known as yellow cosmos and native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America and can be found growing in parts of North And South America as well as Europe, Asia and Australia.

Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera) also known as upright prairie coneflower is a species of flowering plant native to most of North America.

Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) is also known as Italian clover and is native to Europe.

Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus), are an annual or sometimes biennial herb flowering plant native to Europe.

Sulphur cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) is a half-hardy annual that grows in different shades of yellow, orange and scarlet.

Eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is also known as hedgehog coneflower or purple coneflower and is a North American herbaceous perennial.

Sulphur cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) thrive in full sun, are drought tolerant and blooms until the autumn.