Thursday, March 31, 2005

Curing The Blues With Flowers

Blue flowers are everywhere in north central Florida this week.

Spiderworts, of the genus Tradescantia, are blooming all along the roadsides, and in the uncut grass of our yard. The stamens of this species bear tiny velvety blue hairs - described as looking like "beads on a string" when viewed with a dissecting microscope. This character, "moniliform hairs" is quite rare in the plant kingdom.

Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium, has a matty grass-like habit and is usually overlooked until in flower. It is a diminutive member of the Iris family, and is one of my favorites, second only to the Bluets I came to love when I roamed Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana. There are bluet species in Florida, none of them truly blue.

Finally, Lyreleaf Sage, a pretty blue Salvia that is popping up in yards, parks, and roadsides, competing in numbers with the Spiderworts.

Why not give someone you appreciate some lovely fresh flowers today?

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