Tomatoes, corn, peaches and wildflowers. Beauty, grace and wonder of the summer. Here is another of my attempts to capture roadside pleasure. It is best to walk, not drive. 

Symphytum officinale or Comfrey. This sturdy herb blooms for a couple of months. I found only one of these plants in my daily walks and couldn't identify it. It didn't appear in my Audubon wildflower book. I researched online and even posted it on Facebook. I finally e-mailed the New York State library. They quickly referred me to the Curator of Botany for the NYS State Museum, Dr. Charles Sheviak, who is both wise and a really nice guy. He didn't mind answering the questions of this unemployed New Yorker who is fascinated with her new found workplace--the outdoors.

This perennial herb is also called Knitbone because it is known for its qualities to heal bone breaks and bind cuts. Some believe in drinking Comfrey tea for its healing qualities. It is native to Europe and Asia. 

Centaurea maculosa or Spotted Knapweed. Quite a looker, however, it is considered a noxious weed in many western states in the U.S. because it crowds out native species. If you live out there, pull it up.

Valeriana officinalis. An herb that stands tall with wonderful leaves toward the bottom of the stalk. It has been used to treat insomnia and migraines. 

Epilobium parviflorum or Small flowered willow herb. This flower is so tiny, it is difficult to capture in a photo. Herbalists use it to treat the prostate.

Epilobium hirsutum or Hairy Willow Herb. Another willow herb but with a larger flower.

Angelica atropurpurea or Purple Stemmed Angelica. According to one of my herb books, Angelica was common in European herbal practice during the Middle Ages. Leaves, stems and roots can all be eaten fresh. This biennial likes to grow near or in water. I found this one on a nearby road next to a stream before our town's road crew mowed it down. 

Aster novi-belgii or New York Aster. Just beginning to bloom here as we enter the fall. These flowers should be blooming through October.

Rumex crispus or Curled Dock. In an earlier post, I pictured Bitter Dock, a relative. This plant, late in its life here, is used as an healing herb but is considered an invasive plant in many areas. It has many seeds so can spread very quickly.  

Daucus carota or Queen Ann's Lace. I first noticed this flower growing in numbers in Indiana. Here in the Northeast (where NY, Massacusetts & Vermont meet), it is everywhere, especially in our yard. It is native to Europe and in the carrot family. Lots of these flowers have a red or purple center dot (like in the photo) said to be the seamstress' blood from a needle prick while making the lace. 

A Monarch butterfly feeding on Queen Anne's Lace. From our yard.

Helianthus annuus or Common Sunflower. I cheated and planted this wildflower from seed. It does not grow naturally out here in the Northeast, but it is the State flower of my home state--Kansas--and grows along most unmowed roadsides.

I'll soon be posting another entry of my finds in the woods, where I spend most of my walks. There are still a few blooms, but mostly mushrooms these days. 

All rights reserved Sheba Marx. For unemployment humor, see Sheba Marx's Good Things about Unemployment at unemployedmarx.blogspot.com