Gladiolus

Gladiolus are one of my favorite flowers to see in the summer time. I grew up seeing them every summer and the bright red blooms seem to always remind me of the 4th of July. They usually were in full bloom by then. Now we have added a few other colors of Gladiolus, white, yellow and purple. The leaves of the Gladiolus appear sword like and it's name came from Latin meaning sword. Gladiolus flower petals are edible but they say to remove the anthers and not to eat the middle of the flower. The pollen is said to be highly allergenic. As always be well informed and cautious before trying any new plant. Even if a plant is considered edible some individuals may be more sensitive than others to allergies.

Thank you Father for the Gladiolus their name meaning (sword) reminds me of your Word.  

For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, Hebrews 4:12 

 Gladiolus

 Gladiolus

 Gladiolus

 Gladiolus

 Gladiolus

Gladiolus

 Gladiolus

 Gladiolus

 Gladiolus

Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Purpurea )

I have just discovered how little I knew about Morning Glories. I had no idea that Morning Glory was the common name to over a 1000 species in the Convolulaceae family ! The Morning Glories that I'm most familiar with are the pinks and purples that come up every year since the 1990's when my Daddy first planted them here. The pale blue that I rarely see now must have come up wild or maybe from a family that rented our home in the 1980's. Those three colors were the only ones I knew as Morning Glory and the variety I knew about. As far as I know this plant is not edible and the seeds definitely not ! The seeds contain small quantities of the hallucinogen LSD. These vines are climbers and will even twist and wind around other plants and flowers if close by. The leaves are heart shaped and the flowers will also attract humming birds and butterflies.The blooms open in the morning and close in the afternoon thus how we get the common name Morning Glory. God's Creation is glorious ! May our eyes come open to see more of His Glory in Creation around us !

Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Purpurea )

Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Purpurea )

Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Purpurea )

 Blue Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Purpurea )

                                                                         

 Purple Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Purpurea )

 Purple Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Purpurea )

 Purple Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Purpurea )

Purple Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Purpurea )

Nettle Leaf Sage (Salvia urticifolia Linnaeus)

 Nettle Leaf Sage (Salvia urticifolia Linnaeus)

While going through the woods (to check on another plant my son and I had hoped was blooming) we discovered this small violet colored wildflower with white streaks. I found some plants similar on the internet but couldn't find exactly what this was. Since May I waited still looking but had other wildflowers and herbs to write about and identify. So I just waited and happy to say I now know what it is. Thanks and credit goes out to Alabama Plant Atlas on Facebook for their help and quick response to my message . They sent me the answer I needed. :) Nettle Leaf Sage is native to the Southeastern United States and In a few states it is considered endangered. It's in the mint family and also bees are attracted to it. I can't find any information at this time as to it being either edible, poisonous or medicinal. If anyone has anymore information I'd love to hear from you. Thank God once again for another lovely discovery right in my own back yard. :)

 Nettle Leaf Sage (Salvia urticifolia Linnaeus)

 Nettle Leaf Sage (Salvia urticifolia Linnaeus)

 Nettle Leaf Sage (Salvia urticifolia Linnaeus)

 Nettle Leaf Sage (Salvia urticifolia Linnaeus)

 Nettle Leaf Sage (Salvia urticifolia Linnaeus)

Clasping Heliotrope (Heliotropium Amplexicaule Vahl)

I actually was on my way to look at Queen Anne's Lace when I saw this on the edge of some property that's for sale in our neighborhood. I love flowers and of course the pale purple caught my eye. I also love the star shape of this flower. I had no clue what the name was but I was surprised to see it posted to Alabama Plant Atlas on facebook. It's a native to South America and in Eastern Australia is considered a noxious weed. It's present in the Southeastern United States, right where I am located. I can't say I remember seeing it very often though but glad it caught my eye. All parts of this plant are poisonous if eaten and toxic to livestock as well. So Heliotrope is to be admired for it's beauty only. Sometimes life can be so fast paced but take sometime and look around you . Discover God's Creation !

Clasping Heliotrope (Heliotropium Amplexicaule Vahl) 

Clasping Heliotrope (Heliotropium Amplexicaule Vahl) 

Clasping Heliotrope (Heliotropium Amplexicaule Vahl) 

Add captionClasping Heliotrope (Heliotropium Amplexicaule Vahl) 

Clasping Heliotrope (Heliotropium Amplexicaule Vahl) 

Clasping Heliotrope (Heliotropium Amplexicaule Vahl) 

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota)

As I would pass by this plant and glance over from the car while driving through my neighborhood I thought maybe this was Poison Hemlock. I didn't actually think Queen Anne's Lace was growing around here. To my surprise though after taking a walk and a close-up look I discovered this was Queen Anne's Lace. Queen Anne's Lace has hairy stems while Poison Hemlock has a smooth hollow stem with purple blotches on it. Another way to identify Queen Anne's Lace is by the tiny purple-red flower in the center. This is not present in Hemlock or other look-a-likes. The root is carrot like and is edible while young and has a carrot smell. The leaves are feathery like those of the carrot plant and Queen Anne's Lace is also known as Wild Carrot. Be careful handling the leaves you could have a allergic  reaction from them which can cause photo-dermatitis.  The Name Queen Anne's Lace comes from Anne of Great Britain and her grandmother Anne of Denmark. It was called this because the plant resembles lace and the red/purple flower in the center was to have represented a drop of blood that fell to the lace after Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle. The tiny flower is actually colored by anthocyanin which attracts insects. This we saw first hand having to fan a few away to capture photographs and video. The seeds some say can be used as a contraceptive. I don't know if that information is true or not. Take time and research carefully all information you might find in blogs, videos and the internet always. I'm happy that this discovery didn't turn out the way I thought it would. I'm very glad to have found Queen Anne's Lace ! :)  In the 1990's I moved what I thought was Queen Anne's Lace to our backyard only later to find that there were poisonous look-a-likes that I didn't know much about. (None to worry I was not into wild edibles then!) I can't remember now in detail what I found but I do know today how to identify Queen Anne's Lace . In God's creation I am discovering the difference between what is harmful and what is beneficial.

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota) Close up of the purple flower in the center.

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota) Close up of the purple flower in the center.

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota)

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota)

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota)

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota)

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota)

 The leaves of Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota) 

The hairy stem of Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota)

The hairy stem of Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus Carota)