We had a few mild days with little wind between storms this week, so I made a trip out to the nature center to see what was happening there. The answer is, not much. It demonstrated once again that, of all the fifty states, Kansas likely has the lowest ratio of native plant species to total area. According to my guidebooks, what few interesting plants there are that grow in the state are concentrated in the eastern corners. Out here in the middle of flatland, there is very little to catch the eye. The milkweed and penstemon were the standouts.
There was Lychnis chalcedonica (or Silene chalcedonica) in a garden near the main building, but it’s not a Kansas native.
There is more color in my own garden. Here are a few recent snapshots.
There are more pictures here.