Synantherology

Tithonia rotundifolia

Most of the color in my little garden now comes from members of the Compositae Asteraceae, such as the Tithonia above. That one is at the red end of the color range; most are more orange.

Zinnias may be coarse and common, but I can’t think of any other genus that supplies as much color with as little trouble and expense.

Eschscholzia californica

I expected the California poppies to fade out after a month like other hardy annuals, but they’ve kept going. It looks like they’ll continue indefinitely. Aside from them, though, everything left in the garden now are all composites.

3 thoughts on “Synantherology”

  1. Very full colour.

    I did not know California Poppies grew in Kansas. A field of them in California was a bright, golden memory.

    I have a full crop of Big Bluestem, little bluestem, Johnson Grass, Snow in the Mountains, and, alas, musk thistle. The purple woolly veburna are going away.

  2. Thank you.

    My experience has been that California poppies grow easily almost everywhere. If there is a trick, it is just to plant the seeds early so they can take advantage of the cool spring weather. The seedlings can take quite a bit of frost.

    I have no affection for Johnson grass and musk thistle, but the bluestems are Kansas prairie classics.

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