humble beauty
i am a sucker for seed pods. the diversity if form and function blows my mind. these velvetleaf seed pods are a personal favorite because i first noticed them soon after starting STILL. it was because of STIIL, the daily heightened awareness that STILL requires, that i first saw them. they look like the intake blades of a jet engine to me, an immensely complicated engineering marvel. and yet, velvetleaf is a common weed. i found these on the edge of the parking plot this morning while picking up more paint for my floors. such humble digs for such and elegant plant.
velvetleaf weed seed pods (Abutilon theophrasti)
We don’t have these in new england, I think. Do they grow on the sides of roads like burdock?
According to Wiki, it does do grow in the eastern US.
I’m excited – I have had a bunch of these hanging in my garage for the last year waiting for some enlightened soul to reveal what they are to me. Thank you, Mary Jo! P.S. I live about 60 miles west of Chicago in rural Sycamore, IL
Ha! I know that feeling of finally identifying a plant, especially weeds, that you have been unable to track down.
Glad to help!
I’m so glad you identified these for me! I’ve had them in my garden plot for several years and don’t pull them because the Japanese beetles seem to like their giant leaves. Keeps them off my marigolds.