roadsidia

have you heard me use the term roadsidia? as far as i know, my mother-in-law made it up. it refers to the abundance of flowers and weeds that grow along roadsides. pronounced rōd-sīd-ee-ah. it is where i find a large number of my STILL subjects. it also an important source of pollen and nectar for bees. i love roadsidia. i really do. so as we transition now from high-summer wildflowers to early-fall wildflowers, we will see a migration from a preponderance of oranges and purples to almost exclusively golden yellows. and all that yellow (and there will be a lot of it!) comes from just two species: wild sunflowers and goldenrod. here in minnesota we have a dozen varieties of native sunflowers, and similarly a dozen varieties of native wild goldenrods. it’s a fun time of year to be driving in minnesota; in a matter of weeks our roadsides will changeover from lush greens, to brilliant golden yellows, and finally to flame reds when the sumacs start their fall transition.it’s a good time for a roadtrip.

common sunflower (Helianthus annuus)