Spigelia marilandica 3, Pinkroot, Howard Co, Md, Green Farmacy Garden, H Metzman
First, let me point out there must be an interesting story about the name of (Spigelia marilandica) Pinkroot, for the simple reason (the one simple reason) that it doesn't occur in Maryland. Some sort of mix up of plant collections or collector notes I suspect. Someone will tell us the story. In any case this lovely occurs in the South were the bright red color and long tubular flower are plant body language that tell readers of plant language that hummingbirds are their pollinator partner. We have done experiments with color traps of different colors and red (along with clear, gray, black, and green ) get zip for captures (no we did not capture any hummers in the red traps...) . Now here we have given you something you can use when your cocktail party chatter lags. Photo and specimen provided by Helen Lowe Metzman.
We Are Made One with What We Touch and See
We are resolved into the supreme air,
We are made one with what we touch and see,
With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair,
With our young lives each spring impassioned tree
Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range
The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.
- Oscar Wilde. Original public domain image from Flickr