A Wildflower Alphabet

It's a great year for wildflowers - plenty of rain and sun have produced bumper crops. My goal on today's ride is to snap every wildflower I can find, and if possible beat my previous record (set just a few days ago) of 22 varieties sighted on a less-than-20-mile ride.

The day is gloriously blue-skied, hot, and sunny - mid 80s and slightly sticky - with just enough breeze (about 10 mph) to keep things pleasant. I have doused every inch of exposed skin (also some inches of unexposed skin) with homemade bug deterrent (tea tree oil and peppermint oil in an olive oil base), as I shall be clambering through a lot of underbrush and would rather not come home with more bites than photos.

~ ~ ~

Today's pictures are being presented in alphabetical, rather than chronological, order. :)

A is for Aster:

(This may actually be Helianthus, but I couldn't confirm the identification. It's definitely a member of the Aster family.)

B is for Bellflower:

...and Bergamot (Wild):

...and Birdsfoot Trefoil:

...and Bindweed (Hedge):

...and Black-Eyed Susan:

C is for Campion (white):

...and Clover (Red):

...and Coneflower:

...and Cow Vetch (with Corn):

...and Crown Vetch:

...and Cyclist (ahem):

D is for Daisy Fleabane (can you spot the tiny peach-coloured spider?):

...and Daylily:

E is for Elder:

G is for Grapevine (I know, not a flower, but I love this little vine-covered shed):

H is for Hawkweed (Yellow):

K is for Knapweed (Spotted):

M is for Milkweed (Common):

...and More Milkweed (Swamp):

...and Mouse-Ear Chickweed:

...and Mullein:

P is for Parsnip (Wild):

Q is for Queen Anne's Lace:

S is for Salsify:

...and Soapwort (also called Bouncing Bet):

...and Spiderwort (gone to Seed):

...and St. John's Wort (Common):

...and Swamp Buttercup:

 ...and Sweet White Clover:

T is for Thistle:

...and Turk's Cap Lily (with Unidentified Umbellifer in background):

U is for Unknown (can anyone identify this tiny blossom, about 1/4" wide?):

 ...and Unidentified (about 6" tall, grows on roadside, fuzzy mauve blossoms about 1" tall):

V is for View (had to throw in at least one Bend in the Road shot, you know):

Also seen on today's ride (but not photographed) were Curly Dock, Motherwort, and Sweet Yellow Clover. I had hoped for Chicory, but the blossoms were closed by the time I hit the road.

So did I set a new personal record for Wildflowers Spotted While Cycling Less Than 20 Miles?

Just a moment while I tally up....

Varieties spotted: 36
Varieties photographed: 33
(Bug bites: 3)

Woo hoo! Wildflower heaven.

And a very good ride too, once I was able to put the camera away and pedal more than a few yards at a time. :)

~ ~ ~

What's blooming in your neck of the woods?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~