Tall Flowers of Summer

If Spring is the exciting infancy of Nature's year, Summer is the lanky teenage phase - somewhat untidy, and marked by surprising growth spurts that seem to happen overnight. It's the time of year when inconspicuous knee-high plants start behaving like the weeds they are, and suddenly the fields are full of flowers taller than I am.

Here are some of my favorite wildflowers of late July and early August, ranging in size from shin-deep to waist-high to tilt-my-head-back-tallness.

Blue vervain has become much more widespread the last few summers. This photo was taken at the edge of a large field completely covered with its blossoms:

Ironweed brings bright pops of color to the roadside:

Also growing by leaps and bounds is this field of corn that I pass on my way to work:

Along the river trail, the knapweed is several feet tall:

With Queen Anne's Lace not far behind:

On a Saturday ride I spy tall purple loosestrife blooming amidst a cloud of knapweed gone to seed:

A bee works busily among nearby goldenrod:

In the marsh, I find a new-to-me flower with a charming name - white meadowsweet:

And feathery blossoms of Joe-Pye-weed:

Many miles later I stop at a favorite wildlife area to see what's blooming this year, and wade through swathes of waist-high wild bergamot to snap this photo:

Flowers growing here include button eryngo:

Coneflower (Ratibida):

And the aforementioned wild bergamot, the thickest I've ever seen:

On the way home I pass a long stretch of extra-fuzzy hare's-foot clover, aka rabbit-foot clover. At less than knee-high, these are the shortest flowers in this post:

What are your favorite flowers at this time of year?

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