Introduced wildflowers?

A display of Penstemon flowers on the sunny slope overlooking Wildcat Creek.  I am going to assume that this is Penstemon cobaea which has been previously identified here at Clegg Garden.  Penstemon cobaea is not native to Indiana but rather is a native of the prairies of Kansas and Texas.

A closer look at the Penstemon on the slope.

Link to Penstemon cobaea:

Link to Penstemon cobaea:

Link to reported range of Penstemon cobaea:

Here a growth of Linum, also of unclear species, amongst the Penstemon.  Linum with blue flowers is not reported to be native to Indiana.  Both Penstemon cobaea and Linum lewisii are components of commercially available wildflower mixes which might account for their presence here at Clegg Garden.

Which raises the question of whether plants that are intentionally sown should even be called wildflowers.

Link to Linum perenne lewisii:

Link to Linum perenne/lewisii:

Link to reported ranges of Linum species:

This post is subject to further revision as better identifications are made and more is learned about the history of Clegg Garden.

Photos taken May 22, 2015.

Western wallflower

Western wallflower (Erysimum capitatum).  This appears on the high ground overlooking Wildcat Creek.  Erysimum capitatum is common in the western United States but Indiana is at the eastern edge of its range and is only present in a few places in this state.  It’s not known whether the western wallflower has been at Clegg Garden originally or whether it was planted here to develop the site as a gravel hill prairie.  Whether planted here or not, this is the habitat where it is found naturally.  Western wallflower can also be found growing naturally near the Wea Creek at Shadeland in Tippecanoe County.  This photo taken May 22, 2015.

Link to Erysimum capitatum:

Link to Erysimum capitatum in Ohio:

Link to FNA treatment of Erysimum capitatum:

Western wallflower is another example of the mustard plant family, and has the look of a typical Brassicaceae although without the weedy character that so many of our local Brassicaceae have.

Another view of Erysimum capitatum on the slope overlooking Wildcat Creek.  May 22, 2015.

Western wallflower along trail near Wildcat overlook, May 25, 2015.

Dame's rocket

Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis).  This rather attractive flowering plant can be found in several places at Clegg Garden, usually in more disturbed habitats.  It wasn’t planted but rather entered the grounds as a weed.  You may notice dame’s rocket flowering as a roadside plant while driving on County Road 200E approaching Clegg from the west.  It’s a Brassicaceae family plant as many of our plants of weedy habitat are.  The typical Brassicaceae plant has flowers with 4 petals arranged in a raceme at the top of the flowering stalk and below the flowers are seed pods arranged in the same fashion as the flowers.

Link to Brassicaceae characteristics:

The dame’s rocket pictured above is along the trail downhill from the NICHES headquarters, May 22, 2015.

This dame’s rocket shown above is in a weedy patch surrounding the old horse shelter, May 15, 2015.

Link to previous post on Hesperis matronalis:

Spiderwort

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana).

Photo taken May 13, 2015.  Many of the spring wildflowers have faded away but the spiderworts are still in bloom.

Link to Tradescantia virginiana:

Link to Tradescantia virginiana:

Yellow lady's slipper orchid

This yellow lady’s slipper orchid (Cypripedium pubescens) is along the drive just inside the main entrance.  This is not growing naturally but was planted here years ago, although it is one of the orchids native to Indiana.  Photo taken May 13, 2015.

Link to Cypripedium pubescens:

Link to previous post on yellow lady’s slipper orchid:

Fringe tree

Curious about this unusual tree planted at the entrance to Clegg Garden?  It's a fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus).  This has not ever been found growing wild in Indiana, so we don't call it a native, but it is native to parts of North America as close as Kentucky and as far north as Pennsylvania.

Link to Chionanthus virginicus:

You can also find fringe trees planted on the Purdue campus, there are three fringe trees behind the Chemistry Building and a couple are on the green roof of the Undergraduate Library.

The Purdue Arboretum website will show where you can find these or any other species of tree or shrub on campus.  Link to Purdue Arboretum search page:

Photos taken May 15, 2015.

Carrion flower

Carrion flower along the trail at Wildcat Creek.  There are four species of carrion flower in Indiana.  These are all in the Smilax genus which also includes the thorny greenbriar vines that are also common in the woods.  This one is probably Smilax lasioneura, but the Smilax carrion flower species are hard for me to tell apart.

Link to carrion flower species:

Link to Smilax carrion flower:

Link to Smilax lasioneura:

Photo taken May 3, 2015.

False hellebore

The large basal leaves of false hellebore, Melanthium woodii. A synonym that is often used is Veratrum woodii.  Another common name used is Wood’s bunchflower.  On a slope overlooking Wildcat Creek. 

Link to Melanthium woodii:

Link to Melanthium woodii:

Link to Melanthium woodii:

Veratrum woodii is on the watch list of endangered and threatened plants in Indiana.

http://www.in.gov/dnr/naturepreserve/files/np-etrplants042513.pdf

Like many other plants in the Lily family, Veratrum woodii is poisonous.

http://www.goatworld.com/health/plants/hellebore.shtml

More false hellebore at another location in Clegg Garden.  This is close to the location of the Delphinium tricorne of the previous post.

Photos taken May 3, 2015.

Delphinium tricorne

Delphinium tricorne, or dwarf larkspur, a familiar spring wildflower of Indiana woodlands.   Photo taken May 3, 2015.

Link to Delphinium tricorne:

Link to Delphinium tricorne:

Link to Delphinium tricorne:

Bugleweed

Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) flowering near the NICHES headquarters.  Ajuga reptans is not a native plant, this was probably planted here years ago.  Photo May 3, 2015.

Link to Ajuga reptans:

Columbine

Wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) flowering at Clegg Garden, May 3, 2015.

Link to Aquilegia canadensis:

Link to Aquilegia canadensis:

Link to previous post on Aquilegia canadensis:

Round-leaved golden ragwort

Round-leaved golden ragwort (Packera obovata) along a trail at Clegg Garden.  There are two species of golden ragworts native to Indiana, this is one of them.  The other native is Packera aurea, or heart-leaved golden ragwort.  They look much alike except that the basal leaves are of different shape.

More Packera obovata just outside the NICHES headquarters building at Clegg Garden.

Photos taken May 3, 2015.

Link to Packera obovata:

Shooting star

Shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia) on high ground near the bluff.  At Clegg Garden some shooting star are pure white and some have a slight purplish tint.  This photo shows both types.

Photo taken May 3, 2015.

Link to Dodecatheon meadia:

Link to Dodecatheon meadia:

Redbud flowering along the Wildcat, May 3, 2015

Redbud (Cercis canadensis) flowering along Wildcat Creek.  You can just barely see the new leaves forming at the ends of the twigs.  The trees on the left with the white trunks are sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).  Photo May 3, 2015.

Link to sycamore:

Phlox divaricata

Phlox divaricata, now flowering at Clegg Garden.  Photo May 3, 2015.

Link to previous post on Phlox divaricata: