Crown Vetch has become a nuisance invader in many areas, but its bicolor flowers are always a cheerful sight. It was a popular erosion-control planting, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike especially made frequent use of it. These plants were blooming on a roadside in Robinson Township.
For a description of the species, see the Securigera varia reference page.
A little mallow that grows in lawns and vacant lots everywhere. It usually passes unnoticed as just another weed in the grass, but a close look at its flowers shows us that they are just like Hibiscus or Rose-of-Sharon flowers, but on a smaller scale.
For a description of the species, see the Malva neglecta reference page.
This popular garden flower often escapes, and where a patch has once been planted, it reseeds itself year after year, spreading to wherever the seeds are carried by rain and gravity. It’s known by a large number of common names, among them Persian Jewels and Rattlebox. The latter name refers to the seed pods, which grow to balls about an inch in diameter that rattle when the seeds ripen and dry. These plants were growing on a bank in Beechview.
For Gray’s description of the species, see the Nigella damascena reference page.
Little flashes of scarlet that peep out from sidewalk cracks, curbs, and other waste places. These were blooming in sidewalks and gravel in Beechview.
For a description of the species, see the Anagallis arvensis reference page.
The original Pansy; it escapes easily, and can establish semi-permanent colonies in odd places. These were growing from cracks in the sidewalk on the South Side.
For a description of the species, see the Viola tricolor reference page.
