Weedy but splendid, Morning Glories come in a range of colors, three of which were growing in this one patch in Beechview. Shades of violet and pink are the most common, but here we also have a pale blue.
For a description of the species, see the Ipomoea purpurea reference page.
A mint that grows fuzzy heads of pinkish flowers. In many references this is Satureja vulgaris, and it has gone by many other names as botanists have tried to sort out this branch of the mint family. It is either native or introduced or both: the USDA PLANTS database has it as native throughout its range in North America; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center says that it “is native in the northern part of its range but was probably introduced from Europe, where it is widespread, in the southern part”; other sources list it as entirely introduced.
These plants were growing along the Montour Trail in Moon Township.
Also sometimes called Bladder Campion, especially in the United States; but that name also belongs to the even more bladdery Silene vulgaris. These charming white flowers were blooming along the Montour Trail in Moon Township, where we caught them still spattered with dew.
For a description of the species, see the Silene latifolia reference page.
A vine that twines its way through the underbrush along creeks and streams, dangling clusters of flowers in white, pink, or purple. These flowers produce seeds, but the vine also grows less showy flowers near the ground that turn into a single underground seed, like a peanut. These vines were found in Bird Park in Mount Lebanon.
For a description of the species, see the Amphicarpaea bracteata reference page.
A fine mound of Butterfly Weed growing along the Montour Trail in Moon Township.
For a description of the species, see the Asclepias tuberosa reference page.
