A popular garden groundcover frequently found in the wild around Pittsburgh. The forms around here usually have a white blotch in the middle of each leaf, which makes identification easy.
There are many common names for this plant; Purple Dragon is another, and the flowers do look like little dragon heads if you have the kind of imagination that sees dragon heads in little purple flowers.
For Gray’s description of the species, see the Lamium maculatum reference page.
Deptford Pink was a beloved garden flower back in the days when people could appreciate tiny but beautiful flowers. Brought over to America, it has made itself at home here without becoming a pest, so that seeing a Deptford Pink here or there always feels like a privilege, even though it is not an uncommon plant. This one was blooming in a partly-shaded area in Robin Hill Park, Moon Township.
For a description of the species, see the Dianthus armeria reference page.
A cheerful garden flower that has made itself at home here. It is frequently found at the edges of lawns or along roadsides; these plants were blooming along the edges of a German cemetery in Beechview.
For a description of the species, see the Saponaria officinalis reference page.
Lemon Balm can be very weedy, but it is so useful that it is hard to resent as a weed. The lemony leaves make a good tisane, and the flowers are great favorites with bees. These plants were growing along a fence in Beechview.
For a description of the species, see the Melissa officinalis reference page.
A beautiful bush that seeds itself liberally and can take over hedges, or build itself into a hedge along a fence. It comes in a number of colors, often with a deep red eye. The column of united stamens, typical of the mallow family, is prodigal with its pollen, and bees delight in these flowers.
Photographed June 25 and June 29 with a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6 and a Canon PowerShot A530.
For a description of the species, see the Hibiscus syriacus reference page.
