These cheerful sky-blue flowers are everywhere from summer into fall, but they are no less delightful for being common. These were blooming along the Montour Trail in Moon Township.
For a description of the species, see the Cichorium intybus reference page.
Formerly classified in the genus Eupatorium, which was separated into several genera after some genetic research. These dusty blue flowers are distinctive: nothing else quite like them grows around here. They have the tassely flowers of a Joe-Pye-Weed, but the powder-blue color identifies them right away. They resemble a tall version of the garden Ageratum.
Mistflower begins blooming in the middle to late summer, and can still be found blooming into fall. These plants were blooming in Bird Park in Mount Lebanon.
These dusty white thoroughworts are a Midwestern species that began to invade our area in the middle 1900s. They are now ubiquitous, but mostly along the railroads and highways by which they invaded.
For a description of the species, see the Eupatorium altissimum reference page.
The only flat-topped goldenrod in the Pittsburgh area, so it is easy to identify. This plant was making bees happy next to a bridge over Montour Run in Moon Township.
For a thorough description, see the Euthamia graminifolia reference page.
Formerly Eupatorium fistulosum, but the genus Eupatorium has been split into several genera. This beautiful and elegantly constructed plant, also known as Trumpetweed, bears domes of dusty mauve flower heads on towers of whorled leaves, usually five to seven in a whorl. The plants can easily grow to seven feet or more. They prefer a damp environment, and are often seen in the soggier parts of roadsides and fields.
These plants were growing in the native-plant field in Robin Hill Park, Moon Township.
For a description of the species, see the Eutrochium fistulosum reference page.
