One of the first flowers to appear in late winter, taking advantage of the first extended warm spell. These were blooming in Beechview on March 7.
For a description of the species, see the Veronica persica reference page.
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Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica)
Photographed March 7. 
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Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica)
Photographed April 14. A tiny but beautiful lawn weed that brightens our yards in early spring. Here we see a tiny black ant finding something delicious in the flower. Bees and butterflies get all the credit as pollinators, but ants do a lot of work, too.
For a more thorough description, see the Veronica persica reference page.
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Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)
The white form of Moth Mullein is the usual one around here, though the yellow form is more common in most of the range. This plant was growing along the Montour Trail in Moon Township. The close view above shows us the the “filaments all bearded with violet wool” that Asa Gray mentions in his description of the species. For that description and more, see the Verbascum blattaria reference page.
Photographed September 24 with a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6. -
Common Speedwell (Veronica officinalis)
Tiny lawn weeds that reveal lavender stripes when we look at them closely. These were growing beside a sidewalk in Verona.
Photographed May 10 with a Canon PowerShot SX150 IS. For a description of the species, see the Veronica officinalis reference page.
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Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
A beautiful native flower, prized by gardeners, that is surprisingly common around here. This plant was growing in recently disturbed ground near a construction site—always a good place to look for interesting plants—along the Monongahela on the South Side. The pictures were taken on June 10.
For a fuller description, see the Penstemon digitalis reference page.
In the close-up picture below, we can see the hairy tongue, inside the tube of the flower, that gives “beardtongues” their name.
