queens-of-fluff-blog

[geosesarma]

We love cool native plants Lysimachia quadrifolia - Whorled Loosestrife Triodanis perfoliata - Clasping Venus' Looking-glass Rosa palustris - Swamp Rose Polygala sanguinea - Field Milkwort

[vandaliatraveler]

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Part 2. Had Allegheny Power gotten its way 40 years ago, the land included as part of this idyllic refuge would today be the muddy bottom of a lake formed by damming the Blackwater River. The power company proposed turning the largest and most botanically-diverse high-elevation wetlands complex east of the Rocky Mountains into a “recreation destination” (e.g., overpriced tourist trap similar to nearby Deep Creek, Maryland) so it could execute a sketchy pump and release hydroelectric scheme. Thankfully, the US Army Corps of Engineers refused to issue a permit, and the nation has been since been rewarded with its 500th national wildlife refuge.

From top: the open grasslands of the refuge, which are actively managed similar to prairies in the Midwest to increase wildlife diversity, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), one of the primary benefactors of the open grasslands; flat-topped white aster (Doellingeria umbellata), also known as parasol white-top, a tall, grand late summer aster of the Appalachia’s higher elevations; a thistle seed pod, which draws hordes of goldfinches; field milkwort (Polygala sanguinea), also known as purple milkwort, a field-loving beauty that deserves more attention from native wildflower gardeners; the spindly seed pods of virgin’s bower (Clematis virginiana), another harbinger of autumn’s impending approach; and a tranquil stretch of the Blackwater River, just before it exits the valley in a violent spasm and descends in pure chaos through the boulder-strewn Blackwater Canyon. 

[debunkshy]

Field Milkwort aka Blood Milkwort (Polygala sanguinea)

Sandhill SNA, WI, 7-24-17

[tangledwing]

Purple milkwort or field milkwort (Polygala sanguinea) is an annual plant in the family Polygalaceae. It is native to widespread areas of eastern North America. It produces pink-purple (occasionally white) flowers in the summer.

[theplantzone]

Field Milkwort

Polygala sanguinea

[uswildflowers]

Polygala sanguinea (Field milkwort)

[debunkshy]

Field Milkwort Polygala sanguinea Necedah NWR, WI 31 July 2020

[tangledwing]

Field Milkwort (Polygala sanguinea).The nectar of the flowers attracts small to medium-sized long-tongued bees, short-tongue bees, and bee flies. Among the bees, are such visitors as Dagger bees, Miner bees, and Cuckoo bees. Little information is available about the food value of the Milkworts to birds and animals.