Many of the wildflowers here in Maine were brought by European settlers who cultivated them for food or medicinal purposes, such as yarrow, mullein and Queen Anne s lace. They escaped from the colonial gardens into the wild. An exception to this is evening primrose, a North American native which found its way to Europe. Black-eyed Susan was originally an American midwestern plant which has spread eastward and is now common in Maine. It is quite likely that black-eyed Susan seeds came east from the midwest in hay bales, or perhaps caught in the cloven hooves of cattle.
Human history is entwined in the natural history of plants.
Late-blooming wildflowers in particular make wonderful dried flower bouquets. I may cut a few stalks to use indoors in this decorative fashion, but most of the wildflowers and the garden flowers I leave standing for my winter garden. The texture of the stalks, dried leaves and seed heads add interest to the winter landscape. Birds eat the seeds and are fun to watch. The caps of snow which stick to the plants have a poetry of their own.