New-York tribune., 1901-07-31
AUGUST WILD FLOWERS.
SOME VARIETIES THAT ARE FOUND IN
THIS VICINITY-THE LIVE FOR
EVER" IN JOHN BUR
ROUGHS'S BLACK
BOOK

August flowers have distinct character, wholly
different from the shy flowers that bloom in the
spring" that seem half afraid TO venture into
sight, and from the June and July blossoms that
are essentially young and appealing in their
beauty The flowers Of August are confident
mature and somewhat arrogant in deneanor.
They have passed the bashfuI stage and stand
fearlessly 20 meet the curious or friendly gaze
stately OF growth. glowing Of color, pungently
fragrant with woody odors.
Many OF the owners Of country homes are sine-,-
larly careless OF these lovely wild flowers that
would repay the trouble OF planting by luxuriant
noWer1ng at a time when garden flowers" SO
called, seem TO be tired OF blooming. The rose
nallow, which grows luxuriantly on Long Island
and IN parts of New-Jersey is a native Of salt
meadows. but thrives in any moist soil If trans
planted, and is of the most beautiful of An
gust flowers II is tail and stately, the stem some
times reaching the height of eight or ten feet It
derives its name from the blossoms FORM which is
not unlike the wild rose and from its color which
is lustroUs pink
The purple gerardia with its pink tinted lavender
blossoms supplies lavish adornment for the fields
in August and partly through September. The
plant itself lacks the dignity OF the rose nnallov
but the flowers have a saucy, dancing gracA thar
gives them a peculiar charm. The moth MULLEN
IS another luXuriaut bloomer. and the flower is
sometimes yellow. sometimes pink. but more fire.
Quently IS white.
Throughout the Middle States the Ioosestrire
grows abundantly, and may be transplanted to al
most any soil If kept well moistened. 1t is i'm
Enensely effective with its long, purple spikes of
bloom, and ought TO be familiar than il is in
this vicinity.
The milkWeed IS Of the most widely known
ana certainly one Of the prettiest Of August
blooms Il has number of representatives in its
family, OF which the windroot. butterfly weed as
IL Is called IN districts IS perhaps the pref
nest The color is fame orange. and the little
blossoms are massed together in gorgeous clusters
cd high ahova all
growths with rolcking gayety OF aspect that
often eVOkes sympathetic smile.
he live forever is August bloomer that has
pretty purple flower, but may claim the unenvia-
De distinction Of being Of the few flowers Of
"hcA John Burroughs could find nothing good 10
say. What he does write Of It is in this vein: We
nave no native plant so nearly indestructible as
s5 gai9en oTplne or live forever. which our grand
Ilolners nUTsed and for which they cursed by
many farmer l have seen acres Of meadow land
animal IS never TO allow it to come to the sur
tt@ce 70 breathe. and this is the way Kill live
~ II AEes D. Its stalk and leaf more than
~ ~ rs root and II cropped as soon as it comes to
Ne ne surface VIII in time perish 1t laughs the
l4olgh The hoe and the cutiVator 10 scorn but
srrSSzng rSz herds will eventually scotch IT.
IAe purple aster meets such enmity. II sways
!.eunly traaiuon-fOr It is Of the sunhower race
August ana September. It has special tenderness
1900 CT so-aen roo, apparently, as il almost always
The rattIesnake root is another member Of the
EunhoWer family. and derives its popular name
from a belief that its root made into a tea will
cure snake bites. II has tall stem, somewhat
aec1lsh IN color. and bell shaped blue flowers that
grow II clusters.
Dear 10 poet and artist IS the frlnged gentian.
ssi-e Q. Algusts sweetest flowers. Its blue flower
- Z tny trumpet in shape and fringed at the
essS y fairy scissors. II grows freely in most
=. ne northern States and far South
ppe9rela, while westward II reaches almost to the
me meadow beauty-Rhexia virgnica-is Au-
tSSt LJ"eIlng plant, with large pink or lavender
o.ossol1s Thoreau says OF il: The scarlet leaves
= stems OF the rheXda, now out of flower make
SnI SI-1SL as bright patch in the meadows as the
NSen pitchers II graceful form
g., .sse are only some Of the flowers known best
- ms region The South, the Rocky Mountain
tSSsioAs, The North and extreme West all have
N-eiF own august flowers that unknown here.