Autumn Blooms

Autumn Blooms

by Emma Reid

Here are a few flowers  that bloom in the fall that I identified the other day out on a swamp tour.

Late Goldenrod, Solidago altissima, L. Goldenrod’s piney-tasting leaves and flowers are an important medicinal remedy for the urinary, digestive, and respiratory systems. The goldenrod tribe encompasses one hundred species of late-blooming, knee- or hip-high herbaceous perennials. Goldenrod is an important dermatological aid for sores, infections, toothache, burns, and wounds. Internally, it is used for a number of urinary, respiratory, and digestive ailments. The medicinal use by over a dozen Native groups for close to twenty species of goldenrod has been documented, with overlapping usage between species. Main stem is smooth!

Shepherd’s Needle, Bidens pilosa is also called Hairy Beggarticks. This one blooms throughout the year and is very common, especially on roadsides and disturbed areas. Also used as traditional herbal medicine. The leaves are opposite and petiolate (with stalk)

Virginia Crownbeard, Verpesina virgincia. Up to 2 m tall, perennial herb. Coarsely toothed opposite leaves. Usually blooms Aug-Oct.  in Louisiana In the Aster family. French name is Herbe a trios quarts.

Mist-flower, Eupatorium coelestinium. This flower is also called Wild ageratum and in French is is called Tete de Femes Bleue, meaning blue-haired woman. This flower is also an aster (Asteraceae family) which means each flower has a dense cluster of many small male and female flowers in the disk and sometimes has rays (petals).