Purple Gerardia

Here's another new find for me. It is so beautiful and was standing all alone in a field along side the road.

Member of Figwort Family

Blooms: September -- November

This is such a beautiful wildflower that I have never seen before. It was out in open space in full sun, sandy, clayey soil. It stood about 3 feet tall and was very upright with tiny leaves and beautiful flowers, pale pinks and lavenders. These plants are parasitic and almost impossible to transplant as their roots tap into other roots for their nutrients. As beautiful as this flower is, it is seldom seen. It is also called Purple Loosestrife and Purple Foxglove.

The Gerardias are loved by bees and other insects. Sweet nectar can be found down inside their tubular blooms. The leaves are a favorite food source of the Buckeye Butterly larvae. They are also grazed by deer.

Native Americans used poultices to treat wounds and heal skin disorders.