September is turning Purple!

August was hot and dry but September brings a bit of rain and cooler temperatures. We see the beginning of a purple trend that started with Wooly Ironweed last month will increase as we enter October.

Right now you can find a distribution of Gay Feather (Liatris punctuate), a wild flower that wears a purple feathery top. Also know as Blazing Star, this single stem wildflower erectly salutes the approaching fall. It is a host plant for many butterflies. 

Gay Feather and Indian Paintbrush are hemi-parasitic meaning that while they grow independently when they share water and nutrients through their root system they both benefit. A friendly and hidden relationship. They are not in bloom at the same time and this relationship is not  harmful to either plant.