Saturday, June 4

sometimes you just Need...

Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium montanum)

 sharp eyes!


I had no idea that this little prairie flower had taken up residence in one of my grassy flowerbeds. Not a grass relative, but a close cousin of the Rocky Mountain iris that is also blooming at the moment. You need to be an early riser to catch this little blossom, she closes her eyes for the day by mid-afternoon, and is nearly impossible to find in the grass when she is sleeping.
Native Americans of the Northern Plains used an infusion of the root to cure stomach and intestinal problems, and the flowers are a favorite of bees. Turkeys and songbirds savor the seeds, which may explain where they came from.

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