Wildflower Wednesday

Very busy!  Tons of stuff going on around here.  We had visitors from Germany spend a few days with us.  Then yesterday I went out to Ajax Downs for lunch with a couple of friends from the last school I worked at.  It was nice to see them again.  We sat by a window and watched the horse races.  It was also my DH's birthday and the phone never stopped ringing with birthday well-wishers.  Today I have to make two batches of pizza dough in my bread maker for my DD.  She wants to serve pizza as an appetizer at her staff's year-end party tomorrow.  I am also trying to work on a few quilty things, but there just doesn't seem to be much time for that.  I joined Em's Scrap Happy Summer 2013.  As if I need an excuse to sew scraps together!  LOL

But on with the program...  Today's wildflower is the Canada Anemone.  This is fitting because next Monday is July 1st, also known as Canada Day in these parts.

The biological name for this plant is Anemone Canadensis.  It is in the Ranunculaceae, better known as the, buttercup family.  There is also a shorter version of this species called a Wood Anemone, but it is much smaller.  The Canada anemone bears pretty white flowers.  These are not true flowers because this plant lacks petals.  But it does have 5 white, petal-like sepals.  The leaves are whorled on the stem and are deeply cut and stalkless.  The flowers rise above the leaves to about 20 inches.

These plants spread by rhyzomes and seeds.  It is a native plant and was used by aboriginal people as an astringent, an eye wash and a cleanser for wounds and sores.  It blooms from May through July and is always a pretty sight in damp forests.

Now back to the tasks at hand.  The weather has been unsettled and unbearably hot and humid here the past few days.  Today the sun is shining brightly.  Hopefully the worst is over and things will cool down a bit and become more comfortable.