Fall Wildflowers Report from jmorth's Garden

Just now starting to bloom is the White Heath Aster, whose small but luxurious proliferating blooms persist beyond New England's bloom span.

All the aforementioned flowers are wildflowers indigenous to this area (Central Illinois).

Granted, these wild plants could try to take over (they can be invasive or near-invasive), so every couple of years I run an "almost eradicate" plan to tame these spirited wildflowers and keep them contained.

They're worth the effort, in my opinion, because of their spectacular aspect, manifesting nature's appeal brilliantly just before the great winter shut-down, sort of like summer's last hurrah!

White Heath Aster


Maximilian Sunflower


Goldenrod and New England Aster


Swallowtail in the asters.


The wild tree Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) completes my fall wild garden festivities.

It has proved to be a most bountiful and unique treat as fall draws nigh This treat is one dedicated to taste buds, nutrition, and American history. Soon the fruits will start to fall (and require swift retrieval) from my home-grown pair of Paw Paw trees (7 yrs to bloom). This will be their second year to set fruit.

The Paw Paw fruit is America’s largest indigenous fruit east of the Mississippi. It was a favorite of Indians, early settlers, and "men in high places." Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson praised the fruit of Paw Paws. The fruit has a taste all its own, usually described as a blend of various tropical fruits, especially bananas. The fruit is yellow, soft, and smooth.

The fruit's only fault is its short-term viability. It must be eaten during a stage that doesn't last long and it doesn't respond well to any storage beyond the short term.