If you park in the first lot at Fort Hill, you can see this beautiful Common Tansy by the side of the lot. I have never seen it before, so it was a big treat to take some photographs and then do some research.
Common Tansy are tiny, yellow button-like flowers which grow in flat-topped clusters. They grow to about 3′ erect and are colony-forming. The leaves are dark green and fern-like and aromatic. The scent is similar to that of camphor with hints of rosemary. They grow from July to September.
Caution: They are poisonous so observe them from a distance! The leaves and flowers are toxic if consumed in large quantities; the volatile oil contains toxic compounds including thujone which can cause convulsions and liver and brain damage.
The deep blue Chicory wildflower is blooming abundantly on Cape Cod this summer. Did you know that each flower lasts for only a day?
Chicory grows on a stiff stalk and has numerous stemless flower heads. It looks like the flower grows right on the stalk. The flowers are 1-1 1/2″ and the plant grows from 2-4 feet on roadsides and by the sides of trails from June to October, so you have plenty of time to see them!
Love the rod-like stamens in the center of the flower…
The bright orange Trumpet Creepers are gorgeous and prolific here on Cape Cod this summer. They seem to be everywhere! I took this photograph at Fort Hill on the road to the overlook.
Trumpet Creeper is a woody vine with bright reddish-orange tubular-shaped 5 petaled flowers. The flowers are 2″ with 7-11 in a group and climb to 12 feet from July to September. They are native to this area.
Have you ever seen a Trumpet Creeper? So pretty! They look just like a trumpet!
I have seen these Bouncing Bet wildflowers all around but never knew what they were called until I did a little research. And I had never heard of their name “Bouncing Bet” before, so this was a first for me!
Bouncing Bet wildflowers, also known as Soapwort, have pale pink or lavender to whitish flowers with 5 petals, each having scalloped edges with an indent at the tip. The petals tend to fold back. The flowers form a cluster on a stiff stalk. They grow on open areas and roadsides, which is where I saw them overlooking Boat Meadow Creek, from July to September.
So pretty, don’t you think? Have you ever seen a Bouncing Bet?
The purple Climbing Nightshade wildflowers are blooming along the trails at Fort Hill. They are such a pretty wildflower with purple shooting star shaped flowers with 5 violet curved petals swept back from a central yellow “beak.” They grow in round clusters at the end of a long stem. The flowers are tiny, only about 1/2” while the vine climbs to 4 feet.
The berries, which you can see in the photograph are egg-shaped, shiny green and ripen to bright red. Beware: the berries are extremely poisonous. “The unripened berries of this plant have a toxin that can cause death when eaten.”
Enjoy these beautiful, delicate wildflowers from a distance!
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
