A Few Fun Fall Flowers

Cabin Creek Bog, the north end of the main sedge meadow. I recently learned (or relearned) that Cabin Creek Bog, in Randolph County, is a National Natural Landmark. Dr. Ruch and I just finished another year of vegetative monitoring. I think fall is one of my favorite times there. There are so many interesting flowers in bloom. Below, are some of the flowers I have recently seen in bloom and decided to photograph, from many different sites.

Agalinis purpurea - Purple False Foxglove
I am glad it wasn't too late in the season to see these pink, fuzzy flowers at Cabin Creek Bog.

Bidens cernua - So pretty in flower, I wish it never went to fruit. ;) You can see the disc flowers have five petals. Photo taken at the Hal Ashton mitigation wetlands, but you can find this flower almost anywhere it is wet right now.

Circium muticum - Swamp Thistle
I always like Swamp Thistle. It has a cool habitat, a great flower, it isn't obnoxiously prickly, and the involucre is sticky.

These were blooming in a fen in Henry County

Euonymus obovatus - Running Strawberry Bush
Cool little Euonymus fruits. Southeastway Park, Indianapolis

Gentianopsis procera - Fringed Gentian
One of my favorite fall fen flowers.

It was cool to watch them open up on Sunday morning as we were monitoring.

Gentiana saponaria - Bottle Gentian or Soapwort Gentian
I found these blooming in Kosciusko County while on a delineation, in a very disturbed area. The mosquitoes were so thick, that I did not get a great look at them, but I am pretty sure this is the correct species.

I love the blue in these flowers.

Helianthus giganteus - Swamp or Giant Sunflower
These flowers were blooming at Cabin Creek and at a mitigation wetland in Henry County. They are quite gigantic in height, at times.

Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower
Cardinal Flower seems to be everywhere this year in wetland and prairie plantings, but it was cool to find this guy blooming in Schramm Woods, on Mount Comfort Road in Hancock County, where it seemed unlikely that it was planted.

Lobelia inflata - Indian Tobacco
I like this little lobelia.

Check out the inflated fruit. It is easy to see where it gets its name.

Lobelia siphilitica - Blue Lobelia
Our 'weedy' lobelia. Seems to be everywhere right now.

Spiranthes cernua - Nodding Ladies-tresses
These were blooming throughout the fen, with none falling in our plots. You got to love random sampling.