Florida Haiku and Short Verse

Mandala aster blooms and dragonflies, Kevin Songer Nature Art ... haiku composition inspiration just outside morning aster blooms ...

Florida Wildflower Poetry, Peppergrass, Lepidium virginicum ... vacant lot snacking munch leaves and spicy seeds i'll try if you do ... Peppergrass, Lepidium virginicum.  Peppergrass brings back fun memories from my childhood where we would sit in the vacant lot and pick peppergrass seeds off the stem for spicy childhood snacking.  An important forage plant for wildlife and birds.

Florida Wildflower Poetry and Art, Elderberry ... elderberry jam jar lips' purple goo absurd not to lick ... Elderberry has been revered as an important plant for centuries.  Hippocrates as well as many others throughout history spoke of elder's ability to feed and heal.  The purple berries and flowers have been found to be effective in combating influenza and in also making delicious jams and pies.  Elder grows well in a variety of soils and provides communal and foraging to pollinators and small mammals alike.

Climbing aster, Symphyotrichum spp. ... lilac stars climb wreathed through cypress, bag of yarn not twisted more ... Climbing aster can be reliably found in full lush bloom, even in the driest and hottest of summer droughts.  This shrubby vine produces masses amounts of highly fragrant luminous purple and mauve flowers. Once the vines start weaving through trees they form an almost impenetrable barrier.  When no other summer drought flowers can be found, climbing aster is there to feed hungry monarch butterflies.

Thistle, Cirsium spp. ... looks are deceiving bull thistle's naughty habits are swallowtail's delight ... Across Florida, I see more swallowtails feeding off thistle flowers than almost any other roadside wildflower.

Toadflax and sorrel, Linaria canadensis and Rumex spp. ... toad flax and sour weed roadside kaleidoscope mower comes too soon ...

... fruit frog eyelash high turkey leg vines wrap, purple green earth trip trap ...

Ticktrefoil ... another yard weed impossible to get rid of important to keep ... Stick tights, Desmodium spp.