When I first moved to Florida, this is one of the flowers that fascinated me the most. It's the blossom of the Buttonbush shrub or small tree. These flowers are only about 3/8" in size, but they are bunched up together to form a tight ball cluster. The cluster is probably the size of a quarter in diameter without all the "pins" sticking out.They have no noticeable fragrance, but I like the way they look. When the shrub is in bloom, these are pretty much covering the whole shrub. The shrub grows to about 10' high and blooms from June through August. It can be found in wetlands, swamps, pond sides, and stream sides, since they are aquatic. According to the National Audubon Field Guide to Wildflowers, Buttonbush shrubs range from Ontario east to Nova Scotia, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota.
It has the ability to withstand flood conditions and will still thrive. Mallard Ducks are attracted to its fruit which is tiny and seed like. Apparently, Mosquitoes like the flowers as well.
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4 comments:
Dear Dr. Loyce, this shot made me gasp because of the vivid detail and the soft background. I am continually impressed by your knowledge of flora and fauna. Keep teaching, please!
Thank you so much, Margo. I'm glad you like the information that I pass on. And of course, my photography!
I'm not much for flowers but I'm always drawn to these because they are so different and so photogenic. Almost every one I've photographed includes an insect as well. Good shot.
Thank you, Jim. I just love to photograph these. The insect is an added bonus.
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