LORE: THE PLANT THAT
GREW IN MY YARD
It happens all the time around
here. A plant will just appear in
someone’s yard - most likely grew
there from a seed that was carried
by a bird or other animal or blew
in on the wind. Such volunteers
as Berry Plants and Thorny Citris
Trees are not uncommon.
This is a Four O’clock Flower (sp. Mirabilis jalapa)
in the backyard of a Rockport Resident that sprang up
from an unknown source.
INDIAN BLANKET
(sp. Gaillardia pulchella)
A member of the Sunflower Family:
Asteraceae - it’s also called the Fire
Wheel and the Sun Dance flower. It’s
the official State Wildflower of Oklahoma as well. The Native Americans
ate the seeds raw or roasted them over
a fire or even ground them into a flour
and made small cakes. Medicinally,
it’s been used for everything from sore
eyes to sore nipples. The Kiowa Tribe
of Montana and Colorado carried the
flower for good luck.
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