Most people with a garden or yard consider Spanish needles (Bidens alba) to be a weedy pest, a tough rooted interloper that pops up in the most inconsiderate places. As for myself, first I appreciated the butterflies that circled the daisy-like blooms. Now I admire the way the flashes of white and brief yellow lighting up the green roadside edges and swales. I enjoy the symmetry of leaves and the square-ish stem.
And its persistence! We could all take lessons from this hardy plant, especially during these last tough years of a faltering economy, when many of us have had to adapt to changing conditions and dig our roots a little deeper, learning to bloom where we find ourselves planted.
From my pages for The Sketchbook Project. |
The young shoots are edible, used like spinach greens. It belongs to the large and diverse composite family, Asteraceae. Often considered a weedy invasive, I was surprised to learn that it’s one of our more important nectar and pollen plants for local bees and butterflies. Spanish needles is also used as a larval food for the Dainty Sulfur butterfly (Nathalis iole). Learning about the positive side this of lowly wildflower/weed, I’m leaving more to grow and nourish the butterflies visiting my yard.
Coloring page:
For a FREE downloadable PDF, please click here, or visit my Coloring Pages tab above. The link includes two pages (each 8.5x11 inches). The first page has a drawing of Spanish needles, the second page has a drawing of three butterflies you can select from to color, cut, and paste onto the first.For further reading, please visit:
Eat the Weeds
Floridata
Media:
The Sketchbook Project sketchbook,
Pitt Artist pen in black, size XS for the sketch, and S for the text
Kimberly watercolor pencils,
Niji Aquabrush, medium size.
What a lovely idea to provide the downloadables!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jeanette! As a child I loved nature drawings to color, but there weren't that many available. I hope I'm filling a gap for those kids like me!
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