Shasta, the area that I am in is considered a high desert, with summertime highs ranging from the upper 80's to over 100. But even though it is pretty hot, and the sun is very intense here, the humidity is very low, and the nighttime temperatures are usually in the 50's in the summer. I grew up in the hot, humid south, and I love it here! Some people around here actually put humidifiers in their homes to put moisture back into the air, but if I wanted to live in a sauna, I'd move back to the south, LOL! Bonnie

Before I go any futher, do ya know iof there are there any Snow Trillium blooming in your area? I know of some places toward southern Ohio, and I'm tryin' to track down the nearest location to Columbus... As for gettin' around, yeah, it's a consequence of midlife crisis: my wife and I are gypsy innkeepers, travelin' around the country innkeeping. We are in between gigs in columbus, stayin' with my wife's mother... My travels have allowed me to see so much; I had no idea there was so much incredible botany going on out there. Just the past Feb, on the way here through the deserts of AZ, two lupine species, encelia species (they have sinflower-like flowers), a mallow species, and some owl's clover were abundant along the interstate. Last summer I got to see mountain meadows in Washington and Oregon ... I've seen stuff all over the southern half of California ... the Gulf coast of MS ... I had no idea all this was out there. THis is one of the reasons I started the list, to share and to encourage others to share... So anyway ... wildflowers across the country ... I think it's a great idea for a list, from the early spring stuff in this area to Texas and the SW and CA where there is an embarrasment of colorful riches in bloom... When we lived in Ohio, myt wife and I had a pretty enthralling garden with native species as well as herbs and veggies and cutflowers and fruit ... a real labor of love. And have ya been up to Lake Erie in May to see the Lakeside Daisy? It's an endangered species, which blooms in May, and that is the only time the nature preserve is open to the public... And nice photos at your website. You clearly love nature... Hope to see ya at me wildflower list... Gregg

Hello, I'm new here, I guess this conversation is about a week old--but it interested me. I was thinking-- there is such a huge emphasis on trying to make things the way they were 'natively' or in the past when it comes to plants. Sometimes it seems almost as if planting anything perenial would be 'naughty' somehow. Funny, cuz to me, life isn't about anything if it isn't about change and adapting to whatever comes at you next. And that has been my experience all along. I kind of admire those plants that have made themselves at home in strange places. Also-- going back to the day the world began-- who knows what was native then? I live in a new construction area in North Dakota. The land around me is prairie--I have no idea if it is truly native--likely its been beet fields for awhile prior to my moving here, and was prairie long before that. There aren't exactly bison roaming nearby anymore either, but I do enjoy seeing the giant bunnies and I have found it fascinating to learn about the weather and widlife here in my new home. I am a wisconsin woodland transplant myself. For years I was happily used to the woodsy beauty of my old home--trilliums, jack in the pulpits etc.. Suddenly last fall I came to a place that is all flat, with bright sunshine and wind almost all the time. At first I really didn't know if I would like this. But when spring came and I began to smell the absolutely beautiful perfume in the air and hear all the birds singing--I was thrilled. Now I am hoping they will not cut down all the 'prairie/weeds' in our neighborhood where houses are popping up like weeds on every empty field, so I can keep on smelling and hearing and seeing them. Looking at the weeds here--I don't know how many are native but I'm not native either and I think we'll be happy together. I am considering putting a few of them in my garden--there's a couple of grasses I really like and I found a fabulous looking vetch with some kind of yellow rattle looking flower. I never thought I'd learn to love land that was flat as a pancake--but I like it here and am learning to appreciate the prairie. I hope I won't be too invasive though. ;-)Maryt

Agree with Eupatorium serotinum (Texas location?). That is the only US Eupatorium species, other than Florida's E. mikanioides, which has petiolate leaves with petioles exceeding 1 cm.