Coltsfoot

Dear Lilliputian ,

This is Coltsfoot . If you look closely at one of those yellow flowers that look like a Dandelion you think you are looking at one yellow flower but you are not . . . . You are really looking at nearly 100 flowers on each flower head . There are two kinds of flowers growing on each flower head . In the center there is a circle of what are called disk flowers . There are approximately 40 of the disk flowers in the center .  And , if you can believe it , all those yellow lines that look like the sun's rays are actually called ray flowers . There could easily be 60 of those on each flower head . When the flower is pollinated , it closes up tight , hangs its head , and starts to make the seeds .  As the seeds are being made the two different flowers wither away .

 In about 3 days this flower raises its head to reveal a white fluffy " Clock " which is really all the seeds with a bit of fluff attached so that when it is time the wind will pull the seeds up into the air and they will be carried off by the wind to as far away as 8 miles . . .  When the seed falls back to the ground it just might start to grow into a new Coltsfoot flower and lift its cheery yellow face up so that all can see it , and by doing so it will make the world a prettier place .

Remember to click on the photo above to see the flowers close up .

One of my favorite picture books is a story called Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney . It is about a woman who lived in Maine . She planted flower seeds where ever she went to make the world a more beautiful place .

Until next time ,

Wildbee