Wildflowers in my parents' yard

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Saint John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) and a wild pink (Dianthus plumarius).

A bit of random information: Echinacea is in the aster (Asteraceae) family. All plants in this family are native to North America. The genus name is from the Greek echino, meaning "hedgehog", an allusion to the spiny central disk. They are drought-tolerant perrenials. Echinacea has been attributed with the ability to boost the body's immune system and ward off infections, particularly the common cold.

Saint John's wort is an opposite-leaved perennial herb in the Hypericaceae family . Each yellow flower has black dots often visible along the petal margins , which are glands containing the phototoxin hypericin. This red pigment is also visible in glands on leaf margins giving the leaf a perforated look. St. Johnswort is invasive , as well as toxic to livestock. It is a Eusasian plant introduced to the US the 1900's. It is used to treat mild to moderate depression.

Pinks are in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Eurasia. The colour pink was actually named after the dianthus. The flower was named for the ragged edges on each petal - as if produced by pinking shears.

wildflower