Oxeye daisies and birdsfoot trefoil are cheerful escapees found in many EG meadows and roadside ditches. Whether they are wildflowers or weeds depends on whom you ask. If you ask ME, I say they’re wildflowers, although I want neither in my gardens. ;-)
Early European settlers brought oxeye daisies to North America. They've quickly spread throughout the continent and are now considered a pest by dairy farmers because they make milk taste sour.Oxeye daisies are not the same as ornamental Shasta daisies. But you are forgiven if you think they look alike. Shasta daisies are close relatives, hybrids of oxeye and three other kinds of daisies.
Birdsfoot trefoil is a leafy, fine-stemmed legume often grown for pasture forage, producing beefier cattle. Canada geese, deer and elk graze on it too. Because birdsfoot trefoil has deep roots, it’s drought tolerant. The plant gets its name from its seed pod clusters, which resemble -- you guessed it -- birds’ feet.
I call them wildflowers too. The Daisies look like clouds of white as they float in an abandoned meadow. Although one year they visited with a vengenance in one of my pastures and I pulled the whole pasture by hand.
ReplyDeleteI posted pics of Salmonberry on my day4plus blog. MB
The daisys I know but the bridsfoot trefoil is new to me. I love the buttery yellow color.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I changed you link on my blogroll to this site. Love the pics.
Darla
I see them when I take my walk in the woods and oh how they dress up the forest floor!
ReplyDeleteI am sort of ho-hum about daisies, though I do see pictures of them that I just love and they make me see them in a whole new light...like I really like your photo of the mix.
ReplyDeleteBut now that birdsfoot trefoil, I would love to have! It is sure a beauty in my book, any time, any place.
I call them wildflowers. The daisies are here but I've never seen the other. They both make good pictures!
ReplyDeleteNeat info here.. the 'Birdsfoot' info as come in very handy as I took pictures lst week and did not know what it was..
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures of the wildflowers! I am a big fan of daisies!
ReplyDeleteA good accurate post with excellent photographs. The Daisies are one of my favorite flowers. As is often the case, some of most photogenic wildflowers are not compatible with agriculture or gardening.
ReplyDeleteI also liked your post and photographs on the cobblestone house.
Great job!
Thanks for your informative posts. The flowers are beautiful in its simplicity.
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