Amsinckia menziesii

A Little Note

The Photos:

Amsinckia menziesii, in the borage family, at Banks Lake, WA

The Thought:

So tiny, so pretty, a little furl of yellow five petal flowers poking out of hairy sepals. This is fiddleneck, Menzie’s fiddleneck [Amsinckia menziesii]. It varies in height, depending on its conditions, and the flowers, though tiny, so tiny, yet they catch your eye. That’s a good thing because you don’t want those spiky hairs to latch onto your socks or clothing.

Bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and goldfinch love these flowers. But cattle and horses should not eat them; they are poisonous to them.

These plants and the many varieties are native to Western United States.

We enjoyed them because they caught our eye with the bright yellow, and the uniqueness of their flowering— a curled stem unfurls as the flowers bloom.

Poetry

Amsinckia Menziesii

furry leaves and stems
topped with a swirl that unfurls
bright yellow petals

Sheri Edwards
06.02.24 153.365.24
Poetry/Photography