Summer is over now and the asters are beginning to bloom.
The bees love asters
But there are still sunflowers!
Did you know that there are about 70 species of sunflowers? Almost all of them are native to North America. The common sunflower is Helianthus annuus looks normally like the flower on the upper middle picture above. But as you can see, there are many fancy varieties in different colors and shapes and in sizes from dwarf to giant.
The photo below shows a different species, probably Helianthus debilis, the beach sunflower. These sunflowers have smaller flower heads and more delicate stems. They are my favorites.
