Autumn Joy

Can you guess what fall-blooming favorite of the nursery trade this is? Hint: Above image, captured using our camera's macro setting, is 14 times actual size.

"I thought the whole plant kinda turned pink. I didn't realize it was made up of lots of little blossoms," said Tuck when we asked him whether he could identify the exotic looking flowers (above) writ large on our computer screen this morning through the wonders of macrophotography and Photoshop.

We had known the flower heads were made up of dozens of tiny, tightly-packed flowers -- each 3/16" in diameter -- but who knew the irrational exuberance of each individual flower? (x 11) Based upon Armitage (below), we assume the outer whorl of "petals" is made up of sepals and the inner whorl of true petals. Update: No, no, no. Outer pale pink whorl = petals, inner darker pink whorl = pistils, and sepals are green petal-like parts beneath the petals, barely visible here as tiny green points between petals. Check out these totally awesome botanical drawings of Sedum acre for details.

The mystery plant as background for a formal portrait of the Babe three years back. 

Sedum x 'Autumn Joy' drawing by Bonnie L. Dirr from Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Allan M. Armitage. 

Sedum x 'Autumn Joy' [AKA Sedum 'Herbstfreude'] is "one of the finest garden plants available today," wrote Allan M. Armitage of this hybrid member of the Crassulaceae family of Chinese origin in his classic Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on their Identification, Culture and Garden Attributes, copyright 1989. We purchased our copy from the Harvard Coop back in our Radcliffe Seminars days for Elise Lorenzi's "Perennials in the Mixed Border" class. Like most members of the genus -- common name Stonecrop -- they prefer well-drained soils and full sun:

The basic botanical definition of Sedum is a flowering plant with 5 petals, 5 sepals and 10 stamens . . . Green shoots are always just below the soil surface, and by early March, mounds of light green foliage freshen the garden. By midsummer, the flower buds have initiated and start to appear . . . The [broccoli-like] flower buds appear whitish, slowly turn to shell pink [above] and age to a deep bronze-red. Many flowers are formed in the flat-topped 6" diameter corymbs. They bloom well into the fall and dry on the stem. To some gardeners, these dried flowers are picturesque and provide lovely decoration to the winter garden. To me, however, they simply look like dead flowers, and I remove them after they brown.

Another whatsit. We caught the owner of these crystalline, stained-glass wings lurking on the tomato trellis, presumably attracted by prey opportunities in the swarm of bees and flies taking nectar from the Sedum flowers nearby.

We don't know our dragonflies by species, but we do know dragonflies -- whose wings at rest are open, like a moth's -- from their close relatives the damselflies -- whose wings at rest are held together along the body.

According to Wikipedia, "Dragonflies typically eat mosquitoes, midges and other small insects like flies, bees, and butterflies" just what's on the menu in the fall-flowering parts of our Chelsea garden. On the other hand:

They are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands because their larvae, known as "nymphs," are aquatic.

While dragonflies and damselflies run riot in Goomp's down east garden during the summer -- and once or twice a year swarm over the pool during high-mosquito season --  we've rarely if ever seen one in these parts. There are remnants of wetlands in Chelsea, but mostly they're a good mile or two away on the other side of town. 'Wonder where this one was brought up?

Dragonflies do not normally bite or sting humans (though they will bite in order to escape, for example, if grasped by the abdomen); in fact, they are valued as a predator that helps control the populations of harmful insects, such as mosquitoes. It is because of this that dragonflies are sometimes called "mosquito hawks" in North America along with the Crane Fly.

Mosquito hawks. Making the world safe for summer outings.

Another member of the insect hawk community -- a funnel spider -- knew a good thing when she saw it and had built her sprawling killing fields in the curl of one of the Autumn Joy's leaves. Build a nectar magnet for flying insects, and the funnel spiders will come.

Update: Build a better ark, and the animals will come. Friday Ark #156 now boarding at Modulator.

Comments

[goomp]

Fabulous photos of the stained glass wings and the beautiful magnified "Autumn Joy". If you want to be taught unexpected knowledge keep an eye on SISU.

[Teresa]

*deep envious sigh* Sissy I wish I had even one pinky finger worth of the photographic talent you have. Beautiful flowers and dragonflies.

I always have liked dragonflies because they are one flying insect that makes it a point to dodge around people. We have many of them out here... especially when the mosquitoes are at their best in the twilight.