Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Brazos Bend Nature Walk | Plants and Flowers

John and I continued our nature walk on Elm Lake Trail at Brazos Bend State Park, enjoying the sights and taking photos. While John photographed birds and alligators, I began to focus my camera on plants and flowers.


Elm Lake Covered in Duckweed-Brazos Bend State Park-Needville, Texas

The "green scum" on the surface of the water is actually tiny free-floating aquatic plants called duckweed. Elm Lake is covered in it.


American Lotus Leaves on Elm Lake-Brazos Bend State Park-Needville, Texas

I was fascinated by the large leaves of the American lotus, a plant that is often confused with water lilies. 


Fresh Seed Pod of an American Lotus Plant-Brazos Bend State Park-Needville, Texas

It is not in bloom right now, but seed pods are everywhere. The photo above shows a fresh pod filled with seeds.


American Lotus Seed Pods on Elm Lake-Brazos Bend State Park-Needville, Texas

But, most of the seed pods I saw had already gone by and were drooping downward, looking like little shower heads or decorative landscape lights. 


Water Hyacinth on Elm Lake-Brazos Bend State Park-Needville, Texas

The water hyacinth was blooming and was so pretty! But don't be fooled by its good looks. Its prolific and aggressive nature can quickly clog waterways. To keep it under control, Texas has made it illegal to transport this plant. 


Swamp Sunflower-Brazos Bend State Park-Needville, Texas

This bright yellow flower was striking. I thought it resembled coreopsis, but I wasn't sure what it was. When I got home, I identified it as swamp sunflower from this site. It looked like an excellent source of nectar for this busy bee.


Aster-Brazos Bend State Park-Needville, Texas

Patches of asters were bright spots on a cloudy day...


Creeping Spot-flower-Brazos Bend State Park-Needville, Texas

as were these happy flowers known as creeping spot-flower.

I hope you enjoyed this part of our nature walk. There are still a few more photos to share.

To be continued...

4 comments:

  1. I've seen those seed pods in craft stores, and now I know what they are. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't know what they were either. I've seen them used in potpourri mixes and we find them washed up on the beach sometimes, too.

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    2. Surprised to see such pretty flowers in a swamp...

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    3. There's a flower for every place, I suppose. That makes me happy!

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