Gomphrena

Also in bloom: Cosmos, Zinnia, Ornamental Basil, Dahlia, Queen Anne’s Lace, Nasturtium.

These little beauties are really coming into their sweet blooming spot right now—the only flowers that seem to thrive in the succession of heatwaves we’ve been having.

A friend of mine thought we should start calling it by a new common name, and I have to agree that Gomprena sounds a little Gomer Pyle-y for such an elegant flower. My friend floated the name Eyebright, and you can count me in for joining the name change committee.

Fun facts about Eyebright, née Gomphrena:

• Won’t wilt:

  In fact, the stem will rot clean away and still the colored ball will be bright and none the worse for wear.

• Can be dried hanging upside down in a cool place with no direct sunlight

• The colored parts are not really flowers:

  The globe part is made of bracts. The flowers are the teeny yellow stars that seem to float on surface of the globe at the end of each bract.