Wildflowers of summer (3)

And the procession continues!

Climbing Nightshade, Bittersweet Nightshade, Felonwort ~ Solanum dulcamara

Twinflower ~ Linnaea borealis

Spear Leaf or Lance-leaved Stonecrop ~ Sedum lanceolatum

Meadow Buttercup ~ Ranunculus acris

Canada Violet ~ Viola canadensis

Forbidden fruit

The blossoms and fruit of Climbing Nightshade remind me of some of the lyrics to one of Peter, Paul and Mary’s old songs,

“Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.”

The flower of the Nightshade is indeed very pretty, but it and the pretty fruit as well are quite poisonous. They can also be hazardous to shoot: these were growing right next to the water in a small stream that was running through some large jagged rocks, the kind of place where, to get the right close-up, you place your right foot in the water and your left foot on a sharp rock just above your left ear.

Climbing nightshade,
Bittersweet nightshade,
Felonwort,
Solanum dulcamara

Moving along toward fall

The transition between late summer and early fall is a very pleasant time here in western Montana. There are still flowers in bloom down by the river;

yellow ones, (Evening Primrose)

white ones,

and purple ones with bright red berries. (Bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara, [USDA: Climbing nightshade])

The rose hips are extra large this year,

the early red colors are beginning to show,

and this pretty little visitor to our apple tree is a sign that the apples are about ready.