One of my favourite wildflowers is the White Campion, an herbaceous annual of the Pink (Carnation) family. Its corolla appears to have ten parts but it actually has five deeply cleft petals. Its blossoms open wide in the evening, emitting a sweet, clove-like scent which attracts many species of nocturnal moths for pollination. As daylight approaches, the blooms slowly close and by noon they look like tight buds again. Fun fact: Its root can be boiled to make a soap substitute, suitable for washing clothes.
Woodland Dancer
A flash of white beneath the trees,
A quiet dancer in the breeze.
It seems to wear ten petals bright,
But five torn lobes catch evening’s light.
When shadows fall and day is done,
Its secret hour has just begun.
It opens wide to meet the air,
A pale and glowing wonder there.
Each split and notch, a tear of white,
That sweetly opens in the night.
A woodland star, both fair and wild,
The Campion, its scent so mild.
‘Til next time, y’all…
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