Brand New! Outdoor Hour Challenge
Salsify Wildflower Nature Study
When I first saw salsify, I thought it was a giant dandelion. Upon closer examination, I realized the leaves and flowers are quite different. Here in the U.S., there are 2 plants that are called salsify:
Salsify or oyster plant (tragopogon porrifolius) which has a white root and purple flowers.
Salsify or goat’s beard (tragopogon dubius) which has a black root and yellow flowers.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Look for salsify along roadsides, vacant lots, pastures, and disturbed areas. Normal blooming time is from May to September.
- This should be a fairly easy flower to spot if it’s blooming. It looks like a really large dandelion, purple or yellow depending on where you live. The seed head is also a larger version of the dandelion.
If you have a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study, you’ll find the complete challenge with images, more links to resources and videos, journaling ideas, a notebook page, and ideas for studying flowers in the aster family. You’ll need to sign into your Ultimate or Journey level membership to see the book download.
Here’s a sample from the Wildflower ebook: Outdoor Hour Challenge Wildflower Ebook #3.
To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, you can click on over to the Join Us page at any time.