Featured Flora, Autumn

In the northern hemisphere, Fall is a time of harvest and of immense change. Flowers begin to go to seed while trees pause in their cycle of photosynthesis redirecting energy from their leaves into their roots. Here are featured flora from our Fall collection.

Dahlia, Dahlia pinnata

These dramatic blooms have a storied history. Their petals are faceted, and they have a geometric face similar to the other members of the Compositae (also called Asteraceae) family which includes sunflowers, daisies, chrysanthemums, and zinnias. They come in a wide variety of shapes and colors, some as big as a dinner plate and some as small as a ping pong ball. This variety results from dahlias being octoploids - they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, where most plants have only two.

Dahlias are native to Mexico and Central America and their tubers were once grown as a food crop and used to treat epilepsy by the Aztec people. The indigenous peoples variously identified the plants as "Chichipatl" (Toltecs) and "Acocotle" or "Cocoxochitl" (Aztecs), names which have been variously translated as “water cane", "water pipe", "water pipe flower", "hollow stem flower" and "cane flower" referring to the plant’s hollow stem.

Their introduction to Europe began in 1525 with the Spanish Conquest of Mexico and continued in to the 1700s. In 1791 Vicente Cervantes, Director of the Botanical Garden at Mexico City, sent "plant parts" to Abbe Antonio José Cavanilles, Director of the Royal Gardens of Madrid. Cavanilles called the new growths "Dahlia" in honor of Anders (Andreas) Dahl, a renowned Swedish botanist who had died 11 year prior. Many new varieties were cultivated throughout Europe in the 1800s, particularly in Holland. Dahlias now fill gardens and farms throughout North America, and heirloom varieties as well as new cultivations have enjoyed a renewed attention particularly in the last decade.

Amaranth, Amaranthus tricolor

This incredible grain is also a beautiful decorative flower and a fitting autumna reminder of harvest. Its name comes from a greek work for “unfading” and it lives up to its name by retaining its bright colors as it dries.

This plant is native to North America and its grain was a staple food of the Aztecs and featured prominently in their religious ceremonies. When the Spanish conquistadors prohibited religious acts during their occupation, amaranth cultivation decreased. In current day Mexico, Day of the Dead festivities feature amaranth seeds which are offered as a snack food for the spirits.

Golden Everlasting, Xerochrysum bracteatum,

Commonly known as the Golden Everlasting or Strawflower. Native to Australia, but cultivated throughout Europe, North America and Asia Minor, this flower is notable for having bracts, rather than petals. These bracts are papery and dry, with a low water content, unlike leaves or flower parts of other plants, which enables these flowers to hold their color and shape even out of water, giving them their name “everlasting”. These brightly coloured bracts attract insects such as hoverflies, native bees, and small beetles that pollinate the florets. Golden Everlasting contains chemicals that were once used in treating respiratory diseases, liver and gallbladder problems, rheumatism, and allergies.

Featured Flora, Summer

Summer in the Northeast is bright and hot, messy and overgrown, tangled and sweaty. Meadows, fields, and gardens are full of flowers all reaching toward the now bright sky, enjoying the longer days. This is a season of energy, blooming, and celebrating. As we relish in the bounty we remember now more than ever the importance of staying cool, hydrated and finding rest. It takes a lot of energy to grow. Here at Field Studies, while we don’t have a favorite season, we certainly love this one. This is the season of floral abundance and we want to share that with you.

Cone Flower, Echinacea purpurea

Native to North America where they grow across a variety of habitats, from open plains to open wooded areas.

Their name is derived from the greek word echinos, meaning “sea urchin” or “hedgehog.” Named for their spikey, bright orange centers encircled with vibrant petals, these flowers look a bit like a drawing of the sun and are a perfect emblem of high summer. These plants are highly medicinal and its uses may be familiar to you. Maybe you’ve encountered it as a tea or a tincture. We owe our understanding of it to the indigenous tribes of North America who have used it for cold prevention and pain relief for generations.

Rose or Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata

Milkweeds are an incredibly important plant to the Monarch butterfly population. Named for the sticky , milk-like liquid housed inside it’s stem, Milkweeds contain natural latex as well as several chemical compounds toxic to the monarch’s predators. It is an essential food source for the Monarch larva - without it they cannot develop into butterflies.

Its blossoms are not particularly fragrant to humans, but posses a wealth of nectar for bees, wasps, flies, beetles and butterflies. In the northeast United States, Swamp Milkweed can be found blooming until late September.

Named Asclepias after Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine and healing.

Globe Amaranth, Gomphrena globosa

Native to Central America, Gomphrena globosa is now cultivated across the globe. Plants produce clover-like blossoms on upright spikes from summer through frost and are excellent for drying.

The flowers contain a wealth of betacyanin, a chemical compound used as a red food colorant. Currently, the inflorescences (a cluster of flowers on a branch or a system of branches) of G. globosa are being studied as anti-inflammatory compounds, for the treatment of acute or chronic inflammatory conditions.

Featured Flora, Spring

Spring jumpstarts the year. Root systems set up in winter now give rise to green shoots and new leaves. Can you imagine that feeling a seed has when it cracks open with new life? That’s the feeling of spring. All of a sudden we are surrounded by color and life. Sunset gets later each day. Temperatures warm up, and then cool down, and then warm up. This season can feel like a lot of pressure to emerge. Its a big change. Take your time. If there’s one thing we at Field Studies have learned from watching flowers grow, its that it “takes the time it takes.” We’re here to share all the newly blooming beauties of the season and support you as we all, collectively, come back to life.

Pansy, Viola tricolor

The name “pansy” is derived from the french word “pensee” meaning “thought”, highlighting this flower’s associations with memory and nostalgia. Its fitting name considering this flower was cultivated from common violets (latin viola), widely considered a “weed” and a harbinger of early spring. Viola species are huge and wide ranging, but grow mainly in the temperate northern hemisphere.

We owe the cultivation of pansies to a Lady Mary Elizabeth Bennet who gathered every type of violet in her fathers garden and in 1812 introduced her pansies to the world.

Bleeding Hearts, Dicentra canadensis

Dicentra is Greek for “twice spurred” referring to the double pouches that make this flower’s shape so unique and remarkable. The flowers appear in rows on the stem, like an aisle of heart-shape chocolate boxes on Valentine’s day. Perhaps you know it by its colloquial name, Bleeding Hearts? It has fern-like leaves and grows in shady woodland. There are eight species of Dicentra and some are native to North America, one specifically to the Appalachians. Their common names are fantastic and include: Squirrel-corn, Dutchman’s breeches, Turkey-corn, Short-horn steer’s head and Long-horn steer’s head.

Calla Lilies, Zantedeschia aethiopica

These evocative stems have a deep and vast symbolic meaning which echoes from their beautiful and strange shape.

Native to Africa, but introduced as cultivars across Europe and America, these flowers bloom in the Spring in the North Western United States where they have been acclimated to cooler climates.

Their name - calla - derives from the from Greek word for beautiful, and they are associated with the Greek goddesses Venus and Hera. Their origin story involves Hera’s spilled milk which first formed the milky way galaxy and then fall onto the ground and sprang forth as beautiful lilies. Venus was jealous of the beauty of these flowers and “cursed” them by adding the yellow pistil inside of their white cylindrical petals. Thus, they have symbolic associations with lust, fertility, and spring.

The flowers bloom around the Easter holiday and are therefore also associated with rebirth, and triumph over death.

Featured Flora, Winter

Winter brings a new year, full of hope and cautious optimism. This is a season of reflection, preparation and anticipation. Shorter days, longer nights and a plunge into cooler temperatures press us to savor time indoors. For many, especially during the pandemic, this forced hibernation can be overwhelming and upsetting. At Field Studies, we look to the the flora of our world for encouragement during this slow season. Plants intimately understands the death and decay of Winter as a path to the growth and excitement of Spring. Might our collaboration with the natural world be a comfort to you and yours during these colder and quieter times.

Poppy Anemone, Anemone coronaria

Native to the Mediterranean Basin, A. coronaria are now cultivated around the globe for use in floral design. Coronaria, meaning crown, describes the ring of stamens nestled in the center of the flower. According to Greek mythology, when Aphrodite wept over the death of her lover, Adonis, Anemones grew from the earth where her tears fell.

One of our more delicate flowers, Anemones belong to the same family as the other featured players for winter: Ranunculaceae, also known as Buttercups.

Lenten Rose, Helleborus orientalis

One of our favorite cold-weather friends the Lenten Rose is a herald of the approaching season, Spring. Named for Lent, the season in which it blooms. Helleborus belong to the family Ranunculaceae, as do the other featured players: Anemones and Ranunculus.

In New York, H. orientalis bloom November through late Spring and can be an emergency source of food for insects when other native flowers have yet to bloom.

Garden Ranunculus, Ranunculus asiaticus

The flower heads of the Ranunculus are comprised of layer upon layers of delicate petals. They come in a variety of colors and textures from pale pastel to bicolored and solid to striped.

Along with our other featured players, R. asiaticus belongs to the family Ranunculaceae also known as Buttercups.