Flower for the Day Tick Trefoil 9-17-2020

In the early 1970's we took an Acclimatization Workshop at the Shaw Arboretum with Steve Van Matre.

It was life changing. I had been hiking,backpacking, trekking, and paddling for most of my life starting in the pre-teen years. Most of the time my view was macro as I enjoyed the overall experience of being immersed in the woods and mountains  and on the lakes and rivers.

Steve's workshop was about a micro view - looking down at what was under your feet. In one exercise we were each assigned a three foot square of woodland meadow and we were asked to create a  guided nature walk through our kingdom to show what was there. It was powerful and I think was the genesis of my love for miniature flowers.

Tick trefoil (Desmodium perplexum) is a perennial in the bean family. Although the the plant stems can grow to 1-2 feet tall, the flowers are small - less than a centimeter. They are so small that it is sometimes difficult to see their origin.

These flowers have a typical structure for members of the Bean family, consisting of a hood and projecting keel. Near the center of each flower is a patch of white that is surrounded by a thin line of purple. The plant re-seeds itself.