Moar Flars!

Yesterday, I talked about some flars I saw at my auto mechanic's shop, and in another post, I went on the road to help a family member where I saw ...drum roll, please!... moar flars!

When I first drove past these flowers in my car, I thought it was a patch of what are commonly called "Black-Eyed Susan" (Rudbeckia hirta) flowers. After I parked the car and walked past them en route to my destination, however, I realized they are a variety of Coneflower, instead, also known by their genus as Echinacea. These magnificent yellow blooms are Echinacea paradoxa.

This display of several dozen flowers in one spot make such a cheerful show with their bright, sunny color! How can anyone look at these and not smile...?!?!? 😊 Amirite, @dswigle ?

The lovely Echinacea paradoxa is native to parts of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma in the central United States.

In an adjacent spot, a different but related species, Echinacea purpurea were planted, with their delightful pink-colored petals. This species is native to the entire eastern US as well as the Midwestern region (east of the Rocky Mountains).

Again, the profusion of pink coming from several dozen flowers in one spot was quite stunning and breathtaking!

Some of the species of the Echinacea genus appear to have some medicinal benefits. For instance:

Native Americans used the plant to treat many ailments, including wounds, burns, insect bites, toothaches, throat infections, pain, cough, stomach cramps, and snake bites. ^[3]

However, common lore about the plant's being beneficial in treating the common cold does not seem to be upheld by various studies. It does appear to have some benefit in reducing repeated respiratory infections, though. [source]

These beautiful flowers were part of the landscaping in front of a hotel, and they did a wonderful job with the planning and execution of the project. It made for such a wonderful entrance heading towards the main doorway!