Finding Securigera Varia
hive-127788·@sagesigma·
0.000 HBDFinding Securigera Varia
 It's been a bit since my last #amazingnature post, but I did stop at my favorite Mississippi River backwaters spot last week after buying some fest beer, and found a new flower in bloom. This purple flower is known as Crown Vetch, or Securigera varia.  At first, I thought perhaps I had found yet another native wildflower of this region, but after thumbing through my *Common Backyard Weeds of the Upper Midwest* book, it turns out I was wrong. The Crown Vetch is actually another noxious weed found in the area.  <br>  Generally described as a vine-like plant with an upright flower, this plant originated in Eastern Europe and the Caucus region of Asia. The plant is used for erosion control in the Upper Midwest region of the States, including good old Wisconsin. However, the plant is highly invasive and considered a weed by most nature experts; it is a rhizome-style plant, and removal is very difficult.  I noticed when I was taking the photos this past weekend of this plant along a sandy bank of the Mississippi, no bees or other pollinators were near it. There were a few New England Asters still in bloom, and the bees were all over them; nothing was really attracted to the patches of Crown Vetch in this unique area.  My book typically mentions the benefits of non-native/invasive weeds in this area; however, with the Crown Vetch, no benefits are listed. No mention of being an item of foraging interest, or of pollinator benefit...this place seems to really only be considered an invasive species that compete with other vegetation.  It wasn't quite the wildflower find I was hoping for, but it all adds up with the continued research to enjoy the outdoors. Winter is drawing nearer, so with some luck, I might be able to find a few more flowers in the coming weeks to share with the community. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look - thanks again!