Wildflowers in Kansas

It never occured to me while I was creating my Common Wildflowers of Northern New Mexico guide that Kansas also has beautiful wildflowers. But when a friend, Lisa Callahan, sent me some information about the Wildflowers of the Flint Hills tour, I had to go. I even gave up my Music Theater tickets so Don and I could attend. We took my booklet, just to see how many flowers were the same, and we headed out. We discovered that although there were a few flowers that were the same, most were different.



Now I was a little nervous because I hate chiggers and ticks. That's one reason why I love the New Mexico mountains so much . . . we don't have chiggers, and the ticks are gone by July 4. But in Kansas, they are prevalent the whole time. Diana and I had a plan, however. We wore our Wellies - hers are plaid and mine are purple (imagine that!) - and Don wore his cowboy boots. Then we sprayed insect repellant on them and hoped they would work. Yes, Di and I looked a little silly in our rain boots, but we came home tick and chigger free!




Anyway, back to the tour. A group of about 200 Wildflower enthusiasts gathered in a hay field to learn about indigo, fleabane, yarrow, and many others. Interestingly, fleabane, which is in my guide, was used by the pioneers to rid bedding of fleas. When I asked if it worked, the guide didn't know - but it is a good story. I wish I had known it before I printed my publication! The yarrow is also the same as the one in my guide . . . but those are about the only two other than sweet yellow clover!




Then we headed toward Matfield Green where we went to a grazing pasture. The merits of ranching were extolled, and we were allowed to roam the area looking for different species. Probably the one that most intrigued me, and that eluded a close-up picture, is indigo. As a little girl, I used to dye my own wool, and I have always wanted to try indigo. But I didn't know how to get ahold of it. Now I know what it is and where it grows, so some day, I will be cooking some "witches brew" (that's what my dad always called it!) to see if I can get a blue wool out of it!


At the last stop, we were in the heart of the flint hills - nothing but green grass, lakes, and hills. This area of Kansas is some of the most beautiful, and the sunset added to its beauty. Enjoy some of the pictures Diana took!