a closer look at summer wildflowers, with carol gracie

THE BELOVED WILDFLOWERS of springtime—the trilliums, mayapples, Virginia bluebells—are probably gone till next year, but don’t despair. Here comes the next cast of players, the wildflowers of summer. The acclaimed naturalist Carol Gracie looks beyond their surface beauty in her new book on the subject, into their life histories and even cultural uses of plants like cardinal flower, lupine, milkweed, asters, goldenrods, and more.

Carol Gracie, a former longtime educator at the New York Botanical Garden who also worked for The Nature Conservancy, has followed her own intense curiosity to become a leading expert on wildflowers. Now her second book, “Summer Wildflowers of the Northeast: a Natural History” from Princeton University Press (Amazon affiliate link), forms the companion to her earlier spring volume.

We talked together about all the insects–not just monarchs–who use the milkweed plant in some way (and what they have in common); about a flowering plant with no chlorophyll at all; and even how experts have trouble keeping track of all the asters and goldenrods.

Plus: Enter to win a copy of her book by commenting in the box at the very bottom of the page.

Read along as you listen to the June 9, 2020 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

summer wildflowers, with carol gracie

Margaret: So I want to start with the same question I asked you when we spoke, I don’t know, a few years back upon the publication of your book, “Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast.” The subhead on the cover of the new book, the summer book, as on the old one, says “A Natural History,” and I’d

flowers plants gardening seeds Summer New York state Virginia county Garden