As far as fields go, you can’t do much better than a wildflower patch. In this case, Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are the featured attraction. Iowa is known for it’s crop production…the ever common corn and soybeans, top the list. But every now and then you find a field that’s been left alone for a time, or maybe not touched through time at all, and the wildflowers bloom.
In the case of the Black-eyed Susan, this flower provides nectar loving bees, butterflies, and insects a good source of nourishment and birds enjoy the ripe seeds. Native Americans used the root of the plant for making a medicinal tea…which was said to be good from everything from colds to snake bites.
It sounds like this beauty has more benefits than just its good looks.
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