#thimbleweed

thimbirds pacific swift, eurasian wryneck, japanese pygmy woodpecker, red-capped plover

Anemone virginiana / Tall Thimbleweed at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC

@oliviarosaline

I made my favorite obscure games into aeathetic boards 😊

Anemone nemorosa has many names, including thimbleweed, windflower, wood crowfoot, and wood anemone. They are said to be called ‘anemone’ because of their relation to the Greek gods of the wind, the Anemoi. The flowers first appear in early spring, recognizable by their lack of nectar and the darker coloring on the underside of their petals. Despite being favorites of pollinators, windflowers, like all members of the buttercup family, are poisonous and are not to be harvested by the inexperienced. They are known throughout the world for their illusionary beauty, appearing in myth, folklore, and legend. Historically, drops of a tincture made from above-ground materials—the leaves and petals—was used to help with fever, headaches, congestion, and, most commonly, anxiety, as the burning sensation of the toxin can bring clarity and distraction from one’s ailments. Drying the leaves and petals before making a tincture reduces the amount of protoamenonins (the toxic factor), making it safer yet less intense. In Roman tradition, a chain around your neck is said to help with sickness.

Day 20: Thimbleweed