May 18: Purple Columbine and False Dandelion

I found this flower by accident a week ago when pursuing swans and getting stuck in the mud. Last Sunday my family went fishing on the west side of town and I noticed a pair of swans on the far side of the lake. Wanting to get a closer look, I drove my truck down a nearby dirt road that I thought went around the lake...but it was a muddy dead end. The front tires sunk 6 inches into the mud and there was no getting out. On the walk back to my family I noticed this beautiful Purple Columbine. Thank you to Mary of Wild Ones Red Cedar Chapter for identifying it for me!

Purple Columbine

Here's a closeup of one of the blossoms.

Purple Columbine blossom

I find this flower quite spectacular -- the most impressive I've seen yet! You can eat Columbine flowers (though I certainly wouldn't waste these by eating them!) but the leaves and root are very poisonous.

According to alchemy-works.com, this plant was thought by Native Americans to be useful in love potions and for the power of persuasion. Bachelors would crush the dried seeds on their hands or belongings to transfer the fragrance in order to attract women. They called it the "black perfume plant." Omaha men would rub it on their hands and then try to shake hands with a woman they liked to magically attract them -- and women would kiddingly feign a fear of the plant for this reason.  The love connection was not limited to Native Americans. "Columbine" means "dove," which was recognized as the symbol of Venus or Aphrodite.

Down the same dirt I found a much humbler plant, the False Dandelion, or Flatweed.

False Dandelion

According to the Veterinary News website, this plant is toxic to livestock, including horses. However, there are quite a few websites that advertise their edible qualities for humans. Here's a set of pages devoted to cooking with dandelions. Apparently the False Dandelion has the same edibility qualities as regular dandelions. However, if you're going to eat dandelions, the site stresses that you don't eat any that might have had chemicals applied to them!