IN THE FIELD: I’m Late I’m Late
Earlier last week I noticed some wildflowers growing in a roadside field I hadn’t noticed before. I didn’t have time to stop and get a few photos, but I made a mental note to return to the spot a few days later when I had more time.
I headed back to the field on Thursday morning, and as much as I wanted to run the A/C in the Jeep, I drove with the windows down. I had the camera and the lens of choice on the seat next to me outside of the camera bag. This was to allow everything to acclimate to the sunny, hot, humid, jungle like conditions we are experiencing this summer.
It was around 9:30 in the morning when I arrived at the field, and to my dismay, someone had mowed the majority of the field. Nothing was left, except for a few plants that somehow made it through the wrath of the mower. I’m not sure why the field was mowed since it’s been vacant for years and there were no “For Sale” or “Sold” signs nearby.
I don’t know what kind of plant this is, but I’m glad I was able to get a few shots of these neat looking seed pods which were about three to four inches long. I positioned myself so the sunlight was behind and off to the right of the seed pod to add some highlights. For this photo, the settings used were, white balance set to cloudy to add a bit of warmth, ISO 100, f3.2 @ 1/1250th of a second, and my lens of choice was the 35mm.
David Heilman 
And a lovely resultant photo to share with us … thank you…
I was determined to find something in that field. I found three others like the one pictured. Everything else was cut down to about ankle height. Glad you enjoyed!
I took some shots of these too last fall and STILL no clue as to what they are! Here today gone tomorrow happens a lot. Great capture.
Glad I’m not the only one! I’m hoping someone will let us know what it is. I’m kinda leading towards some kind of thistle maybe??
Great shot, David. I’m not sure, but that kind of looks like teasel.
Around here a lot of people mow their fields as a form of weed control. While it doesnt kill the weeds, it helps stop the spread if it is done before they seed out. We do it on our field and find the the grass will actually crowd out a lot of the weeds if they are kept short.
Thanks Ted, that’s probably why it was mowed…the field has been untouched for the six years we have lived here and I suppose they just want to keep it somewhat under control. I think you are correct…it does look like a teasel.
It is a teasel – dipsacus. I’ve featured them a few times on my blog including here: https://thelanternroom.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/balletic-teasel/
They are sometimes used in the textile industry.
Beautiful, so beautiful… Thank you dear David, love, nia
Thanks Nia, unfortunately I got there a few days late…there were only a few left. But I did get to enjoy the ones I did find. I never saw them in person before. I guess I have to get out more LOL.
Thank you Meanderer for confirming the ID. I remember your photos of the same plant and I was hoping you would catch this post because I honestly could not remember the name. In fact, your photos were the first teasels I had ever seen! I love the light in your capture of the teasel!!!
Beautiful capture, David! Loving the buttery-soft background. Glad you were able to photograph this one before it also disappears 🙂
Thanks Gracie,The background is actually part of the field that wasn’t mowed as short as the area where I took this shot. It was mostly tall grasses. I wish I had noticed them when they were blooming…although I do like the dried version. I’ll have to ad them to my list for next year.
Not kidding when photography is described as “capturing the moment”. Your title is a good “hook”-I immediately checked out the article to see what you had missed plus I got an education from all your knowledgeable readers about the ID and mowing fields… That side light sure captures the detail nicely, David.
Boy isn’t that the truth! And thank goodness for readers that are well versed in wildflower identifications! The early morning light was nice…later that day the temps reached 92.
I would have thought it was a teasel too, but I’m glad another reader confirmed it! You have captured the perfect pattern within the seed head – amazing.
I hate it when they mow wild flowers – so often we’ve seen orchids chopped up on the roadsides.
Thanks Jo, Wow you guys have wild orchids? Nice! I’m also glad for knowledgeable readers…I have a few others in my “unknown flower” folder I’ll have to post sometime.
Nice shot! This year, hot as it has been, they might be mowing to help alleviate the fire conditions in a field like that too.
Thanks Montucky, Ya know, I bet you are correct..duh didn’t even think of that. That field was pretty dry and if it caught fire it would spread in an instant! I think the field was part of an old farm that borders it…it’s been fallow for years.
Isn’t that just typical? Great shot, though, even if it wasn’t what you hoped for… Never seen the plant before, can’t be very common around here…
I must be on a permanently late schedule…it happens to me a lot. LOL This was the first time I ever saw one in person…they are really cool to touch…carefully!
Thought it was a teasel so glad others have confirmed that. Your photo shows fine detail as usual – beautiful – but prickly!
Thanks MB, I just think they are the coolest things and you are indeed correct…prickly!
Great shot, David. Excellent detail and I love the bokeh. 🙂
Thanks Bob, That little 35mm lens has been my go-to lens lately. Love that little thing!!!
Teasel! This grows wild and in large clusters (feeling like forests to me) all along the irrigation canals around the farm where I grew up. They were everywhere and I remember getting tangled in them many, many times when I had to walk along the banks, and with helping to irrigate the fields. Some people collected them for flower arrangements. Don’t get tangled in them…big ouch…owie..!!
Nice shot!
I can imagine what it must have been like getting tangled in a group of these…big owie!!! With as much time I spend outside, I don’t know where I’ve been all these years, this was the first time I ever saw them in person LOL
Beautiful shot, and I love the green in the background too! 🙂
Thanks Nandini, the green is from some distant trees and tall grass that wasn’t mowed. I went by there yesterday and there are still a few teasels by the edge of the mowed area.
Lovely shot, David. I feel I ought to know the name of the plant, but it escapes me at the moment. If I remember, I’ll let you know 🙂
From what all the readers say…it’s a teasel. I never noticed them before and now I’m seeing them everywhere! Go figure. I’ll have to stop and pick a few and put them in a dried flower arrangement we have.
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