Josef Beery
Josef Beery
This brilliant scarlet flower is Fire Pink, Silene virginica. Although reportedly uncommon, I came across a small patch along a rural road outside of town. This year when I stopped to take a photo, I found that it is actually a large colony of well-established plants. This flower, related to the carnation, has a stem covered with sticky hairs. This attribute has earned it the name “catchfly.” It is a favorite of the ruby-throated hummingbird. To catch one sipping nectar from this miniature rubine goblet would certainly be a treat!