Ipomoea purpurea 'Crimson Rambler': flowers

Ipomoea purpurea, known in English as morning glory and in French as gloire du matin or ipomoée pourpre is an annual vine native to Mexico and Central America. It bears numerous showy trumpet-shaped flowers, about 10 cm across, in purple, pink, or white.

This is another one of those misleadingly labelled cultivars. To me this is not crimson, it is fuchsia. It's still pretty, but it would be easier to plan the garden if people didn't give plants misleading names and descriptions.

Acalypha rhomboidea: flowers

Acalypha rhomboidea, known in English as common three seed mercury and in French as ricinelle rhomboïde is an annual native to much of eastern and central North America, with spikes of green flowers interspersed with leaves.

These plants volunteered in the garden, and when I found out they were a native plant I couldn't bear to pull them out, even if they aren't conventionally showy. I think they look kind of cool, actually.

Amaranthus cruentus: flower

Amaranthus cruentus, known in English as "red amaranth", "purple amaranth", and "Mexican grain amaranth", and in French as amarante rouge, is an annual native to Central America. Although they are a source of nutritious grain, they are also often grown as ornamentals, rapidly growing to two metres or more with large, showy dark red flowerheads.

The ancestor of this plant volunteered in the backyard a few years ago. It was maybe three metres tall, with dark purple leaves. It self-seeded all over the place; unfortunately, many of the grandchildren have green rather than purple foliage and some even had boring green flowers.

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Purity': flower

Cosmos bipinnatus, known in English and French by the genus name, is an annual native to Mexico and the southwestern United states. Blooms may be in different shades of pink; plain white; picotée or with a darker ring around the yellow centre disk.

I got the seeds for this cultivar, 'Purity' (an heirloom variety), from Urban Harvest, a great Toronto source for organic seeds, plants, and amendments.

Solidago canadensis: flowers

Solidago canadensis, known in English as Canada goldenrod and in French as verge d'or du Canada, is a perennial native to most of North America. Its bright yellow/gold plumes of tiny flowers are a familiar sight in late summer and early autumn.

This is a clump of volunteers in the garden. Polinators love them!

Physostegia virginiana: flowers

Physostegia virginiana, known in English as obedient plant and in French as physostegia or physostégie, is a perennial native to much of eastern and central North America. It has spires of pink blossoms with a unique property: each flower is attached by a kind of hinge, and if you push it into a new position it will stay there (hence the English common name).

I photographed this lovely clump at Earl Beatty Public School.

Oxalis stricta: flowers

Oxalis species, known as wood sorrel in English or oxalide in French, are a group of small flowering plants with three-part leaves that may be confused with clover; however the flowers are quite different than clover, being single with five petals. There are a number of species of Oxalis with yellow flowers, and I'm not sure which one this is, but it volunteered all over the garden so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt and assuming it's the native Oxalis stricta species.