Wood Betony is one of the earliest of the colorful Southern Ohio prairie bloomers. The pink and red of the blooms can be seen for quite a distance. Look for it in prairie openings, especially along a woodland edge. 
From above, you can see a lovely pin-wheel pattern. 
This is a perennial plant that spreads by way of rhizomes. It can sometimes form large patches. 
Photos taken on April 25, 2010 in Adams County, Ohio.
Where I live in northern NY, Wood Betony is yellow, not pink. Is this a different species, or just one of the colors it comes in? I know of only two patches in Saratoga County, so I don't have many to compare.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jackie. The literature describes the color as ranging from yellow to purple. I've never run into any plants from the yellow end of the scale. I wonder if the color patterns could be distributed regionally. In any case, enjoy your yellows. I'm glad I could show you another color variation.
ReplyDeleteCame across some Wood Betony while hiking a wet flatwoods in Jennings Co., Indiana and the blooms were almost entirely yellow as well. I've only ever seen the predominately red colored ones back home in Ohio.
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