Both knapweed and daisy fleabane are members of the aster family. I saw these flowers growing in an empty lot. They’re invasive and crowd out native plants but in their defensive, pollinators like them and they’re very attractive.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY
STOPS ALONG THE WAY
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August 15, 2026 at 5:29 am
Black knapweed is a prized native here, a key component of our endangered lowland grasslands! It’s strange how some species can become threatened in their native range and yet settle in as exotics / invasives elsewhere. The UK now has a thriving population of introduced Chinese water deer, for example, which are also not doing well in their own range.
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August 15, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Not sure how knapweed got here, perhaps early immigrants brought it with them or it was inadvertently shipped. A shame about the deer.
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August 14, 2026 at 6:02 pm
Pretty weeds. Who says they have to be weeds, anyway?
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August 15, 2026 at 9:10 am
Not me 😊
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August 14, 2026 at 4:04 pm
Nice photos of them, Belinda. 😊 I agree that they are attractive and a good food source for the bees.
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August 14, 2026 at 5:09 pm
Thank you, Lynette. The bees love them 😊.
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August 14, 2026 at 3:37 pm
The knapweed are pretty, but I guess they can take over. Luckily, my area seems to have only the native fleabane. 👍🏼
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August 14, 2026 at 5:07 pm
I double checked, happily, our fleabane is native too!
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August 14, 2026 at 5:17 pm
And pollinators love it! 👏🏼👏🏼
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August 14, 2026 at 3:19 pm
Very attractive. ☺️
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August 14, 2026 at 5:03 pm
Thanks, John 😊
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August 14, 2026 at 5:10 pm
you’re welcome Belinda.
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