A bright, daisy-like, golden yellow tickseed flower peeks from the tan autumn grasses. Its long green stem has almost no leaves. The single row of outer ray flower petals have a raggedy edge. The inner flowers are opening to show their pistils and pollen loaded anthers. These flowers will turn into a brown, hard seed that apparently to some people look like ticks. Tickseed theoretically is not native to Washington, but it is so pervasive in prairie flower seed mixes and gardens that its march across the Great Plains into the PNW flora is inevitable.

Tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata), also known as sand coreopsis, lanceleaf coreopsis and lanceleaf tickseed isn't native to the PNW, but still is a bright spot in the restored prairie at Maple Leaf Park.
#BloomScrolling #Photography #MapleLeafPark #SeattleWashington ##SeattleAutumn #FloraOfThePNW