To my good fortune, I had Frostweed in my yard when I moved here.  As I removed shading invasives, my Frostweed self-propogaed.  The more I began to learn about the plant, the more I began to like it. It is  would dig it up and stick it in a hole in other areas of the yard.  To my surprise, it grew!

    There is so much to like about this plant.  During the Spring and Summer, when other wildflowers are blooming, Frostweed is growing.  It is a pleasant green background to the color of early bloomers.  Frostweed can make it through tough droughts.  The stems are thick and resistant. 

    In the Fall, when other flowers are beginning to falter, the Frostweed blooms big.  The flowers are tall - up to 6 feet in some cases.  The flowers attract all sorts of butterflies and insects. The blooms last many weeks. 

    When the plant finally sucumes to the Fall season, the Frostweed continues to give.  When the other plants in the yard are still on a cold Winter morning, the Frostweed turns its last trick.  And, what a great trick it is. The water stored deep in those tough, thick stems, when frozen, oozes out in delicate ribbons of ice.  Normal photos do not do the Frostweed justice.  On macro lens, the delicate ice can be seen in abit better detail. Seeing the plant in person though, on the first morning freeze, is a worthy reward for getting bundled up at below 0° C.

    On the Wildflower Center’s website, they say, “Leaves dried and used as tobacco by some indigenous peoples.”  I am excited to say that I will dry some leaves and let anyone smoke the leaves to let me know how they “taste”.

    I am going to dig some up in early Spring to plant around again.  I have dead headed the plants flowers to spread them to other areas also.  The “proper” way to harvest the seeds it to harvest the seed heads in the Fall.  The seeds need to be removed and cleaned, then stored.  After the last frost, they could be planted.  I will probably try the seed harvest, clean, and store method Fall of 2010.  Still, I know where I tilled the soil and threw the seed heads last Fall and I will be watching to see if the dead heading works too.