Season of Seedheads
As the days get shorter, flowers become scarcer and the garden fills with seedheads.
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa).
Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia fistulosa).
Fluffy Joe Pye Weeds (Eutrochium maculatum).
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum).
Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) pods.
Open seed pod of Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incanata), with the seeds ready to parachute out into the wide world.
gardeninacity 
The seedheads are as beautiful and artistic as the flowers. Milkweed is always a favorite.
I agree.
The seedheads are my favorite part of autumn and winter gardening. I like them almost as much as the blooms. Very nice photos.
I still like the flowers best, but I know what you mean.
I’m with Lavinia and Molly. I used to dead everything, but since reading your blog, Jason, I know leave the garden until spring and thus get plenty of seedheads.
Excellent! Another convert!
Love these seed heads….great pictures.
Thanks!
I do love the seedheads. For one thing, they last in a vase a whole lot longer than blossoms, just as the grasses do. My favorites are the basket-flower, although I’m fond of rattlesnake master, too.
Tends to be a little too much moisture around here for Basket Flower (Gaillardia, right?). There’s lots of Rattlesnake Master at the Lurie, though I don’t grow it.
Lots of seeds here too. Our wintering Mockingbird is now in the garden too. I always wonder where he/she comes from. There was quite a tussle with him chasing away an intruder. The berries here are either ripe or ripening. Even though temperatures are still running in the 80’s I can tell that Autumn is here.
It’s been very warm here too for this week. Supposed to turn much cooler tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.
You’re reminded me to see if I can find some swamp milkweed seeds. I’d like to plant some by a pond near here.
I have no idea about the laws in your state, but make sure you check them before you plant “by a pond near here!” I mean, even swamp milkweed is considered “noxious” in some states and not allowed. It can be invasive. Swamp milkweed isn’t a native in my state, but it’s allowed, although they’d rather we plant native species.
Good luck!
Since swamp milkweed is a native plant it is not on the invasive species list for New Hampshire and since I’ve seen it in only 4 places in over 60 years of looking for plants I doubt there is any danger of it taking over.
Hope you find some!
I only have milkweed pods so far. The others are still flowering, and I’m deadheading until there are just a few left. Blanket flower has my favorite seedheads. The downtown area has some in sidewalk planting areas. They don’t deadhead and they get new plants in September to bring flowers all over again!
Not quite dry enough around here for Blanket Flower, in my experience. It has great color, though.
It has taken me a while to work out that I don’t need to deadhead so much … Thanks to your blog.. 😀
Glad to be of help.
Seedheads are often just as wonderful as the flowers themselves!
Well … let’s not get carried away.
I often collect seeds, Jason. I think my own seed is better than on a sale, and I’m sure they will germinate. Favorite photos, especially the second. Do you collect seeds?
No, but I want to start.
In our mild climate, where there is always something that ‘can’ bloom, seedheads are way uncool. Even the Sedum spectabile is supposed to be cut down. I left my sunflowers out for finches, only to get them all mown down by the neighbor’s ‘gardener’ who should have stayed on the other side of the driveway. Fortunately, I did not collect seed from anything in the garden in town. At the farm, cosmos tosses seed everywhere, and we are fine with that, even if the seedheads are nothing to look at.
You know, the coneflowers at work did not get deadheaded like they were supposed to, and for a brief while, there were finches all over them. Were there seed in there or were the finches just checking?
Yes, there were seeds in (on) there, at least until the finches have finished them off.
Great shot! I like this season of seedheads–it’s a muted, different beauty, but so valuable for wildlife.
True about the wildlife, and this time of year is more restful.
Oh….seed heads! What’s not to like? All those free plants!xxx
Exactly!