Star of Fire

photo by Jimmy Chuck Smith.

Star Of Fire

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly,

our whole life would change.”--Buddha.

Hello.

You’re probably not

used to conversing with your plants,

so this would be a good time to start.

I am one of your favorite flowers

but you don’t know much about me.

I am Astrantia,

often nicknamed

Masterwort,

Melancholy Gentleman,

and Hattie’s Pincushion.

You like me

because I’m a hardy perennial

that grows happily in moist soil

in the shade of trees. 

I’m considered floriferous and vigorous.

I adore all pollinators

and I attract butterflies.

We have been cultivated

in Britain and Central Europe

since the sixteenth century.

I have distant cousins

that grew in Shakespeare’s garden

near his cottage in Stratford.

I am among 8-9 species,

and my splendiferous blossoms

come in shades of pink, red and white.

I have been labeled Star of Fire

                                 Star of Beauty

                                 Star Of Africa

                                 Star of Love &

                                 Star of Claret.

I blossom in late summer

on tall wiry stems, with

rounded buttonhead flowers

and star-shaped colorful bracts.

I sport aromatic roots,

mine have a ginger odor,

and palmate leaves.

My dried stems and leaves

are used for herbal medicine.

You have a fondness for pink flora,

so not surprisingly, that’s my hue.

Hot dry summers make me wilt,

but a wet Fall perks me right up.

Wisely, you’ve planted me

near a small stream,

and in the shade of your elms.

So now, when you pass me,

or fuss with me, give me a wink

and a smile. I have spoken up first,

so don’t be afraid to stop by

and have conversations with me.

Believe me, it can get lonely

with taciturn gardeners.

Glenn Buttkus

Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub