American Star Thistle or American Basket Flower

The name basket flower refers to the portion of the flower just beneath the flower head.  This is a tall plant similar to the Texas Thistle only lacking the prickly parts. These flowers are a magnet for butterflies. The fully developed flower reaches 4 inches in diameter. This is a picture of a budding flower.

This wildflower is one the wild mints. It’s easy to grow, but prefers hot dry conditions. It has a  lemon scent and lavender flowers, butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to it. A plants square stem can help identify it as a member of the mint family. This plant is also known as Purple Horse Mint.

Called Self-Heal or Heal-All this plant is a member of the mint family. It is native to Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. It is reported to have medicinal properties and parts of the plant are edible. The Self Heal plant has been used in alternative medicine for centuries.