Gaillardia pulchella,  Indian Blanket

According to an ancient Aztec legend, the Indian blanket was once pure yellow before the coming of Hernán Cortés, but the center became stained red with the spilled blood of the Native Americans he conquered.

This photo was a Semi-Finalist in the 2008 Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly milkweed

Unlike other milkweeds, butterfly-weed sap is not milky, but like its relatives, it contains cardiac glycosides that are toxic because of their action on heart and uterine muscles.

Berlandiera lyrata, Chocolate Daisy

Get up early to enjoy the chocolate aroma of this daisy on your morning walk! Native Americans used chocolate daisies to season food, especially meat dishes.

This photo was a Semi-Finalist in the 2008 Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Xanthium strumarium, Cocklebur

The seedpods of cocklebur contain two seeds that germinate in successive years, due to a toxic glycoside that inhibits germination and maintains dormancy in one of the pair of seeds. This toxin may cause death from hyperglycemia (excess blood sugar) if livestock consume cocklebur seeds or seedlings.

Lupinus texensis, Texas Bluebonnet  

Each new flower has a white spot that turns red after it has been pollinated.

The Navajo people believed that lupines were a cure for sterility and would help a man produce female children.

Tradescantia hirsutiflora, Hairy Spiderwort 

The spiderwort was among a number of New World species that the royal gardener, John Tradescant, introduced to England in the 1600s, and it is still a common plant in many British gardens today.

Echinacea angustifolia, Purple Coneflower 

Echinacea’s pharmaceutical properties have given it an important position in the dietary supplement industry in the United States and Europe because of its anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating properties.

Mentzelia decapetala, Tenpetal Blazingstar  

Native Americans roasted and powdered the seeds to sprinkle on the skin eruptions caused by smallpox to keep the sores from becoming scarred and pitted.