At the end of summer a few varieties of flowering plants are prolific, but in the lake and on the shoreline where soils are wet, there is often more variety.   While paddling Walloper Lake I found that bur-reed (Sparganium fluctuans) was still blooming in shallow bays.   It has floating stems and floating, ribbon-like leaves.   The ball-like heads have tiny green flowers.   Waterfowl, marsh birds, and muskrats feed on them.

Near the boat launch were several land-based flowering plants like oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare).  It is listed as an invasive species in Canada.

Asters (Symphyotrichum subspicatum?) seem to grow in all areas and have many subspecies, flowering over a long season.   It is always a welcome addition to the landscape.

Fireweed (Epilobeum augustifolium) continues to flourish even in the driest conditions.  We usually allow fireweed to flower in the perennial garden, but we pull out the seed heads and dispose of them to prevent a complete take-over.

Several thistles were flowering at this time of year.    A bumblebee was active on this one.

The purpose of A Wildflower Journal does not include being an authoritative source for botanists.    Posts do serve as snapshots in time and place, featuring the plants and life in selected natural areas, usually accessed by hiking, walking, paddling, and snowshoeing.   Photography is part of this experience and a sense of beauty and wonder are the prerequisites to enjoying both the outing and the follow-up post.