orange hawkweed, Hieracium aurantiacum

Orange hawkweed isn't a fall flower, but it sure does have those fall colors. But it's an alien! Why is it popping up here? The volunteers at Ives Preserve don't spend their time nurturing the invaders. Places like the Lady Bird Johnson National Wildflower Center don't include them on their website, and not intentionally in their gardens. But. All the manuals and guides do include aliens. Because the natural world does. If we enthusiasts see one we don't know, it better be in the wildflower guides, or we will go looking for a better book. Same for the websites. So here we overcome that niggling feeling that they shouldn't be here, and enjoy their colors. Orange hawkweed brings its extra splash of color to AK, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY, AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK, and SPM. Lenawee Co MI, 6/15/11.