Alabama pinkroot, Spigelia alabamensis

Seeing Alabama pinkroot is like finding the holy grail when you didn't know there was a holy grail. One can almost see it being lost in the mists of time. This is a great rarity, growing in a small number of spots in one county in Alabama. It only grows in areas of exposed dolomitic limestone. As rare as it is, fully open flowers seem to be more rare. This one is in a garden near here, with an amazingly helpful gardener. He kept me posted on the stages on blooming, but we never saw completely open flowers. If you catch Alabama at just the right moment these inch-and-a-half beauties are even more dazzling. In the background you see one of the typically brown buds that add an interesting accent. These plants were originally thought to be a variety of another slightly less rare pinkroot, S. gentianoides. Cultivated, Washtenaw Co MI, 7/14/22. Logania family, Loganiaceae.