Mother’s Day Bouquet (Living Flowers)

Some flowers for my mother, who passed a decade ago, and all the other mothers out there. Paulownia tormentosa is in bloom. Rich, heady perfume. Look to your empty lots, backyards, and canal bridges.Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) is another escapee from the reservation. A native of Europe, this Lily family member has basal leaves that are very grasslike and have a pale midrib. Invasive, and all over Prospect Park now. The flowers of the Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) are often way up high, since this is one of the tallest trees on the East Coast, and the species tends to shoot straight up, racing for the sun. Elizabeth’s Tuliptree overlooking Nelly’s Lawn in Prospect Park has a branch that dips low, but not too low. So you’re most likely to see these blossoms on the ground. Smell them. They are subtle but delicious. As a bonus, they may be crawling with ants.