Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Wildflower of the Week

Indian Blanket - Gallardia pulchella.

This is my favorite legend yet.

There was a master weaver in a tribe of Plains Comanche. Everyone in the tribe had one of his creations and it was always a prized possession. He made blankets, robes, and mats.

The weaver realized his time on Earth was drawing to a close. As his last piece of work he began his death blanket. He gathered all the plants for dye and the wool to create his masterpiece. Several months later he completed the blanket. That evening, the weaver died in his sleep.

With great respect, the tribe placed the weaver on the burial platform wrapped in the blanket. When the Great Spirit came to take the weaver to heaven, he was amazed by the beauty of the blanket and the respect of the tribe for the weaver. As a gift to the people, the Great Spirit sends flowers in the colors of the beautiful blanket each spring.

Find this and more at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center website.
Again, if you have a wildflower post or link. Leave me a message and I will link you. If no one plays, I will go out in the blogosphere and lurk until I find something. Don't make me lurk.
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7 comments:

  1. Great story, Debbi! And such a delightful wildflower, too. Surely on everybody's list of faves!

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  2. HI ofb, thanks. I liked that legend a lot. We have these beauties all over the place right now.

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  3. I love blanket flowers. That is such a nice story. I never heard it before. I don't usually post on wildflowers. Gail at Clay and Limestone does so you might check her out.

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  4. Hey, that's my favorite wildflower. How'd you know?

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  6. Hello sister, cuz I know you for ever. You would pick the best story and the pretty flower.

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