Lyre Leaf Sage

LYRE-LEAF SAGE (Lyre Leaved Sage)

Salvia lyrata

Family: Mint (Labiacea)

Perennial

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SALY2

Lyre-leaf sage is a strictly upright, hairy perennial, 1-2 ft.
tall. Its pale-blue to violet, tubular flowers are arranged in whorls around the stem forming an interrupted, terminal spike.Whorls of 3-10 lavender to blue flowers surrounding a square stem in an interrupted, spike-like cluster. Large basal leaves are purple-tinged in the winter.
The exposed lower lip of salvias provides an excellent landing platform for bees. When a bee lands, the two stamens are tipped, and the insect is doused with pollen.

Possible medical uses:

http://www.hsl.unc.edu/Collections/MedicinalGarden/LyreSage.htm

Buckeye (Red)

(This is a recylce from last year. I may be a bit ahead of myself, but these are popping up along the road, in the shade if you peak real hard. All pics, May 4, 5 2008 Conway, AR

Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia), is a small deciduous tree or shrub native to the southern and eastern parts of the United States, found from Illinois to Virginia in the north and from Texas to Florida in the south.
It has a number of local names, such as scarlet buckeye, woolly buckeye and firecracker plant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesculus_pavia