Silphie Flower Field Near Ottmarsbocholt

Shortly after Ottmarsbocholt I came across this surprising splendor in yellow! Silphium apparently grows wild in the northeast of the USA and eastern Canada and is increasingly being planted here as a crop and in gardens. It blooms from July to September, so this highlight is only for a limited time. "The perennial Silphium was introduced into agriculture not so long ago as an energy crop. After testing, it turned out to be extremely valuable because, as a perennial, it produces a lot of biomass every year, which can be used as a source of biogas. Thanks to high harvest yields, it has become a sustainable alternative to growing energy corn. It is also interesting for field cultivation as a fodder plant, bee forage plant or raw material supplier for paper production. From there, this robust and pretty perennial managed to find its way into our home gardens." (mein-schoener-garten.de/pflanzen/silphien/durchwachsene-silphie)