Virginia meadow beauty (Rhexia virginica) is a small perennial wildflower, typically found in areas of sandy acidic soil or in low wet meadows. I often find them around the edges of cranberry bogs (active or abandoned). The plants pictured here were seen blooming at the edges of the restored wetlands where the cranberry bogs once were along the Childs River in Falmouth. 

The hot pink to magenta colored flowers always seem so fragile to me. I often have a hard time finding one that’s intact, as many seem to be “damaged”, folded or missing one of more petals. When intact, Virginia meadow beauty has four broad petals arranged to make an approximately 1-inch diameter flower. The petals ring a set of eight bright yellow stamens with conspicuous and uniquely curved anthers and a single long curving pistil in the center. On Cape Cod, the peak bloom period for this plant runs from mid-July through August. 

Due to Virginia meadow beauty’s unique and persistent seed pods, however, the plant is easily recognizable throughout much of the year. The book Vanishing Heritage: Wildflowers of Cape Cod mentions that Henry David Thoreau described the urn-shaped seed pods as “perfect little cream pitchers”. Up close, the capsules become even more interesting – what seemed like small simple hairs turn out to be little club-ended bristles. I didn’t find any reference to these structures or their purpose. I’d welcome any thoughts and theories from others.