This gorgeous cluster of ironweed blossoms was photographed at the Flint Creek Meadow in Hartselle, Alabama - North Alabama's first public grassland remnant. If you would like to enjoy this public meadow, look for it along Highway 31 near the boat ramp. Ironweed is a late summer, early fall wildflower that meets the nectar needs of many pollinators late in the season before the cold weather sets in. Named for its rigid, iron-like stems, this plant has special meaning to me, as some regard it as a symbol of grit or overcoming adversity. It is my own version of a steel magnolia.