The Life of a Cosmos: A Photo Essay

Cosmos, a flowering perennial, native to the Southern United States and south to Mexico, Central America and northern Paraguay.

The delicate bud covered in a thin cellophane membrane with the unfurled petals hinting at the color of this Cosmos.

The deep pink petals have pushed through and slowly . . .

 . . .begin to unfurl. The cellophane membrane now looks small compared to the size of the emerging petals.

The ephemeral petals surround the center awaiting the pollinators to partake of the nectar and spread the pollen assuring a future for this beguiling wildflower.

Its job  complete, the flower begins to decay to return to the Earth and with it its seeds. 

Come the spring, the cycle will repeat itself as it has for eons under the bright sun and warm days.