Roadside Rebel
As stubborn as it is handsome, wild tansy refuses to be hemmed in. Maine's gardeners forgive the rude manners and pledge eternal devotion.
By Rebecca Sawyer-Fay, Photography by Peggy McKenna
Maine's highways and byways come alive in late summer with wildflowers in tawny golds, mellow pinks, and rich purples. Along Route 26 near Bethel, for example, locals and visitors alike marvel at broad swaths of petite, bright-yellow flowers that light up the roadside for miles. The plant they can't help but ogle is tansy, an herb with a colorful past. Like an official greeter hired to welcome the last crush of summer tourists, it stands tall (about three and a half feet) and spreads its strong arms wide (up to eighteen inches across).
