![cup plant flowers](http://cwf-fcf.org/assets/images/conservation/blog/cwf-garden---august-3-2012/cup-plant-flowers-300px.jpg)
These cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) flowers are the latest addition to the blooms in CWF’s Wildlife-friendly Demonstration Garden, giving our local bee population some much needed nectar and pollen.
It is a tall plant that can reach several feet high and might need some support, with bamboo stakes or jute string, both of which blend in fairly well. It has a square stem with leaves that enfold it to the point of forming a cup which catches rain water. It can be a great way for birds and beneficial insects to drink as well as small birds such as hummingbirds to bathe. The photo below, from a previous year, illustrates this point.
![cup plant leaves](http://cwf-fcf.org/assets/images/conservation/blog/cwf-garden---august-3-2012/cup-plant-leaves-silphium-perfoliatum-300px.jpg)
At home I’m still hearing the crickets and grasshoppers – a summer sound I delight in. I hope you are enjoying the sights and sounds in your green spaces, whatever they may be!