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Looking for Wildflowers for a specific state? Check here:
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My favorite wildflower ID book:
Wildflowers Of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians
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| Genus Name |
Scientific Name |
Common name | Comment | |
| Adam and Eve | Aplectrum hyemale*
(Native) | Puttyroot Orchid, Adam and Eve | This orchid is easy to miss due to its small flowers which may blend into the background, and the fact that its leaves have withered by the time it blooms.
Connecticut: Special Concern
Massachusetts: Endangered
New Jersey: Endangered
New York: Endangered
Pennsylvania: Rare
Vermont: Threatened
|  |
| Aster | Symphyotrichum pilosum*
(Native) | Hairy White Oldfield Aster, Frost Aster, White Heath Aster | A different species of Symphyotrichum, S. ericoides, has the national name of White Heath Aster, but this species is also referred to by that common name in some places. Many species formerly classified in the Aster genus have been reclassified into Symphyotrichum and other genera within the Asteraceae family. This one was previously classified as Aster pilosus. Many of these small white aster species are difficult to tell apart (I'm not absolutely certain on this one.) The primary differentiator for S. pilosum one is the hairy stem, which is referenced by the species name pilosum, from the Latin word for hair - pilus. |  |
| Aster | Symphyotrichum patens*
(Native) | Late Purple Aster, Spreading Aster | Formerly classified as Aster patens. There are three varieties of Symphyotrichum patens – gracile, patens, and patentissimum. Var patens is the only one found in the northeastern states, var patentissimum isn't found in the coastal states. Some authorities do not recognize var gracile. The species is possibly extirpated in Maine; it is officially listed as Threatened in New Hampshire.
It is with some trepidation that I step into the arena of identifying Symphyotricum species. There are many very similar species in this large genus (90 species in the genus.) But this plant was so beautiful I wanted to give it a shot, so with the help of my trusty copy of Wildflowers Of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians
and the Internet, I've given it a shot, and think this is likely Symphyotrichum patens - Late Purple Aster. It has too few ray flowers to be New England Aster. The pubescent purplish stem eliminates Smooth Aster. The entire leaves eliminate (in my mind) Purple-stemmed Aster. Since the leaves are not linear, this isn't Southern Prairie Aster. The leaves, in my opinion, encircle the stem too much for this to be Aromatic Aster (although I regret not crushing a leaf to check for an aroma.) |  |
| Balloonvine | Cardiospermum halicacabum*
(Introduced) | Balloon Vine, Love in a Puff, Heartseed | Introduced and spreading in the continental United States, Cardiospermum halicacabum is native to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The only balloonvine native to the continental United States is Cardiospermum dissectum, native to southern Texas.
This vine, which may grow to 10 feet long, climbing on fences and other plants via tendrils, may not survive winter in colder climates, but is considered a perennial in milder climates and be weedy and invasive in those areas. It is officially listed as a pest or noxious weed in Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Texas. |  |
| Balsamroot | Balsamorhiza sagittata*
(Native) | Arrowleaf Balsamroot | There are 14 species of Balsamroot found in the United States, all of them in the west. This one, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, is characterized and named by the elongated arrowhead shape of the leaf. While it is in bloom it can turn large patches of the dry montane landscapes yellow with its dominant presence. |  |
| Baneberry | Actaea pachypoda*
(Native) | White Baneberry | aka Doll's Eyes. Poisonous, especially the berries. The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA 04/04/2009 |  |
| Barberry | Xanthorhiza simplicissima*
(Native) | Shrub Yellowroot | Shrub yellowroot gets its name from the yellow interior of the roots and stem. The root contains berberine, from which it gets its yellow color, and probably is what has led to its use in traditional medicines. |  |
| Barberry | Mahonia repens*
(Native) | Creeping Oregon Grape, Creeping Barberry | The Berberis genus at one time contained all the barberries, but relatively recently those with pinnate leaves have been reclassified into the Mahonia genus. Further, many of what were previously classified as separate species have been consolidated, leaving what had been over 20 species and varieties of Berberis as 13 species or subspecies in the Mahonia genus in the United States.
This species, Mahonia repens is listed as Endangered in California under the synonym Mahonia sonnei. It is found in 19 states, most of them in the west, although there are populations in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. These eastern populations might have been established from seeds brought back from the west. Seeds were brought east as early as the Lewis and Clark expeditions in the early 19th century. |  |
| Beardtongue | Penstemon canescens
(Native) | Eastern Gray Beardtongue | Woodland perennial to 30 inches tall with pale purple to and white blossoms, with purple lines in the interior. |  |
| Beardtongue | Penstemon payettensis
(Native) | Payette Beardtongue, Payette Penstemon | One of the more showy and beautiful Penstemon species, Payette Beardtongue is found only in Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. Unlike some Beardtongues, in P. payettensis the flowers circle the stem, which grows up to 2 feet tall, rather than forming on only one side of the stem. |  |
| Beardtongue | Penstemon deustus*
(Native) | Hot-rock Penstemon, Scabland penstemon, Hot-rock Beardtongue | A plant found in 7 of our western states (CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY,) Hot-rock Penstemon is usually found in middle elevations in rocky soil, growing up to 2 feet tall. It is among the 249 species of Penstemon found in the United States. |  |
| Beautyberry | Callicarpa americana*
(Native) | American Beautyberry, French Mulberry | American Beautyberry is a well-named shrub growing usually to around 5 feet tall, sometimes taller, and 5 to 10 feet wide. The beauty of this plant, native to the southeastern United States, makes it an attractive addition to a native garden.
According to the USDA, the roots, leaves, and branches were used by native Americans medicinally for treatment of fevers, rheumatism, stomachaches, dysentery, and other conditions. |  |
| Beeblossom | Gaura filipes*
(Native) | Slenderstalk Beeblossom, Slender Gaura | This tall plant is found throughout much of the southeast and into parts of the midwest. |  |
| Beggarticks | Bidens aristosa*
(Native) | Bearded Beggarticks, Tickseed Sunflower, Bur Marigold | Beautiful multi-branched, multi-blossomed flower seen in late summer along roads and fields. The specimens presented here probably would have been classified as B. polylepis prior to a 1977 Arkansas study which determined the primary differentiator between the two "species" - the number of calyx lobes - was a factor of the size of the plant within a colony, with the larger plants having B. polylepis characteristics and the shorter plants having B. aristosa characteristics. Since B. aristosa was an older classification, most authorities have merged B. polylepis into B. aristosa. |  |
| Beggarticks | Bidens pilosa*
(Native) | Shepherd's Needles ,Spanish Needles, Romerillo, Common Beggar's-tick, Hairy Beggarticks, Cobbler's Pegs | Synonym: Bidens alba
Many authorities (and, frankly, most folks who are not authorities) continue to consider Bidens alba a separate species from Bidens pilosa, and the plants on this page would be B. alba under those circumstances. As of January, 2012 the USDA plants database continued to maintain the separation of species, but the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (along with the Flora of North Amertica) has adopted a more recent classification which rolls B. alba and B. odorata into B. pilosa. (I know that will be a disappointment to some.) The USDA map shown does not include Missouri (as of January 2012), since if the species are considered separate B. pilosa is not found in the state, but B. alba is found there. That map also shows the plant as non-native. Bidens alba is considered native to parts of the United States. If that plant is considered a separate species, then Bidens pilosa is a non-native species. If Bidens alba is rolled into Bidens pilosa, then Bidens pilosa will need to be considered a native species in those areas where Bidens alba was considered to be native. That logic may be difficult to follow, but that's why I indicate B. pilosa to be a native species while the USDA map shows it to be introduced.
On a December, 2011 trip to Florida Shepherd's Needles seemed to become the dominant flowering plant along the highways by the time we got as far south as Gainesville. It seemed to be everywhere, and is officially considered a weedy or invasive plant in Hawaii, where it is not native. It's also considered weedy and invasive in much of the rest of the tropical world, where it has spread as man's travel has spread. While the plant may (probably will!) spread where it is not wanted, it is reported to be a great attractor for butterflies.
Found in:
AL, AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, HI, KY, LA, MA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NM, OR, PA, SC, TX, WI |  |
| Bellflower | Campanula divaricata*
(Native) | Southern Harebell, Small Bonny Bellflower, Southern Bellflower, Southern Bluebell | Southern Harebell is a many-branched, somewhat weak-stemmed plant with many attractive, dangling, small, bell-shaped blue flowers. Primarily a species of the southeast, it is endangered or extirpated in Maryland. |  |
| Bellflower | Campanulastrum americanum*
(Native) | Tall Bellflower, American Bellflower | This species is perhaps more widely known as Campanula americana which would place it in the genus containing Southern Harebell (C. Divaricata) and Bluebell Bellflower (Campanula rotundifolia.) However, the Campanula species have distinctly bell-shaped flowers, which is not the case with Campanulastrum americanum, which has relatively flat flowers. That would have been one of the characteristics that resulted in creation of a new genus for American (aka Tall) Bellflower - Campanulastrum which has this single species in it.
The plant is found in most of the eastern half of the United States except for the New England states, New Jersey, and Delaware. |  |
| Bellwort | Uvularia grandiflora*
(Native) | Large-flowered Bellwort | This member of the lily family is one of the mid-spring wildflowers. It has lovely yellow flowers and attractive foliage. It is found throughout much of the eastern half of the United States, but is listed as an endangered species in Connecticut and New Hampshire. |  |
| Bellwort | Uvularia perfoliata*
(Native) | Perfoliate Bellwort, Merry Bells | Perfoliate Bellwort is one of two perfoliate - leaf-piercing stems - bellworts. The other is Large-flowered Bellwort, Uvularia grandiflora. Perfoliate Bellwort is a smaller plant, usually with smaller leaves and blossoms, in addition to usually being somewhat lower-growing. |  |
| Bellwort | Uvularia sessilifolia
(Native) | Sessileleaf Bellwort, Wild Oats | Early- to mid-spring smooth-stemmed wildflower of deciduous woodlands. |  |
| Bergamot, Beebalm | Monarda fistulosa*
(Native) | Wild Bergamot | The Bergamots are also known as Bee Balm. This species is lavender with a hairy upper lip on the blossom. |  |
| Bergamot, Beebalm | Monarda clinopodia*
(Native) | White Bergamot, Basil Bee Balm | White Bergamot can usually be found in many-flowered clusters of plants 18-36 inches tall in showy displays starting in late spring or early summer. Many authorities apply the name Basil Beebalm to M. clinopodia, but both the USDA Plants Database and ITIS database apply Basil Beebalm only to a separate species, M. clinopodioides, and only the name White Beebalm to M. clinopodia. The ranges of M. clinopodioides and M. clinopodia are contiguous, but do not overlap, according to the USDA Plants Database. |  |
| Bergamot, Beebalm | Monarda didyma*
(Native) | Crimson Bee Balm, Scarlet Bergamot, Scarlet Beebalm, Oswego Tea | There are 16 Beebalm (Monarda) species in the United States. All are native to the lower 48 states; Alaska and Hawaii are the only states without a Monarda species. Texas is the most favored state by Monarda; 12 of the species are found in that state, 4 of them being found exclusively in Texas.
Monarda didyma, Scarlet Beebalm, is one of the more widely distributed species, being found in most of the northeast quadrant of the United States, including several states west of the Mississippi River, and south to Georgia. |  |
| Bittercress | Cardamine concatenata*
(Native) | Cutleaf Toothwort | syn. Cardamine laciniata, Dentaria laciniata, Dentaria concatenata
Cutleaf Toothwort is one of the early spring wildflowers, blooming March through May. |  |
| Bittercress | Cardamine dissecta*
(Native) | Forkleaf Toothwort, Thread Leafed Toothwort, Fineleaf Toothwort | Forkleaf Toothwort gets the Forkleaf name because its leaves divide - fork - many times into narrow, untoothed segments. The narrow leaves give it the other common names listed. According to the Wildflower Center, the toothwort common name refers to the tooth-like projections on the underground stems. |  |
| Bittercress | Cardamine angustata
(Native) | Slender Toothwort | Toothworts have previously been classified in the Dentaria genus, but recently, presumably based on DNA testing, have been moved en masse into the Cardamine – bittercress – genus. Many publications still list the plants in Dentaria.
C. agustata - Slender Toothwort – has long-stemmed basal leaves which are broader and more ovate than their single pair of opposing, 3-part stem leaves. The basal leaves are veined (but not as prominently as in C. diphylla) and are toothed. The stem leaves of C. angustata may be toothed or entire. Heterophylla, the species epithet used when this plant was classified in Dentaria, means "different leaves" – either referring to the difference between the stem and basal leaves, or with differences in the appearance of particularly the stem leaves on different plants within the species.
The plant is typically 8 to 16 inches tall. Toothworts grow from a rhizome. One differentiator between C. diphylla and C. angustata is that the rhizome of C. angustata has constrictions forming multiple segments, while the rhizome of C. diphylla is of uniform size. I do not encourage digging up native plants; populations have been lost by that activity. |  |
| Blackberry | Rubus argutus
(Native) | Sawtooth Blackberry, Southern Blackberry, Highbush Blackberry | The Rubus genus covers blackberries, dewberries, and raspberries. There are 273 species in the North America, according to the USDA Plants Database. Most of these species are not widely distributed or common where they are found. Rubus argutus is one of the more widely distributed species, and is the most commonly found blackberry in the southeastern United States. |  |
| Blackberry | Rubus flagellaris*
(Native) | Northern Dewberry, Common Dewberry | Rubus flagellaris – Northern Dewberry – is plant with a trailing stem running along the ground for up to 15 feet. The stem has scattered hooked prickles, and is green when young, brown when older. The fruiting stems rise from the trailing stem, sometimes rising to 4 feet above the ground. The leaves are compound, usually trifoliate, with the three leaflets having a serrated edge. |  |
| Blackberry | Rubus odoratus*
(Native) | Purple-flowering Raspberry, Thimbleberry | The clusters of purple flowers with nice maple-shaped leaves make this an an attractive plant, found along roadsides and the edges of fertile forests. It is a shrub that grows thickly, to around 5 feet tall.
Endangered or Threatened in Illinois and Indiana. |  |
| Blackberry | Rubus parviflorus*
(Native) | Thimbleberry, Western Thimbleberry, Salmonberry, Mountain Sorrel, White Flowering Raspberry, Western Thimble Raspberry | Western Thimbleberry is a native of the western part of the United States, and the north central region as far east as Michigan. There is a disjunct population in Massachusetts; I would suspect that this is a naturalized population rather than indigent.
When I photographed this I had hoped it was Bartonberry - Rubus bartonianus - a Rubus species found only in Hell's Canyon. While similar, the easy access location of this plant (Kleinschmidt Grade) didn't match to any of the known locations of Rubus bartonianus, and the leaves are somewhat different, so that left me with Thimbleberry rather than Bartonberry.
Thimbleberry is also a common name for an eastern Rubus species, Rubus odoratus.
Found in:
AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, MA, MI, MN, MT, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, WY |  |
| Bladdernut | Staphylea trifolia*
(Native) | American Bladdernut | Walker County, Ga 04/19/2008. The seed capsule is an enlarged green papery-shelled 'bladder', giving it the 'bladdernut' common name. |  |
| Blanketflower | Gaillardia pulchella*
(Native) | Indian Blanket, Indian Blanketflower, Firewheel | There are 12 species of Blanketflower native to the United States, plus a hybrid cultivar (G. xgrandiflora) which has naturalized in several states. At least one species is found in every state, with Gaillardia pulchella being the most widespread of them.
This is a popular species for gardening due the the attractive flowers and hardy nature of the plant, being heat- and drought-tolerant. It is the basis for at least one cultivar. It can flower year round in parts of its range. Native to much of the continential United States, it is an introduced species in Hawaii and Canada. My speculation is that it is likely an introduced plant, perhaps a garden escapee, in Alaska and other parts of its northern range.
Found in:
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI |  |
| Bloodroot | Sanguinaria canadensis*
(Native) | Bloodroot | Sanguinaria canadensis is a beautiful white early spring wildflower. Bloodroot gets its name from the red juice of the root, caused by the compound sanguinarine. While sanguinarine has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal characteristics, it can be toxic, so do not ingest it. |  |
| Blue Eyed Mary | Collinsia parviflora*
(Native) | Blue-eyed Mary, Maiden Blue Eyed Mary, Smallflower Blue Eyed Mary | While there are a couple of Collinsia - Blue-eyed Mary – species found in the eastern United States, most of the 19 species found in the U.S. are western plants. Of those in the west, Collinsia parviflora has the broadest distribution, and is even found in a few eastern states, and throughout much of Canada.
Maiden Blue-eyed Mary is Threatened in Michigan.
Found in:
AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MA, MI, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, PA, SD, UT, VT, WA, WY |  |
| Blue-eyed Grass | Sisyrinchium angustifolium
(Native) | Blue-eyed Grass | Grundy County, TN, 05/25/2008 |  |
| Bluebead | Clintonia borealis
(Native) | Blue-bead Lily, Yellow Corn Lily, Yellow Clintonia | Clintonia borealis is one of four species of Clintonia found in the United States; all are native. C. borealis and C. umbellata are found in the eastern half, while C. andrewsiana and C. uniflora are found in the west.
A similar species is Clintonia umbellata (White Clintonia, Speckled Wood Lily). Clintona borealis has a yellow-green flower, with usually 3 to 8 of them in the raceme, while Clintona umbellata is white, usually speckled, with 10 to 24 in an umbel. Clintonia umbellata may have narrower leaves than borealis,and while borealis may have a few hairs on the margins, umbellata has many.
Found in:
CT, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV |  |
| Bluebells | Mertensia virginica*
(Native) | Virginia Bluebells | Virginia Bluebell is a showy, early spring wildflower found through most of the eastern United States. |  |
| Bluets | Houstonia caerulea
(Native) | Quaker Ladies, Azure Bluet, Bluets | Small plant with mostly basal leaves; stem leaves are opposite and quite small. Can form large colonies. |  |
| Bluets | Houstonia pusilla
(Native) | Tiny Bluet, Small Bluet, Least Bluet | These tiny plants can be easy to miss when blooming single, but even with their 2 to 4 inch height, they're hard to miss with the frequent masses blooming together. |  |
| Broomrape | Orobanche uniflora*
(Native) | One-flowered Broomrape ; One-flowered Cancer Root, Ghostpipe, Naked Broomrape | Not having knowingly encountered this parasitic plant previously, I was surprised to find that it is found in every state in the United States except for Hawaii. It's also found in much of Canada. It may attach its feeder roots to the roots of many different species of plants.
Genus Orobanche are classified as a noxious weed or similar pest plant in the United States federally and in 9 states specifically, but there is an exception for native species, in all cases but two states (Massachusetts and Floriday), and Florida specifically excludes Orobanche uniflora from it's noxious weed list, which leaves only Massachusetts with a negative classification for One-flowered Broomrape.
Synonyms: Thalesia uniflora, Aphyllon uniflorum, Orobanche porphyrantha, Orobanche purpurea, Orobanche sedii, Orobanche terrae-novae.
Found in:
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY |  |
| Bugbane | Cimicifuga racemosa*
(Native) | Black Cohosh, Black Bugbane, Black Baneberry, Black Snakeroot, Fairy Candle | Synonym Actaea racemosa. Black Cohosh is well-known for medicinal uses; as with many plants with medicinal value, it is also poisonous if not used properly. The plant is up to about 8 or 10 feet tall, branching with several inflorescences on each plant. It is quite distinctive; I've read it described as “stately,” and I agree. It is found in eastern North America from Canada south to central Georgia in the United States.
Actaea racemosa was originally classified in the Actaea genus by Linnaeus, but Nuttall reclassifed it to Cimicifuga based on the follicles. However, a 1998 study by James A. Compton, Alastair Culham, and Stephen L. Jury, using DNA testing and other techniques, has recommended that the genus should be considered part of the Actaea genus. If considered separate, the Actaea genus is Baneberry with four species; the Cimicifuga genus is Bugbane containing six species. USDA uses the Actaea; ISIS.gov uses the Cimicifuga classification. When there is conflict, I use the ITIS classification.
It is classified as Endangered in Illinois and Massachusetts.
Found in:
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV |  |
| Burnet | Sanguisorba minor*
(Introduced) | Small Burnet, Salad burnet, Garden burnet | Burnet means brown - color of the post-mature flower heads. Salad Burnet is one of the common names, because the plant was brough over from Europe as a food - it is used in salads, drinks, and dressings, and is reported to have a cucumber-like flavor.
The plant is eaten not only by humans, but also the seeds or foliage are eaten by birds, elk, deer, rodents, hares, and rabbits, and is a valuable food source for these animals. In spite of being non-native, it does not appear to be aggressive in crowding out native species.
Found in:
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY |  |
| Bush Honeysuckle | Diervilla rivularis*
(Native) | Mountain Bush Honeysuckle, Hairy Bush honeysuckle, Riverbank Bush Honeysuckle | This is one of only three species of Diervilla - Bush Honeysuckle. Officially listed as Threatened in Tennessee, Mountain Bush Honeysuckle seems to be even rarer in Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina, the only other states where it is recorded. According to USDA Plants Database, found only in Dade County in Georgia, Yancey County in North Carolina, five counties in Tennessee. The USDA does not have a county distribution map for Alabama, but the Alabama Plant Atlas shows it only in Cherokee and Blount counties in Alabama. There is a report from the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society that indicates it as being collected at Lula Falls in Walker County, Georgia in 1888. That is probably 10 or 15 miles from where I photographed this plant in Cloudland Canyon State Park, in Dade County, Georgia.
Found in:
AL, GA, NC, TN |  |
| Buttercup | Ranunculus bulbosus
(Introduced) | Bulbous Buttercup | Walker County, Ga 04/06/2009 |  |
| Buttonweed | Diodia virginiana
(Native) | Virginia Buttonweed, Large Buttonweed, Poor Joe | There are 8 species of Diodia – Buttonweed - found in the United States, although only four of these are found in the “states proper” - the other 4 species are found in the U.S. Territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Two species found on the mainland are native to the United States - Diodia teres (common names Rough Buttonweed and Poor Joe,) and this species – Virginia Buttonweed, Diodia virginiana.
While this plant is officially listed as Threatened or Endangered in Indiana and New Jersey, it also is considered a weed by some authorities, and I can attest to its weediness, with the example here photographed in an area it had taken over in a small garden patch we had. It is noteworthy, however, that it was subsequently pushed out by the much more aggressive non-native invasive Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea.) Virginia Buttonweed is a branching, sprawling plant with opposite leaves. |  |
| Buttonweed | Diodia teres
(Native) | Rough Buttonweed, Poor Joe | Diodia teres is a wildflower many consider to be a weed. While it can be a creeping plant with reclining stems, in my experience it is more likely to be upright than its equally invasive cousin, Virginia Buttonweed (D. virginiana). |  |
| California Poppy | Eschscholzia californica*
(Native) | California Poppy | In spite of the beauty of its blossom, the California Poppy is considered to be a weed by many people. Native to North America, scattered wild populations of this plant are found in most states. However, since it was first collected on a Russian exploratory voyage to the west coast of North America in the early 19th century, it is likely that most of the eastern populations are the result of seeds and plants brought back from the west, rather than from native populations in those areas.
The California Poppy is the state flower of California. |  |
| Camas | Camassia scilloides*
(Native) | Wild Hyacinth; Atlantic Camas | Wild Hyacinth, also known as Atlantic Camas and Eastern Camas. Atlantic Camas is the "official" national name, according to the USDA Plants Database. It grows in rich, shady, moist coves. The blooming period lasts for several weeks in April and May.
|  |
| Camas | Camassia quamash*
(Native) | Small Camas, Quamash | This plant blooms in early to mid-spring and grows in moist meadows and on grassy slopes. The ones photographed here were in a marshy area along a stream at an elevation of around 5300 feet. The bulbs of the plant are edible and were used as a significant food source for native Americans. However, the bulbs look similar to those of Death Camas - the name of that plant is indicative of its poisonous nature - so beware!
Camassia quamash is found in the Rocky Mountain and west coast states.
Found in:
CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY |  |
| Cat's Ear | Hypochaeris radicata*
(Introduced) | Hairy Cat's Ear, False Dandelion | Yellow aster with blooms at the end of smooth stem, rising from a floret of hairy dandelion-like basal leaves. Other common names are common cat's-ear, false dandelion, frogbit, gosmore, and spotted catsear.
|  |
| Catchfly | Silene virginica
(Native) | Fire Pink, Scarlet Catchfly | Fire Pink has a strikingly beautiful scarlet red springtime blossom.
Silene virginica is listed as Endangered or Threatened in Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin. |  |
| Catchfly | Silene rotundifolia
(Native) | Roundleaf Catchfly | I originally identified this as Silene virginica - Fire Pink, but S. virginica has narrower petals, and doesn't have the pronounced 'second spike' along the outer edge of the petal. The USDA Plants Database doesn't have this listed near Polk County, TN, where I photographed this specimen, and I don't have photographs of the rest of the plant, but I have a reasonably high level of confidence in that identificaiton. |  |
| Catchfly | Silene stellata*
(Native) | Starry Campion, Widow's Frill | Starry Campion is listed as of Special Concern in Connecticut, Threatened in Michigan, apparently no longer occurs in Rhode Island based on its Historical classification. |  |
| Chicory | Cichorium intybus
(Introduced) | Chicory | Roadside, McMinn County, TN. Also seen in Hamilton, Bradley, Sequatchie Counties. 06/13/2009 |  |
| Cinquefoil | Potentilla canadensis*
(Native) | Dwarf Cinquefoil | Dwarf Cinquefoil |  |
| Cinquefoil | Potentilla recta*
(Introduced) | Sulfur Cinquefoil, Roughfruit Cinquefoil | Sulfur Cinquefoil is an upright perennial with hairy stems to nearly 3 feet tall, found frequently along roadsides throughout most of the United States. This non-native was introduced from Europe, and is so invasive that despite its beauty is considered an obnoxious weed in Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Sulfur Cinquefoil is also known as Roughfruit Cinquefoil. |  |
| Clarkia | Clarkia pulchella*
(Native) | Pinkfairies, Ragged Robin, Deerhorn Clarkia, Beautiful Clarkia | The Clarkia genus contains 41 species. While most of the species are found only in California, Clarkia pulchella was found by Meriweather Lewis in what is now Idaho in 1806, and was first described by William Clark in May of that year. It was the first species described in the genus, which was later named for William Clark. It is found in 6 northwestern states and has disjunct populations in 4 eastern states. While the USDA Plants Database shows Pinkfairies as native to these eastern states (OH, MA, CT, VT), these are likely instead a result of plants brought back from the west, since it would have been known prior to 1806 if it was native to those eastern states.
My initial identification of this species was using the excellent book Idaho Mountain Wildflowers by Scott Earle . |  |
| Clover | Trifolium repens
(Introduced) | White Clover | Walker County, Ga 05/11/2009 |  |
| Clover | Trifolium pratense
(Introduced) | Red Clover, Cowgrass | Red Clover is an introduced species which has become naturalized in every state in the United States and all but one Canadian province. While many species that have become so widely naturalized would be considered invasive, this plant has been welcomed due to its economic importance, even becoming the state flower of Vermont. The flowers, leaves and stem are edible, and are sowed for cattle fodder. Red Clover is also good for soil quality, being important in nitrogen fixation. |  |
| Clover | Trifolium incarnatum
(Introduced) | Crimson Clover, Italian Clover | This introduced clover, considered invasive by some authorities, is found in 43 states. It was brought into North America from Europe as cattle feed. It also can enrich the soil, fixing nitrogen. |  |
| Clover | Trifolium campestre*
(Introduced) | Low-Hop Clover, Field Clover, Large Hop Clover, Hop Trefoil | This introduced species was originally brought to North America for fodder, but is now found wild in all but six states, and can be weedy and invasive. There are several “hop clover” species so named because the yellow flowers turn brown as they mature, and look like hops. |  |
| Cohosh | Caulophyllum thalictroides*
(Native) | Blue Cohosh | Possible toxicity, especially to pregnant women. |  |
| Columbine | Aquilegia canadensis*
(Native) | Eastern Red Columbine, Wild Columbine | This is the only native columbine in the eastern United States. |  |
| Coneflower | Rudbeckia hirta*
(Native) | Black-eyed Susan | Black-eyed Susan is a commonly seen but uncommonly beautiful wildflower found along roadsides and open areas throughout much of the United States, missing only in Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, and Nevada. |  |
| Coneflower | Rudbeckia fulgida*
(Native) | Orange Coneflower | This species, like many members of the 22-species Rudbeckia genus, are frequently called 'black-eyed Susan' because of their nearly identical appearance to R. hirta, the 'true' black-eyed Susan. Orange coneflower, Rudbeckia fulgida, itself is a highly variable species, with as many as 14 varieties. I believe this is R. fulgida var fulgida, due to the shorter, wider ray petals, the minimal hair on the stems, and the distinct winged petioles of the alternating leaves. |  |
| Coneflower | Rudbeckia laciniata*
(Native) | Green-headed Coneflower, Cutleaf Coneflower | Cutleaf Coneflower is widely distributed in the United States. Found in 45 states, it is missing only in Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, and California. It is listed as Threatened in Rhode Island, but can be quite commonly found in many of the other states. |  |
| Coneflower | Rudbeckia triloba*
(Native) | Browneyed Susan, Thin-leaf Coneflower, Three-lobed Coneflower | Rudbeckia triloba is a tall (up to 5' or 6'), many-branched coneflower, with a flower having the appearance of a smaller Blackeyed Susan (R. hirta.)
There are three commonly recognized varieties, with var triloba, so named because some of the lower leaves have 3 lobes, being the most widely distributed. Var ruprestris has somewhat larger flowers, and var pinnatiloba will have 5 to 7 lobes on some of the lower leaves. While the USDA records do not show var pinnatiloba in Georgia, the photos on this page imply otherwise.
Rudbeckia triloba is listed as Endangered in Florida.
Found in:
AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV |  |
| Crownbeard | Verbesina occidentalis*
(Native) | Yellow Crownbeard | Most of the Crownbeards have yellow blossoms, and bloom in mid to late summer. Verbesina occidentalis, like a couple of other Verbesina species - V. alternifolia and V. helianthoides - has a winged stem caused by the continuation of the petioles down along the stem. Yellow Crownbeard is a tall plant, from 3 feet to 10 feet tall. |  |
| Crownbeard | Verbesina alternifolia*
(Native) | Wingstem, Yellow Ironweed | This is a tall, yellow-blossomed plant found throughout most of the midwest and east outside of New England. It is listed as Threatened in New York. |  |
| Crownbeard | Verbesina virginica*
(Native) | White Crownbeard, Frostweed, Iceplant, Virginia crownbeard | There are 18 Verbesina species in North America, with at least one species found in most states. The extreme northwest, extreme northeast, and Minnesota don't have a Verbesina species. The composite flowers of White Crownbeard are, as expected based on the name, white. If I'm interpreting the keys in the online version of Flora of North America correctly, the only other white Verbesina in the United States is V. microptera - Texas Crownbeard – which is found only south Texas.
Of the 18 species, 6, including White Crownbeard, may have winged stems: V. alternifolia, V. helianthoides, V. occidentalis, V. heterophylla, V. virginica, V. microptera. |  |
| Daisy | Chrysanthemum leucanthemum
(Introduced) | Oxeye Daisy | Chrysanthemum leucanthemum is a synonym for Leucanthemum vulgare, which is now the most widely accepted scientific name.
This much-loved flower is an import from its native Europe and Asia, and is naturalized in every state in the United States and almost all of Canada. It is officially considered a noxious weed in Colorado, Montana, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming, so consider carefully before planting it. |  |
| Dandelion | Taraxacum officinal
(Introduced) | Dandelion | Dandelion - A variety of Taraxacum officinale (ceratophorum) is native to western parts of the United States, the the variety found in the east (officinale), which is also found in the west, is introduced. |  |
| Dayflower | Commelina communis
(Introduced) | Asiatic Dayflower, Mouse Ears, Dew Herb | The blossom of this member of the Spiderwort family lasts for one day. Introduced from its native Asia, it is considered weedy or invasive by some authorities, having spread widely throughout eastern North America.
Asian Dayflower can be confused with Commelina erecta - Slender Dayflower, a plant native to the United States. This latter plant has paler blue upper petals. The pedicel (flower stem) of Slender Dayflower rises from a spathe which is fused along the lower portion; the spathe is open all the way to the base in the Asiatic Dayflower.
Found in:
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV |  |
| Daylily | Hemerocallis fulva*
(Introduced) | Common Daylily, Tawny Daylily, Orange Daylily | This plant was introduced from Asia for its excellent garden characteristics, and has become naturalized in 42 of the 50 states. As an escapee, it is considered weedy or invasive by some authorities.
Found in:
AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY |  |
| Deadnettle | Lamium amplexicaule
(Introduced) | Henbit, Henbit Deadnettle | The deadnettles are native to Europe and Asia, but are now widely naturalized in the United States. As with many non-native species which have become widespread in the U.S. Henbit Deadnettle blooms early. It is easily confused with Purple Deadnettle - L. purpureum - which has petioled leaves all the way to the top leaves. The middle and upper leaves of L. amplexicaule do not have petioles. The leaves of Henbit (L. amplexicaule) are also typically smaller than those of Purple Deadnettle. |  |
| Deadnettle | Lamium purpureum*
(Introduced) | Purple Deadnettle, Red Deadnettle, Purple Archangel | The deadnettles are native to Europe and Asia, but are now widely naturalized in the United States. As with many non-native species which have become widespread in the U.S. Purple Deadnettle blooms early. A similar species is Henbit - L. amplexicaule - The middle and upper leaves of L. amplexicaule do not have petioles while those of L. purpureum have petioles on all leaves, although the upper ones are quite small. The leaves of Henbit (L. amplexicaule) are also typically smaller than those of Purple Deadnettle. |  |
| Desert-thorn | Lycium carolinianum*
(Native) | Christmasberry, Carolina Wolfberry, Carolina Desert-thorn, Creeping Wolfberry | There are 22 species of Lycium - Desert-thorn - found in the United States, most of which are southwestern species. Lycium carolilnianum is the only native Desert-thorn found east of the Mississippi River.
Lycium carolinianum is a shrub that grows from 6 to 10 feet tall. The branches are sharp-tipped.
Found in:
AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, SC, TX |  |
| Dodder | Cuscuta gronovii
(Native) | Dodder Vine, Scaldweed | A parasitic vine that inserts suckers into the stem of its host plants. As the vine matures, its roots die and it gets all of its nourishment from the host. |  |
| Dog Hobble | Leucothoe fontanesiana*
(Native) | Highland Dog Hobble, Drooping Leucothoe, Fetterbush, Doghobble | Primarily a southeastern species, it is found in 8 states south of the Mason-Dixon line, as well as in New York and Maryland. Dog Hobble grows in dense thickets along mountain streams. Those shown on this page were near the banks of the Talullah River in north Georgia. |  |
| Dogwood | Cornus florida*
(Native) | Flowering Dogwood | Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, the dogwood usually referenced simply as dogwood, is a small tree, growing up to 30 feet tall, although it is more typically 15 feet tall, and frequently as wide as it is tall. It brings an early splash of white to the undercover of the spring forest for several weeks in April or May.
Synonym Benthamidia florida. This is apparently a recent DNA-based reclassification from the genus Cornus. I have yet to determine how widely-accepted this classification has become; USDA Plants Database does not list it (Dec 2009.) |  |
| Dogwood | Cornus foemina*
(Native) | Stiff Dogwood, Southern Swamp Dogwood, Gray Dogwood | This small tree or shrub of the southeastern United States is not as showy as its larger and well-known cousin, Cornus florida - the Flowering Dogwood. However, it is an attractive tree, growing to about 20 tall. Cornus foemina, Stiff Dogwood (synonym: Cornus stricta,) is found in 19 states, as far north as Illinois and Delaware. Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) is found in 31 states, as far north as Maine and Michigan, as well as parts of Canada.
Found in:
AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA |  |
| Dutchman's Breeches | Dicentra cucullaria*
(Native) | Dutchman's Breeches | Dutchman's Breeches is a lovely spring wildflower. The blossoms don't last long. |  |
| Dwarf Dandelion | Krigia biflora
(Native) | Two-flower Cynthia, Twoflower Dwarfdandelion | aka twoflower dwarfdandelion. Grundy County, TN, 05/25/2008 |  |
| Elderberry | Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis*
(Native) | Common Elderberry, American Elderberry, American Black Elderberry | This shrub grows up to 10 feet tall and has many stems, forming dense thickets. The leaves are pinnate, with usually 7, occasionally 5, and even more occasionally 9 lanceolate, serrated leaflets. The plant has large cymes of small white flowers which will produce dark purple to black berries which can be used in jams and to make wine. The flowers, dried, can be used to make a tea. The unripe berries, the stems, and the leaves may be poisonous.
This is the more widespread subspecies of the Black Elderberry, being found in all but 5 of the lower 48 states. It is also in Hawaii, but as an introduced species. It was formerly classified as the separate species Sambucus canadensis. Another subspecies, S. fulva ssp.cerulea (formerly S. cerulea) is known as the Blue Elderberry, and has bluish berries. Blue Elderberry is found in much of the western half of the United States
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY |  |
| Elephant's Foot | Elephantopus carolinianus*
(Native) | Carolina Elephant's foot, Leafy Elephantfoot | This plant's alternating leaves arise along an unevenly pubescent stem. The plant branches at leaf axils usually after four non-branching leaf nodes. The blossom clusters, which arise from three leafy bracts, terminate the stems. The white to pale lavender blossoms are very interesting in that they usually give the appearance of having a circle of many rays, but these apparently lobes of the corolla of several disk flowers.
E. carolinianus is listed as endangered in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (USDA.)
Synonyms: Elephantopus flexuosus, Elephantopus violaceus, Elephantopus glaber |  |
| Evening Primrose | Oenothera speciosa
(Native) | Pink Ladies, Showy Evening Primrose, Pink Primrose | While the USDA Plants Database shows Oenothera speciosa as native to 27 of the lower 48 states, it is apparently native only to the central part of the United States. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center mentions a native status in Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. It apparently has been introduced and naturalized in the other 22 states where it is found. While it is an attractive plant with a long bloom season, use caution because it can spread vigorously. |  |
| Evening Primrose | Oenothera biennis*
(Native) | Common Evening Primrose | Common Evening Primrose is found in all but 7 states. From Carol in Virginia: "It booms just at dusk and you can actually see the petals move as it opens... All the grandchildren love to gather around a plant and guess which one will open next." |  |
| Eyelashweed | Blepharipappus scaber*
(Native) | Rough Eyelashweed, Blepharipappus, Rough Blepharipappus | Blepharipappus scaber is the only species in the genus. The plant grows from 4 to 12 inches tall and is found in dry, open areas in five western states. This specimen was along a hillside at about 3,500' - 4000' in the Boise Foothills.
Found in:
CA, ID, NV, OR, WA |  |
| Fairybells | Disporum lanuginosum*
(Native) | Yellow Fairybells, Yellow Mandarin | Disporum lanuginosum is a synonym of Prosartes lanuginosa. The five species of the genus Disporum that are in North America have recently been reclassified into a separate genus - Prosartes - and moved into the Liliaceae family out of the Colchicaceae family. I continue to list this species as D. lanuginosum because most publications and websites I find still do so as well.
Yellow Fairybells is an attractive plant growing to 36" tall, with alternating, glossy green entire leaves which are ovate or lanceolate and have prominent parallel veins. |  |
| False Foxglove | Agalinis tenuifolia*
(Native) | Slender Gerardia, Slenderleaf False Foxglove | Found in most of the eastern 2/3 of the United States, it is a plant of "Special Concern" in Rhode Island. It was formerly classified as Gerardia purpurea.
This branching plant may be found in sprawling colonies. It has dark green to purple leaves and stems to about 2-feet tall, with small pink to purple blossoms. Similar species found in the region (from Wildflowers Of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians) and why I don't think this is that species:
- Agalinis purpurea (Smooth Purple Gerardia) - Although the specimen photographed on this page have yellow in the throat as does A. purpurea, the pedicels of A. purpurea are shorter, and that species does not exhibit the upper corolla lip extending over the stamens. While the specimens I photographed for this page have hairy stamens, I detected no hair in the corolla tube itself - a characteristic of A. purpurea.
- Agalinis fasciculata (Fascicled Purple Gerardia) – This species is similar to A. purpurea, but also has another feature missing from A. tenuifolia - clusters of fascicles (tiny leaves) in many of the leaf axils.
- Agalinis gattingeri (Gattinger's Gerardia) - A. gattingeri has pale green flowering branches, and net-veined calyx tube.
- Agalinis auriculata (Earleaf False Foxglove) - The leaves of A. auriculata are wide, toothed, and sometimes lobed.
Found in:
AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY |  |
| False garlic | Nothoscordum bivalve*
(Native) | False Garlic, Crowpoison | Nothoscordum bivalve was formerly classified in the lily family, but has recently been moved to the Amaryllis family. It does not have the oniony-smell of true garlics and onions. It is classified as Rare in Indiana, and as Threatened in Ohio.
Found in:
AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, NE, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA |  |
| Fawnlily | Erythronium americanum*
(Native) | Trout Lily; Dogtooth Violet | Trout lily is one of the early spring wildflowers. |  |
| Fawnlily | Erythronium grandiflorum
(Native) | Yellow Avalanche Lily, Glacier Lily | Yellow Avalanche Lily can be found in subalpine mountain meadows, slopes, and in clearings or thinly forested areas. According to Wikipedia, the roots are a preferred food of the grizzly bear. Of the 24 species of Erythronium found in the United States, Erythronium grandiflorum is the only one found in Idaho, according to the USDA Plants Database. It is a native of 9 western states (CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY.) |  |
| Fern | Osmunda cinnamomea
(Native) | Cinnamon Fern | Cinnamon Fern |  |
| Fiddleneck | Amsinckia menziesii*
(Native) | Common Fiddleneck, Menzie's Fiddleneck, Rancher's Fiddleneck | There are 10 species in the Amsinckia (Fiddleneck) genus in the United States, most of which are western species. Amsinckia menziesii, while widespread in the western half of the U.S., is also found in a number of states in the mid-west and east. There are two varieties, and var. intermedia - Common Fiddleneck – is the more widely distributed and commonly found one. While this is a plant native to the United States, it is probably introduced in Alaska, Hawaii.
This is considered a weed by ranchers because cattle won't eat it and it can crowd out other forage plants |  |
| Fireweed | Chamerion angustifolium
(Native) | Fireweed, Narrow-leaf fireweed, Willow Herb | Chamerion – Fireweed - has two species – C. Angustifolium and C. Latifolium, the latter being Dwarf Fireweed, a much shorter plant, with distribution in the US being primarily in the west. C. Angustifolium on may grow to 10 feet tall, and one of the two subspecies can be found in every state except for 12 states in the southeastern quadrant of the United States. C. angustifolium ssp angustifolium is a more northern plant than ssp circumvagum, with ssp angustifolium being found only in the northern counties of MN, in Washington State, and in the mountainous states of Montana, Colorado, and Wyoming. It is also found in all of the Canadian provinces. |  |
| Flax | Linum lewisii
(Native) | Wild Blue Flax, Lewis Flax, Prairie Flax | Wild Blue Flax is found in most of the western 2/3 of the United States. There are three recognized varieties found in North America; one found only in the United States, one found only in Canada, and a third found in both the United States and Canada - var. lewisii.
A very similar species is the non-native Linum perenne, an import from Europe, which is found in scatterings across the United States. Some authorities treat the native L. lewisii as a subspecies of L. perenne - my guess is that the treatment may depend on which side of the Atlantic Ocean you call home. Many authorities call Linum perenne var lewisii a synonym of Linum lewisii. Cultivated flax, L. usitatissimum, is also similar in appearance. |  |
| Fleabane | Erigeron annuus*
(Native) | Eastern daisy fleabane | There are 191 species in the Erigeron genus, with some species being found in only a single state. Eastern Daisy Fleabane is one of the more widespread species, found in all but 7 states. It is a native plant in both the continental United States and in Canada.
Erigeron anuus is generally 2 to 3 feet tall, branching with many white-rayed, yellow-centered blossoms. It blooms from mid- to late spring on through most of the summer months. It is differentiated from the earlier blooming Philadelphia Fleabane (E. philadelphicus) by narrower leaves which do not clasp the stem, and is differentiated from similar Prairie Fleabane (aka Lesser Daisy Fleabane - E. strigosus) by having stems which are distinctly hairy, and by usually having toothed leaves. |  |
| Fleabane | Erigeron philadelphicus*
(Native) | Philadelphia Fleabane | Clasping leaves is key identifier for this early blooming fleabane. Walker County, Ga, 04/16/2009 |  |
| Fleabane | Erigeron strigosus*
(Native) | Prairie Fleabane, Lesser Daisy Fleabane | There are 191 species in the Erigeron genus, with some species being found in only a single state. Prairie Fleabane is one of the more widespread species, found in all but 6 states. It is a native plant in both the continental United States and in Canada.
Erigeron strigosus is generally 2 to 3 feet tall, branching with many white-rayed, yellow-centered blossoms. It blooms from mid- to late spring on through most of the summer months. It is differentiated from the earlier blooming Philadelphia Fleabane (E. Philadelphicus) by narrower leaves which do not clasp the stem. It is differentiated from similar Eastern Daisy Fleabane (E. Annuus) by being less hairy, and rarely having toothed leaves. It is also less leafy than Eastern Daisy Fleabane. |  |
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| Fleabane | Erigeron pulchellus*
(Native) | Robin's Plantain | Robin's Plantain is one of the shorter of the eastern fleabanes, growing from 8 to 24 inches tall, but to me it is one of the prettier of the eastern Erigeron species. It is found in 34 of the easternmost states in the United States, and in much of the eastern half of Canada. |  |
| Fluxweed | Isanthus brachiatus*
(Native) | False Pennyroyal, Fluxweed | This is one of many plants undergoing changes in classification. According to my research, it was originally considered to be part of Trichostema (Linnaeus, 1737), subsequently became the sole member of the Isanthus genus (Michaux, 1803), in 1978 was sent over to Trichostema for a while (Lewis), and recently some authorities have moved it back to Isanthus as the only species in that genus. Of course, during all of this scientific debate, those of us classified as commoners would have continued to call it whatever we called it previously – be it False Pennyroyal or Fluxweed, or whatever other common name was applied locally. The Trichostema genus members are commonly known as Bluecurls.
False Pennyroyal is listed as Special Concern, Endangered, or Threatened in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey. It is rare in the remaining New England states where it can be found at all.
This plant was pointed out and identified for me by Jay Clark, author of Wildflowers of Pigeon Mountain on a walk through a cedar glade at the foot of Pigeon Mountain in Walker County, Ga in late September.
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV |  |
| Fly Poison | Amianthium muscitoxicum*
(Native) | Fly Poison, Stagger Grass | Amianthium muscaetoxicum is monotypic – this is the only species in the genus, although it is closely related to Death Camas (Toxicoscordion, Stenanthium, Zigadenus, Anticlea), from which it can be distinguished by the brown bracts within the inflorescence, and by having a denser cluster of basal leaves.
The species epithet translates to Fly Poison, indicative of the poisonous nature of the plant. All parts are poisonous. The bulb, which is especially poisonous, is a natural insecticide, but in spite of that, some butterflies eat the nectar of the plant without adverse effect. The alternate common name of Stagger Grass is because cattle which eat the plant will stagger, and then perhaps die, from the effects of the poison.
Amianthium muscaetoxicum is an alternate spelling of the scientific name which is not accepted by most authorities. Zigadenus muscitoxicus is a synonym, indicating the close relationship to the genus by which most Death Camas have been classified until recently.
It is Threatened in Kentucky.
Found in:
AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV |  |
| Foamflower | Tiarella cordifolia *
(Native) | Heartleaf Foamflower | Heartleaf Foamflower has several lobed basal leaves rising on tall stalks. The separate flower stems may rise from last years leaves before the new leaves show up, but the new leaves will show up before blooming. |  |
| Fogfruit | Phyla lanceolata*
(Native) | Fogfruit, Lanceleaf Fogfruit, Northern Fogfruit | Widely distributed. One of the common names is Northern Fogfruit, not because this is not commonly found in the south, but because it is the only Phyla species found commonly in northern states. It is found in wet (frequently foggy) areas – bottom lands, shores of creeks and lakes, and marshes.
It is listed as Endangered in New Jersey, and Rare in Pennsylvania. |  |
| Fringed Orchid | Platanthera ciliaris*
(Native) | Yellow Fringed Orchid, Orange Fringed Orchid | he Yellow Fringed Orchid is more frequently a bright orange than yellow. It shares the feature of being either orange or yellow with similar species Platanthera cristata - the Yellow Crested Orchid - which has a much shorter spur than P. ciliaris. The spur of Platanthera ciliaris is longer than the flower, frequently extending past the ovary/pedicel combination. It blooms in mid-summer in a variety of locations. These photographs were taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesville, NC. |  |
| Fritillaria | Fritillaria pudica*
(Native) | Yellowbells, Yellow Fritillary, Yellow Missionbells, Gold Bell | This is one of the 3 Fritillaria species found in Idaho out of the 23 total Fritillaria species found in the United States. All of thesea are found only in the western half of the US and Canada. It is a small plant, growing to usually less than a foot tall. |  |
| fungi | Clavaria | Coral fungus | Maybe genus Clavaria, perhaps C. zollingeri. OK, this is a fungus, not a wildflower, but I like it so it's here. |  |
| Galax | Galax urceolata*
(Native) | Beetleweed; Galax | Polk County, TN |  |
| Gentian | Gentiana saponaria
(Native) | Soapwort Gentian, Harvestbells | Fannin County GA Nov 10 2008 just outside Cohutta Wilderness. G saponaria has paler flowers than G. clausa, and these had pretty deep blue flowers, but USDA database doesn't show G. clausa this far south, and the leaves of G. clausa seem to be generally wider than these. This is also similar to G. linearis, but USDA database also does not show this in Georgia. Both G. clausa and G. linearis are close enough that they are possibles. |  |
| Geranium | Geranium maculatum*
(Native) | Wild Geranium | All geraniums have a "multiples of 5" consistency - 5 petals, 5 sepals, 10 stamens, and a 5-part pistil. G. maculatum is widely-distributed in the eastern United States. |  |
| Geranium | Geranium viscosissimum*
(Native) | Sticky Purple Geranium | Geranium viscosissimum has pink petals with deep red or purple veins. |  |
| Glechoma | Glechoma hederacea
(Introduced) | Ground Ivy, Gill-over-the-ground, Haymaids, Creeping Charlie | This introduced plant has small attractive, colorful blossoms, but it is quite invasive, even pushing out other weed plants. It is found in all but 4 of our states.
Its name implies its growth pattern, with the stems trailing along the ground. The stems may be up to 18 inches long, and form roots at the nodes. Large mats of the plant may form. |  |
| Goat's beard | Astilbe biternata
(Native) | Appalachian false goat's beard | Appalachian false goat's beard Polk County, TN |  |
| Goatsbeard | Tragopogon dubius*
(Introduced) | Yellow Salsify, Yellow Goatsbeard, Western Salsify, Wild Oysterplant | Found in 45 states – all but Hawaii, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina – Yellow Salsify is considered an invasive weed in many areas, although apparently with little negative economic impact. The taproot is edible, and is reported to be the reason it was imported into the United States. The reported flavor is reminiscent of oysters, giving it the Wild Oysterplant common name. It was grown in Thomas Jefferson's garden, although from what I can find it was a different Tragopogon species - T. porrifolius. |  |
| Goldenaster | Chrysopsis mariana*
(Native) | Maryland Golden Aster | synonym: Heterotheca mariana
Maryland Golden Aster grows to about 2.5 feet tall. Stem l eaves are alternate, but there may be a basal rosette of petioled leaves. Long hairs on the stems and to an extent on the leaves make the plant quite silky, becoming less so as the plant matures, and is less hairy in the lower part. Blooms mid-summer thru fall.
Endangered or Threatened in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. In Pennsylvania there are only about 10 remaining populations in the very southeastern part of the state.
Found in:
AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV |  |
| Goldenaster - False | Heterotheca subaxillaris*
(Native) | Camphorweed, Camphor Weed, False Goldenaster | Synonym: Chrysopsis scabra
Some authorities consider Heterotheca subaxillaris to be weedy and/or invasive. Apparently this is with good reason, as the plant is quite variable, even to the point that several authorities have considered it to be several separate species rather than a single species with multiple varieties. The different varieties have a great deal of tolerance to different conditions, allow it to thrive and force out other plants when conditions are difficult. Those that take the position of multiple species (Heterotheca latifolia, Heterotheca psammophila, and Heterotheca subaxillaris) also typically indicate that this H. subaxillaris has a native range limited to the Southeast. There have been studies that have indicated that when planted in similar environments, the morphological differences used to justify species separation are not reliable.
It looks similar to other Heterotheca and Chrysopsis species, but if you handle the plant, especially broken leaves, you'll be able to identify it by the distinct camphor-like aroma (some would call is a smell rather than an aroma.)
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA |  |
| Goldenbanner | Thermopsis fraxinifolia
(Native) | Ashleaf Goldenbanner | Ashleaf Goldenbanner, Polk County, TN May 30, 2004 |  |
| Goldenbanner | Thermopsis montana*
(Native) | Mountain Goldenbanner, Mountain Thermopsis, False Lupin, Golden pea, Buckbean | Thermopsis montana is one of 10 Thermopsis species in the United States, although some authorities include it in the very similar T. rhombifolia (Prairie Thermopsis.) T. montana is the more western of these two species, with Montana being the only state having both species.
Thermopsis gracilis is another similar species which is found in the same range in the western United States. Based on my research it may be a less common species, and may be more branching. Since I'm no expert, it is possible that this is T. gracilis rather than T. montana.
Found in:
AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY |  |
| Goldenrod | Solidago flexicaulis*
(Native) | Zigzag Goldenrod, Broadleaf Goldenrod | One of the woodland goldenrods. ‘Zigzag’ common name, and probably the species name ‘flexicaulis’ come from the slight change in direction the stem takes at many of the leaf nodes, especially the upper ones.
Solidago flexicaulis is listed as Threatened in Rhode Island. |  |
| Goldenrod | Solidago altissima*
(Native) | Tall Goldenrod, Late Goldenrod, Canada Goldenrod | Goldenrods are notoriously difficult to identify to a particular species, so make sure you don't rely on a single source for your identification information. This could easily have been listed as Solidago canadensis rather than Solidago altissima because not only is it a fairly close match for either, but S. altissima is listed as a variety of S. canadensis by some authorities. However, the USDA Plants Database lists S. altissima as a separate species, and the University of Tennessee Fungus Herbarium has a reference to a fungus found on S. altissima in Cade’s Cove in 1939. The Audubon eastern wildflowers book also treats it as a separate species, and lists it as blooming into November. Since the UT Herbarium only lists var glabra in S. canadensis in Tennessee (including Sevier County, where these specimens were photographed), and I have chosen to treat it as a separate species, I have listed this as S. altissima. More details on the identifying characteristics along with the accompanying photographs. |  |
| Goldenseal | Hydrastis canadensis*
(Native) | Goldenseal, orangeroot | Goldenseal has much medicinal usage, and due to the commercial exploitation is becoming rarer. It is listed as Endangered, Threatened, or of Special Concern in 12 of the 27 states in which it is found, including Georgia, where these photos were taken. |  |
| Ground Cedar, fan clubmoss
| Diphasiastrum digitatum
(Native) | Southern Ground Cedar | aka Running Ground Cedar Len Foote Hike Inn Trail, Dawson County GA 09/01/2003. Lycopod rather than a flowering seed plant. Reproduces via spores from the club-like appendages above the plant. Diphasiastrum digitatum is a synonym for Lycopodium digitatum. |  |
| Hawksbeard | Crepis intermedia*
(Native) | Limestone Hawksbeard, Smallflower Hawksbeard | This was one of the more difficult identifications I've done, and even now, after hours of research, I'm not certain I've got this correct as Crepis intermedia. I pretty quickly identified the plant in my photos and memory as a member of the Crepis genus, using my copy of Idaho Mountain Wildflowers and a quick search on the Internet to get a closer blossom photo. But there are 25 species of Crepis found in the United States, with nine of them found in Idaho, where I photographed this plant. Unfortunately, most of the species of Crepis are very similar in appearance, especially to the untrained, unacquainted eye such as mine.
Some species had a characteristic that quickly eliminated it from my short-list (or not-so-short list) of nine species - C. bakerii has reddish stems, for example. So, armed with understanding of variances within a species, it came down to comparing a lot of photos on the Internet with mine - most from CalPhoto - and a couple of key characteristis – leaf shape, and hair configuration. Some species were eliminated from contention because the shape of the leaf lobes weren't deep enough, such as that on C. occidentalis. Combining those features with another key differentiator – glandular hairs – finally brought me to the Crepis intermedia decision. And since there are other species with glandular hairs, and the hairs on C. intermedia are not always glandular, that leaves me with one of my lower confidence levels in this being an accurate identification. Caveat emptor! |  |
| Hawkweed | Hieracium venosum*
(Native) | Rattlesnake Weed, Rattlesnake Hawkweed, Veiny Hawkweed | is listed as Endangered in Maine. Officially listed as a noxious weed in Washington state, even though the USDA doesn't list it as being found in Washington State. The fact that it is listed as a noxious weed in that state implies that it is indeed found there, and it is listed for neighboring British Columbia, so I'm including it in Washington's list here on USWildflowers.com. I suspect that with this being a disjunct location – Hieracium venosum is an eastern species – that the British Columbia and Washington populations are not native.
Found in:
AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV |  |
| Heath | Leiophyllum buxifolium
(Native) | Mountain Myrtle, Sand Myrtle | Tiny blossoms atop branches with tiny succulent leaves |  |
| Hedge Parsley | Torilis arvensis*
(Introduced) | Spreading Hedge Parsley, Field Hedge Parsley, Common Hedge Parsley | Torilis arvensis, which has the USDA national common name of Spreading Hedge Parsley, is also known as Field Hedge Parsley and as Common Hedge Parsley. It is introduced in the United States, native only to British Columbia in North America. Even though it has spread widely in the United States due to the sticky bur seeds, it apparently does not crowd out native species too aggressively, because it is listed as an obnoxious weed in only one state - Washington, which is, of course, right across the border from BC, where it is native.
Torilis japonica is a very similar species, and is in fact listed as a synonym of T. arvensis at the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. However, the USDA lists it as a separate species, as does Dr. John Hilty over at IllinoisWildflowers.info. According to Dr. Hilty, the primary difference between the plants is that T. japonica has about 8 linear bracts at the base of each compound umbel. This feature is missing in T. arvensis. |  |
| Hepatica | Hepatica nobilis*
(Native) | Sharp-lobed Hepatica | Anemone acutiloba is one of several synonyms for Hepatica nobilis var acuta, sharp-lobed hepatica. Round-lobed hepatica was previously categorized as Anemone hepatica, but has now been reclassified as a variety of H. nobilis - Hepatica nobilis var obtusa. All this is according to the USDA Plants Database. I bet other authorities will give you a different classification; there are at least 8 synonyms for the two varieties of H. nobilis.
Sharp-Lobed Hepatica is listed as "Threatened" in Connecticut, "Endangered" in Florida, and of "Special Concern" in Rhode Island. According to USDA, it is "Possibly Extirpated" in Maine. |  |
| Hogpeanut | Amphicarpaea bracteata*
(Native) | American Hogpeanut | This thin-stemmed twisting vine is the only species in the Amphicarpaea genus, a member of the Pea family. It twists around other plants and on fences, reaching up to 6 feet in length.
This plant produces flowers along the stem/vine, shown on these pages, and also at the base of the stem. These basal flowers produce an edible bean-like fruit, which apparently can be quite tasty when cooked. Sometimes these fruits develop underground, similarly to a peanut. |  |
| Honeysuckle | Lonicera sempervirens*
(Native) | Trumpet Honeysuckle | Grundy County, TN, 05/25/2008 |  |
| Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica*
(Introduced) | Japanese Honeysuckle | Non-native, imported from Asia as an ornamental, this lovely, fragrant vine is well-established in 38 states, and is listed as a noxious weed in two, plus is banned from cultivation in New Hampshire. |  |
| Honeysuckle | Lonicera fragrantissima*
(Introduced) | Sweet Breath of Spring, Fragrant Honeysuckle, Winter Honeysuckle, January Jasmine | This non-native is one of the bush honeysuckles. Most of the native honeysuckles are vines; this one is a bush with arching stems to 10 feet tall.
This is a very early-blooming plant, sometimes as early as January in the warmer parts of its range. In some areas it is given the common name January Jasmine, which is the same name as is given to Jasminum nudiflorum. The latter is in the olive family rather than the honeysuckle family. Both plants bloom at about the same time, and L. fragrantissima blossoms fade to yellow as they age, which may lead to some confusion between the species. However, L. fragrantissimaJasminum nudiflorum has none.
According to TexasInvasives.org, L. fragrantissima was introduced from Asia in the 1700s and 1800s. Since it is currently listed in only 13 states, it does not appear to be as dramatically invasive as its cousin, Lonicera japonica – Japanese honeysuckle – which is in 39 states. However, my observation of the plant is in a county in Tennessee (Hamilton) that is not included in the official distributions lists, so it is likely that it is more widespread than much documentation implies. L. fragrantissima is an eastern species in the US, being found west of the Mississippi only in Utah and Louisiana.
Found in:
AL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, UT, VA |  |
| Honeysuckle | Lonicera flava
(Native) | Yellow Honeysuckle, Pale Yellow Honeysuckle | One of our native honeysuckles, this vine prefers upland rocky forests, bluffs, and streamsides. There is some stiffness to the stems, so it may also appear as a small shrub.
Similar species are L. dioica and L. reticulata.
Endangered in Illinois, Special Concern in Tennessee, critically imperiled in Kansas, Presumed Extirpated in Ohio. |  |
| Horsebalm | Collinsonia verticillata*
(Native) | Whorled Horsebalm, Early Stoneroot | Collinsonia currently has 4 recognized species, although there have been as many as 10 in the past. This implies significant variation within some species.
Found in nine mostly southeastern states (AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, OH, SC, TN, VA), Collinsonia verticillata is listed as endangered in Ohio and Kentucky. |  |
| Horsetail | Equisetum laevigatum
(Native) | Smooth Horsetail, Smooth Scouring Rush | The genus name Equisetum comes from the latin words for “horse” and “bristle.” Equisetum laevigatum is a fern rather than a flowering plant, but I believe it deserves a place on these pages. It reproduces by spores and and spreads by rhizomes. Found throughout most of the United States except the most northeastern and southeastern states, Smooth Horsetail is Endangered in New York. It is usually found in wet areas, although it may also occasionally be found on drier ground.
Found in:
AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY |  |
| Hound's tongue | Cynoglossum virginianum
(Native) | Wild Comfrey | Woodland wildflower of late spring. There are eight species in the Cynoglossum genus found in the US, three of which are native to North America - C. grande (CA, OR, WA), C. occidentale (CA, OR), and this species, C. virginianum, with one of the two varieties of the species found in most of the eastern half of the U.S. - 34 states.
Wild Comfrey is at risk in 9 states:
- Connecticut: Special Concern
- Florida: Endangered
- Maine: Endangered
- New Hampshire: Endangered
- New Jersey: Endangered
- New York: Endangered
- Ohio: Presumed Extirpated
- Pennsylvania: extirpated
- Vermont: Threatened
|  |
| Hound's tongue | Cynoglossum officinale*
(Introduced) | Houndstongue, Hound's Tongue, Gypsyflower | c.Found in all but 7 states (and most of Canada), Cynoglossum officinale is listed as a noxious weed in Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. |  |
| Hydrangea | Hydrangea arborescens*
(Native) | Wild Hydrangea | Wild Hyndrangea is listed as endangered in both Florida and New York.
|  |
| Hydrangea | Hydrangea quercifolia*
(Native) | Oakleaf Hydrangea | A native species in the United States, Oakleaf Hydrangea is found in the wild only in the eight southeastern states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as the District of Columbia. You're likely to see it in other states, however, because it started gaining popularity as a garden plant in the late 20th century. Several showy cultivars are available. The natural, native plant, which has more of the large white florets than the other native wild hydrangeas, is quite attractive as a yard shrub. I've noticed quite a number of them growing in yards on Lookout Mountain in Tennessee and Georgia.
It is a shrub that can grow quite large, as tall as 8' or 10' (some reports of 25'), and its many branches growing from the base can spread to cover a wider area than it is tall.
Found in:
AL, DC, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN
|  |
| Indian Cucumber Root | Medeola virginiana*
(Native) | Indian Cucumber Root | Indian Cucumber Root, Big Frog Trail, Polk County TN 05/09/2009 and 05/30/2004 |  |
| Indian Paintbrush | Castilleja covilleana*
(Native) | Rocky Mountain Indian Paintbrush, Coville Indian Paintbrush | Rocky Mountain Paintbrush is one of the red Indian Paintbrushes, although it can occasionally be orange or even yellow. It is found commonly in Idaho, but in no other states except very rarely in Montana. It is a leafy, hairy plant, up to about a foot high. A. Scott Earle, in Idaho Mountain Wildflowers, describes it as “spidery.” It is very similar to Northwestern Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja angustifolia, and frankly I'm not certain I have this ID correct. That's due to the similarity of the two species, and because the USDA does not list C. covilleana in Ada County, ID, where I photographed this plant. However, it does list C. angustifolia in Ada County. However, Northwestern Indian Paintbrush seems to be a more erect plant, being up to 18 inches tall, and Jepsen describes angustifolia as having up to 5 lobes on the leaf. The Montana Field Guides website, operated by the Montana state government, says C. covilleana can have up to 7 lobes on the leaves, and I have found at least one leaf (and I think more) in my photos of this plant with 7 lobes. The middle, terminal lobe of the leaf will be almost as narrow as the lateral lobes. The hairs on the plant in my photos also seems fitting with the long, soft hairs described for C. covilleana.
Found in:
ID, MT |  |
| Indian Pipe | Monotropa uniflora*
(Native) | Indian Pipe, Ghost Flower, Ghost Plant | When first seen, Indian Pipe seems more like a mushroom or other fungus than like a true flowering plant due to the color - or lack of color. However, it has a stem, bract-like scales in place of leaves, and a single flower at the end of the stem. The single flower gives it the species epithet - uniflora - which is a key difference between this species and Monotropa hypopitys the only other species in the Montropa genus. Monotropa hypopitys (Pinesap) has multiple flowers in a cluster on each stem.
Indian Pipe has roots through which it gathers its nourishment. The plant lacks chlorophyll but instead gets its nutrients through a mutually beneficial relationship with a fungus in the soil where it grows.
Found in:
AK, AL, AR, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV |  |
| Indian Plantain | Arnoglossum reniforme*
(Native) | Great Indian Plantain | Great Indian Plantain is 3 to 9 feet tall, with basal and stem leaves which are palmately lobed. The leaves can be huge. The blossoms have white disk flowers only, with 10 to 20 blossoms per terminal cluster. The involucre bracts are greenish white.
The only Indian Plantain in the area where these photos were taken with palmately lobed leaves are A. atriplicifolium and A. reniforme. The identification as A. reniforme is based on the distinct ribbing on the stems, which is 'slight' on A. atriplicifolium, and the fact that the stems in this specimen are not glaucous. The leaves also are a darker green than in Pale Indian Plantain. Unfortunately I did not photograph the underside of the leaves, nor did I make notes as to whether they were glaucous or not, as they are in A. atriplicifolium, and are not glaucous in A. reniforme. |  |
| Indian Strawberry | Duchesnea indica*
(Introduced) | Indian Strawberry, India Mockstrawberry | Indian Strawberry is a prone, creeping plant which produces roots at the leaf nodes. It produces red strawberry-like fruits, but they are tasteless (but also harmless.) Because of the fruit, it could be confused with wild strawberry, but that plant has white blossoms. It is also similar to Dwarf Cinquefoil, which has 5 leaflets instead of the 3 leaflets of Indian Strawberry. Duchesnea indica was introduced from India. The relationship to cinquefoil (both in the rose family) is emphasized by an effort to have it reclassified as Potentilla indica, based on a genetic study published in 2002. So far it appears that most authoritative sources have retained the old classification. |  |
| Iris | Iris cristata*
(Native) | Crested Dwarf Iris | |  |
| Iris | Iris verna*
(Native) | Dwarf Violet Iris, Vernal Iris, Spring Iris | Vernal Iris (USDA common name is Dwarf Violet Iris) leaves are up to about 4 to 5 inches tall, with the large, colorful blossom being predominant above the leaves during the blooming season – mid to late spring.
Iris verna is listed as endangered in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and threatened in Ohio. |  |
| Ironweed | Vernonia gigantea*
(Native) | Tall Ironweed, Giant Ironweed, Ironweed | One or more species of Ironweed is found in 40 of the 50 states. Vernonia gigantea is one of the more widespread species, being found in 25 states. As the name implies, it can be a tall species, up to 10 feet. The purple flowers bloom in August and on into November. |  |
| Jack-in-the-Pulpit | Arisaema triphyllum*
(Native) | Jack-in-the-Pulpit | Jack-in-the-Pulpit usually has a single leaf with 3 leaflets on a stem from 12 to 36 inches tall, usually less than 2 feet. The tiny flowers are on a spike (spadix) which is encircled by a leaf-like spathe on a separate stem from the leaf. These stems separate at or near ground level. The spathe is green or purple and is usually striped. |  |
| Jack-in-the-Pulpit | Arisaema triphyllum ssp. quinatum*
(Native) | Prester John, Jack-in-the-Pulpit | In my VERY limited observation there are notable differences between this plant, Arisaema triphyllum ssp. quinatum, and Arisaema triphyllum ssp. triphyllum and other subspecies of
Arisaema. The most easily noticed difference is that ssp. quinatum has the
appearance of having 5 leaflets while all the other subspecies clearly have three.
The few individuals I have observed also implies that quinatum blooms later, the spathe is smaller relative to the flowering stalk height, and the spadix is thinner than in subspecies triphyllum. Subspecies quinatum is also found much less frequently than subspecies triphyllum, as well as having a much narrower distribution in North America, limited to several southeastern states.
synonym: Arisaema quinatum |  |
| Jimsonweed | Datura stramonium*
(Introduced) | Jimsonweed, Jamestown Weed, Mad Apple, Moon Flower, Stinkwort, Thorn Apple, Devil's Trumpet | This purple-stemmed, introduced species is found in every state in the United States except Alaska and Wyoming, and is also found in much of Canada, and indeed throughout warm and moderate regions of the entire world. It is a banned weed in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and is listed as an invasive by authoritative sources in most of the United States. In addition to being invasive, it is toxic, with the level of toxicity varying from plant to plant, and even from day to day in the same plant. Ingestion can be fatal. Toxicity is a common feature of plants in the Solanaceae (Nightshade / Potato) family.
The name Jimsonweed, a variant of Jamestown weed, originated because British soldiers were drugged with it near Jamestown, Virginia in 1675 by local farmers during Bacon's Rebellion, an inauspicious page in North American history, about which I had no knowledge until researching this plant.
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV |  |
| Joe Pye Weed | Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus*
(Native) | Hollow Joe Pye Weed, Trumpetweed, Tubular Thoroughwort, Hollow-stemmed Joe-pye-weed | There are several species that go by the common name Joe Pye Weed. All of them were previously classified in the Eupatorium genus (Thoroughworts); Hollow Joe Pye Weed was Eupatorium fistulosum However, three of the species have recently been reclassified into their own genus, Eupatoriadelphus. I'm sure there was good reason for this reclassification, but it certainly adds to the name confusion.
Hollow Joe Pye Weed is found in 30 of our eastern/southern states. There is much overlap between E. fistulosus and the other 2 species; E. dubius is found on the eastern seaboard, and E. maculatus (Spotted Joe Pye Weed) is the most widespread species, found in 36 states and most of Canada.
Maine – Special Concern; Michigan – Threatened; New Hampshire – Endangered. Some consider it to be a weed. |  |
| Knapweed | Centaurea cyanus*
(Introduced) | Bachelor’s Button, Bluebottle, Cornflower, Garden Cornflower | This introduced species was brought over to North America as an ornamental by immigrants from Europe, and is commonly cultivated. It is now found wild in every state except Alaska, and is also found in most of Canada. It is considered weedy or invasive by some authorities.
In it's native southern Europe, this flower grows among the grainfield, giving it the "Cornflower" common name. |  |
| Knotweed | Polygonum amphibium*
(Native) | Water Knotweed, Swamp Smartweed, Water Smartweed | Aquatic and terrestrial varieties; the aquatic variety is more widespread than the terrestrial variety than the terrestrial variety, with the terrestrial variety not generally being found in the Southeast. Leaves are alternate and lanceolate. |  |
| Knotweed | Polygonum virginianum*
(Native) | Virginia Knotweed, Jumpseed | Polygonum virginianum is a late summer plant mostly of most woodlands, found in most of the eastern half of the United States. |  |
| Kudzu | Pueraria montana*
(Introduced) | Kudzu | Originally imported from Japan in 1876 in a effort to fight erosion, this plant is one of our earlier ecological nightmares, especially in the southeastern United States. Up until the early 1950s farmers were encouraged to plant Kudzu as a ground cover in area subject to erosion. Due to its extremely invasive nature, It is now recognized and officially listed as a noxious weed in many states. |  |
| Ladyslipper | Cypripedium acaule*
(Native) | Pink Ladyslipper, Moccasin Flower
| This member of the orchid family has a solitary blossom on a hairy stem arising from two or sometimes three elliptical glossy, dark green, ribbed, hairy basal leaves. |  |
| Larkspur | Delphinium tricorne*
(Native) | Dwarf Larkspur, Spring Larkspur | Delphinium tricorne is a woodland wildflower of mid to late spring. The plant will usually be 18 to 30 inches tall, unlike some of its cousins which might be up to six feet tall. The spurred blossoms are blue, white, or both blue and white.
All of the larkspurs are poisonous. |  |
| Laurel | Kalmia latifolia
(Native) | Mountain Laurel | Mountain Laurel is a shrub found in most states east of the Mississippi River. |  |
| Leafcup | Polymnia canadensis
(Native) | Whiteflower Leafcup | aka Smallflower Leafcup. The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA 06/06/2009 |  |
| Leafcup | Smallanthus uvedalius*
(Native) | Hairy Leafcup, Bear's Foot, Yellow Leafcup, Uvedalia | Tall leafy plant with VERY large leaves and yellow flowers with typical aster family structure - ray flowers and disk flowers. Leaves are opposing. The occasional branches seem to arise from the leaf axils.
Synonym: Polymnia uvedalia, which seems to be in more common use than what is now the new classification, Smallanthus uvedalius. This is the only species in the the Smallanthus genus listed in the USDA Plants Database, although the Missouri Botanical Gardens TROPICOS database list 26 species in the genus. I suspect the other 25 species are not found in the United States.
Uvedalia has been used for medicinal purposes, including treatment of rheumatism and hair loss.
The species is listed as Endangered in New York and New Jersey, and as Threatened in Michigan, where it has legal protection. |  |
| Leather Flower | Clematis terniflora*
(Introduced) | Sweet Autumn Clematis | Sweet Autumn Clematis is a non-native climbing vine with sweet-smelling white blossoms. Sweet Autumn Virginsbower is the USDA "national common name." Also known as yam-leaved clematis. |  |
| Leather Flower | Clematis viorna*
(Native) | Leather Vasevine, Leather Flower, Vasevine | Clematis viorna is a vine that is grows to around 20 feet long. Primarily a southeastern species, it is listed as endangered in Illinois and Pennsylvania. |  |
| Leather Flower | Clematis ligusticifolia*
(Native) | Western Clematis, Western White Clematis, Western Virgin's Bower, Creek Clematis, Old Man's Beard, Pepper Vine | This is the Virgin's Bower found most frequently in the western parts of the U.S. and Canada, growing in a variety of habitats. The plant may be toxic if ingested, and can cause skin irritations. According to Flora of North America, "Infusions prepared from the plants of Clematis ligusticifolia were used medicinally by Native Americans as a wash for skin eruptions, a lotion for backaches or swollen limbs, and a lotion to protect one against witches; stems and leaves were chewed to treat colds and sore throats; decoctions of leaves were also used as a wash and for stomachaches and cramps; and lathers of leaves were used to treat boils on humans and on animals (D. E. Moerman 1986)."
Found in:
AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, PA, SD, UT, WA, WY |  |
| Lespedeza | Lespedeza cuneata
(Introduced) | Sericea Lespedeza | There are native lespedeza species in the United States, but L. cuneata is an introduced species. |  |
| Lettuce | Lactuca canadensis*
(Native) | Wild Lettuce, Canada Lettuce | Tall plant with milky sap and yellow flowers. Leaves usually lobed, especially the lower leaves, but that is not always the case. Some authorities recognize multiple varieties, primarily based on leaf shape. Similar to non-native species Lactuca serrata, but that plant has prickles on the foliage.
Akin to garden lettuce, the young leaves are edible either in salads or cooked; slightly bitter. |  |
| Lettuce | Lactuca floridana
(Native) | Woodland Lettuce, Florida Blue Lettuce, False Lettuce | Branching plant with loose cluster of small blue flowers. Lower leaves lobed, alternate; upper leaves lanceolate, entire or toothed.
Officially listed as Threatened in Michigan and as Endangered in New York, the New York City Wildflower Week reports to me that in New York it is found in a single site in the Bronx Borough. |  |
| Lettuce | Lactuca serriola*
(Introduced) | Prickly Lettuce, China Lettuce | A species introduced from Eurasia, this plant has established itself in every state except for Alaska |  |
| Lily of the Valley | Convallaria majuscula*
(Native) | American Lily of the Valley | Lily of the Valley - American. Off Big Frog Trail on Chimneytop, Polk County TN 05/08/2004 |  |
| Lobelia | Lobelia puberula*
(Native) | Downy Lobelia | Downy Lobelia |  |
| Lobelia | Lobelia cardinalis*
(Native) | Cardinal Flower, Scarlet Lobelia | This is the showiest of our Lobelia species with the bright red blossoms. I originally thought the "Cardinal" name came from the bird, but according to Wildflowers Of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians, the name comes from the robes which Catholic Cardinals wear, which are this same color of crimson. |  |
| Lobelia | Lobelia inflata*
(Native) | Inflated Lobelia | aka Indian Tobacco. Small plant with tiny 1/4-inch flowers white to bluish flowers. While the common name Indian Tobacco implies that it was used for smoking, there are reports that the plant should be considered toxic. |  |
| Lobelia | Lobelia siphilitica*
(Native) | Great Blue Lobelia | The species epithet is because at one time it was believed the plant was used by native American to treat syphilis. Ingestion of the root can cause vomiting. It should be considered poisonous.
References:
* Wildflowers of Tennesse by Jack B. Carman
* National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers Eastern |  |
| Lobelia | Lobelia spicata
(Native) | Palespike Lobelia | Found in most states except the far west, Palespike Lobelia grows 1 to 4 feet tall, with alternating lanceolate leaves that are short relative to the height of the plant. |  |
| Lousewort | Pedicularis canadensis
(Native) | Wood Betony; Canadian Lousewort | Canadian Lousewort is found throughout the eastern 2/3 of the United States and Canada, all the way down into northern Florida. It has long been considered as having medicinal properties. |  |
| Maidenhair Fern | Adiantum pedatum
(Native) | Northern Maidenhair, Five-Fingered Maidenhair Fern | While not a flowering plant, the beauty of Maidenhair Fern warrants a place on this website. There are 28 species of Adiantum - Maidenhair Fern - in the United States (200 worldwide,) but only 3 with wide distribution - A. aleucitum - a western species (sometimes classified as a subspecies of A. pedatum), A. Adiantum capillus-veneris - found mostly in the southern part of the United States, and this species, A. pedatum - Northern Maidenhair Fern, which is found in most of the eastern 2/3 of the country. |  |
| Maple | Acer rubrum
(Native) | Red Maple, Swamp Maple, Soft Maple | There are 129 species in the Acer genus, but less than 20 are native to North America. Red Maple is found in 33 states across the eastern half of the United States. This tree can get to be 60 feet tall, and has beautiful red flowers in late winter or early spring, and beautiful yellow, red, or red & yellow leaves in the fall. |  |
| Mariposa Lily | Calochortus bruneaunis*
(Native) | Bruneau Mariposa Lily, Pinyon Mariposa | (I had previously identified this as Calochortus eurycarpus, White Mariposa Lily. Upon further research I have decided it is Calochortus bruneaunis, Bruneau Mariposa Lily.)
Bruneau Mariposa Lily has a striking flower with 3 showy petals and 3 white sepals which are shorter than the petals. The flower is atop a 12 to 18 inch stem. The leaves are basal, linear, and usually wither by the time the plant blooms. |  |
| Mayapple | Podophyllum peltatum*
(Native) | Mayapple | Mayapple |  |
| Mayflower | Maianthemum racemosum*
(Native) | False Solomon's Seal, Feathery False Lily of the Valley, Solomon's Plume | Smilacina racemosa is a synonym of Maianthemum racemosum (L.) Link ssp. racemosum (eastern variety), according to USDA Plants Database, which also lists 'Feathery False Lily of the Valley' as the common name. I think the False Solomons Seal name is more appropriate due to the similarity of the plant to Solomon's Seal, and I also think it is in more common use, at least in the Southeastern U.S.
The members of the Smilacina genus were reclassified into the genus Maianthemum in the late 20th century, based on work by LaFrankie, published in 1986. There is some evidence that there has been some effort to move Maianthemum from the Lily family into the Butcher's Broom family, but it appears that has not been widely accepted. |  |
| Mayweed | Anthemis cotula
(Introduced) | Mayweed, Stinking Chamomile, Dog Fennel | Anthemis cotula is an introduced species which is now found in every state in the United States in in most of Canada. It can be invasive, and is officially listed as a noxious weed in Colorado and Nevada. |  |
| Meadow Beauty | Rhexia mariana
(Native) | Maryland Meadow Beauty, Pale Meadow Beauty | One of our beautiful summer wildflowers. |  |
| Meadow Parsnip | Thaspium barbinode
(Native) | Hairyjoint Meadow Parsnip | Hairy Meadow Parsnip. Named from stiff hairs at the stem branches on most plants. |  |
| Meadow-rue | Thalictrum thalictroides*
(Native) | Rue Anemone | Low-growing spring wildflower less than a foot tall. Blossoms are pink to pure white with distinctively-shape pistils. |  |
| Meadow-rue | Thalictrum occidentale
(Native) | Western Meadow-rue, Western Meadowrue, Meadow Rue | Thalictrum occidentale is a western species of Meadow Rue, and is found at elevations up to about 10,000 feet.
There is much disagreement over the classification of the species within the Thalictrum genus, as well as difficulty differentiating between some of the species. The plant represented here might be Thalictrum venulosum rather than Thalictrum occidentale - it is difficult to tell without inspecting the seed pods. Some authorities consider Thalictrum confine to be a variety of Thalictrum venulosum, while most currently classify them as separate species.
Found in:
AK, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, WY |  |
| Milkweed | Asclepias quadrifolia*
(Native) | Fourleaf Milkweed | Fourleaf Milkweed |  |
| Milkweed | Asclepias verticillata*
(Native) | Whorled Milkweed | Asclepias verticillata has the typical milkweed blossom shape, but has very narrow leaves in whorls of 3 to 6 up the stem. The plant is normally erect; this specimen was hanging horizontally over a road bank. |  |
| Milkweed | Asclepias tuberosa*
(Native) | Butterfly Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Pleurisy Root, Orange Milkweed | Beautiful milkweed with blossoms ranging from red thru orange to yellow. It is threatened/endangered in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. |  |
| Milkweed | Asclepias variegata*
(Native) | White Milkweed, Redring Milkweed, Variegated Milkweed | White Milkweed is a native plant found in much of the eastern half of the United States outside of New England. It is listed as endangered in Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania |  |
| Milkweed | Asclepias syriaca*
(Native) | Common Milkweed, Silkweed | This native milkweed is found in 38 of our 50 states and in much of Canada. It is listed in several weedy or invasive lists, so consider the impact on your area before propagation. In my opinion, it should be allowed to grow unles there is an overriding reason to destroy a plant's population, since milkweed is an important part of the ecosystem, providing food and habitat for many insects.
The milky white, sticky sap is reported to be toxic, but with appropriate preparation, several parts of the plant are reported to be edible, according to Wildflowers Of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians
. |  |
| Mimosa | Albizia julibrissin
(Introduced) | Silk Tree, Mimosa | Mimosa tree, backyard Walker County GA 06/03/2004 |  |
| Mimosa | Mimosa microphylla *
(Native) | Sensitive Briar, Littleleaf Sensitive-briar | Thumbnail size flower. Allan Ihrer has suggested that this might be M. nuttallii. USDA, however, does not list that species in Tennessee. I originally identified this as M. quadrivalvis, which is listed both as a synonym of M. nuttallii and M. microphylla, and subsequent investigation indicates M. microphylla is likely the correct identification. |  |
| Mistflower | Conoclinium coelestinum*
(Native) | Blue Mistflower, Wild Ageratum, Mistflower | Branching Aster 1' to 3' tall with opposite, almost triangle-shaped toothed leaves. Blue disk flowers but no ray flowers.
Synonym Eupatorium coelestinum. |  |
| Miterwort | Mitella diphylla
(Native) | Miterwort, Bishop's Cap | The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA |  |
| Miterwort | Mitella stauropetala
(Native) | Smallflower Miterwort, Side-flowered miterwort | Smallflower Miterwort is found in 7 northwestern states (CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY.) It has basal leaves with unique white blossoms in a raceme thinly populating one side of a stalk that may rise to 30 inches high. |  |
| Mock Orange | Philadelphus lewisii
(Native) | Lewis’ Mock Orange, Indian Arrowhead, Syringa | Syringa (Lewis Mock Orange) is one of 37 species in the Philadelphus - Mock Orange – genus in the U.S. While it is not a true Syringa (the genus name for lilacs,) that name is the one most commonly used name for the plant in Idaho, where it is the state flower. It is a bushy deciduous shrub that can grow more 10 feet high, and is covered with blossoms in spring. |  |
| Monkeyflower | Mimulus guttatus
(Native) | Yellow Monkeyflower, Common Monkeyflower, Seep Monkeyflower | According to the USDA Plants Database, there are 18 subspecies or varieties of Mimulus guttatus, a highly variable plant. This can make it difficult to distinguish from some of the other species, but I’m fairly confident of this identification. It is found throughout much of the western half of the United States, along with a few disjunct populations back east. It grows along streams and in wet areas, even seasonally wet, which gives it the common name “Seep Monkeyflower.”
Found in:
AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, ID, MI, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, SD, UT, WA, WY |  |
| Morning Glory | Calystegia sepium*
(Native) | Hedge Bindweed, Hedge False Bindweed | Common morning glory found in ditches, fencelines, roadsides. White to pinkish blossom. Elongated arrowhead-shaped leaf.
Note that there are several subspecies of this plant found in the United States, one of which is non-native. I have not identified this to the subspecies, so there is a possibility that this is a non-native rather than native species. Regardless of native or non-native status, several states list Calystegia sepium as a noxious weed.
|  |
| Morning Glory | Ipomoea pandurata*
(Native) | Wild Potato Vine, Man of the Earth, Wild Sweet Potato, Bigroot Morning Glory | This member of the morning glory family, like its cousin the sweet potato, has an edible root - but research it yourself before eating it, and don't eat it raw. |  |
| Morning Glory | Ipomoea coccinea
(Introduced) | Small Red Morning Glory, Redstar, Starflower | Twining vine with cordate leaves to 3 inches and small red/scarlet flowers with a red-orange center to the blossom where the petals meet the corolla tube.
As with many species, there is some disagreement in classification. Floridata calls this a native to the eastern United States, while both the USDA and EFlora list it as an introduced species. In either case, it is listed as a noxious weed in Arizona and Arkansas. It is prohibited to cultivate it in Arizona. |  |
| Mountain Mint | Pycnanthemum incanum*
(Native) | Hoary Mountain Mint | Upper leaves have whitish tops. Dense flower clusters have coarse hairs making the cluster seem to be matted. Whitish flowers with purple spots. Crushed leaves have a very strong mint aroma. |  |
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| Mule Ears | Wyethia helianthoides*
(Native) | White Mule's Ears, White Wyethia, White-rayed Wyethia | The plants of the Wyethia (Mule-ears) genus is found in the western part of the United States. There are 10 classified species, of which two are hybrids. Only three of these are found in Idaho, where these photos are taken. Two of the pure species, Wyethia amplexicaulis and this one, W. Helianthoides, hybridize to form the third classified species found in Idaho, W. Xcusickii.
While White Mule's Ears is a relatively low-growing plant, usually less than 24 inches tall, with the long leaves for which the genus gets its common name being up to 16 inches long. |  |
| Mullein | Verbascum thapsus*
(Introduced) | Common Mullein, Great Mullein | Tall plant with woolly leaves diminishing in size as they alternately rise up the sturdy stem-stalk, which is terminated by a tight cluster of showy yellow flowers. |  |
| Mullein | Verbascum blattaria
(Introduced) | Moth Mullein | Another mullein with showy yellow flowers that you'll frequently see along roadsides throughout most of the United States. |  |
| Mullein Foxglove | Dasistoma macrophylla*
(Native) | Mullein Foxglove, Mullein Seymeria | This is the only species in the Dasistoma genus. It is hemiparasitic – it will attach its roots to the roots of an oak tree and suck mosture and possibly nutrients from the oak. The common name comes from the similarity of the blossom to Mullein and to False Foxglove. The Mullein similarity is what started me looking in the Figwort family for the identification of the plant after I photographed it in Walker County, Georgia. That is the only county in Georgia where the USDA Plants Database has it ilisted. It has a fairly broad distribution, being found in 22 states. It is officially listed as Threatened in Michigan, and of Special Concern in Georgia and Wisconsin.
Synonym: Seymeria macrophylla
Found in:
AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, NE, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV |  |
| Nightshade | Solanum carolinense
(Native) | Carolina Horse Nettle, Bull Nettle, Devil's Tomato | Not a true nettle, this is a member of the nightshade genus which includes the garden tomato. The Solanaceae family includes the Irish potato. In spite of the edible cousins, do not eat any part of this plant; as with most nightshades it is highly poisonous.
In spite of being a native plant, the deep-rooted and persistent Solanum carolinense is listed as a noxious weed in 7 of the 44 states where it is found. |  |
| Onion | Allium canadense
(Native) | Wild Garlic, Meadow Garlic | Walker County, GA 05/10/2009 |  |
| Onion | Allium simillimum*
(Native) | Simil Onion, Dwarf Onion | Allium simillimum is not a widely distributed plant, being found only in about half of Idaho and only in a few locations in Montana. I observed only at elevations above 5,000 feet, but I don't know if it is purely a plant of higher elevations or not.
Similar species: - Allium brandegeei - Brandegee's Onion, which has a longer stem and shorter leaves
- Allium parvum - Small Onion, which has a flatter stems and leaves
- Allium tomiei - Many-flowered Onion has much longer, more sharply pointed tepals.
|  |
| Onion | Allium acuminatum*
(Native) | Tapertip Onion, Hooker’s Onion | This is one of the western species in the Allium genus, being found in the 11 westernmost of the lower 48 states. It grows in dry areas at moderate elevations, typically blooming in April thru July. These were photographed along the lower sections of the Kleinschmidt Grade in Idaho.
Found in:
AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY |  |
| Onion | Allium stellatum*
(Native) | Glade Onion, Prairie Onion, Cliff Onion, Autumn Onion, Lady's Leek, Wild Onion | The USDA still lists Allium in the Liliaceae family, although some recent classification efforts have moved it into the Amaryllidaceae – Amaryllis - family. Since ITIS lists the genus in Amaryllidaceae, I have included the Allium species in that family here as well.
Glade Onion grows in thin soils over limestone; frequently found in cedar glades. It is also found in rocky prairie soils, and thus in some areas carries the common name Prairie Onion.
Allium stellatum is Endangered in Tennessee, and is not even listed by the USDA as being found in Georgia, although that is where these photographs were taken. The plant was shown to me by Jay Clark, at what is likely the easternmost extent of its range.
Similar Allium Species:
- Allium canadense – Bulbils present in inflorescence.
- Allium cernuum – Nodding inflorescence vs the upright inflorescence in A. stellatum.
- Allium vineale – Bulbils form after or during anthesis. Leaves are round in cross-section.
Found in:
AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, OK, SD, TN, TX, WI, WY |  |
| Parsley | Erigenia bulbosa
(Native) | Harbinger-of-Spring, Pepper and Salt | aka Pepper and Salt due to contrast between dark anthers and white petals. The Pocket, Walker County Ga, Feb 7, 2009 |  |
| Partridge Pea | Chamaecrista fasciculata*
(Native) | Partridge Pea, Sleepingplant | Bright summer flower whose blossoms arise from the axils of the pinnately-compound leaves, which fold together when touched. Plant to 3 feet tall. |  |
| Partridge Pea | Chamaecrista nictitans*
(Native) | Sensitive Partridge Pea, Wild Sensitive Plant, Sensitive Pea | Low-growing pea with yellow flowers and pinnately-divided leaves. The leaves will sometime fold up when touched. There is a tiny gland on the petiole near the plant stem.
Chamaecrista nictitans is a highly variable species, with 2 subspecies, nictitans and patellaria. Only nictitans is found in the continental US, and that subspecies has 5 varieties. The variety presented here, nictitans, is the most widespread variety. |  |
| Partridgeberry | Mitchella repens*
(Native) | Partridgeberry, Partridge Berry, Sqaw Vine, Eyeberry | An evergreen; the red berries and green foliage of Partridgeberry form appealing mats that grace forest floors, even in winter. The creeping stems of the plant are the source of the species epithet repens.
Mitchella repens is listed as Threatened in Iowa. |  |
| Passion Flower | Passiflora incarnata*
(Native) | Purple Passionflower, Maypop | According to unconfirmed information on Wikipedia, the Cherokees called this Ocoee and therefore the Ocoee River is named after this plant, which is the Tennessee State wildflower. Walker County, Ga - June 23, 2009 |  |
| Pea | Lathyrus latifolius
(Introduced) | Perennial Pea, Sweet Pea, Everlasting Pea | Vine to 6 feet long with winged stems, petioles, and peduncles which uses petiole-terminating tendrils to climb. One to several pink to magenta butterfly-like blossoms on smooth, unwinged pedicels. |  |
| Pennywort | Obolaria virginica
(Native) | Pennywort, Virginia Pennywort | A native of the eastern part of the United States, this small woodland plant is the only member of the genus Obolaria. |  |
| Periwinkle | Vinca major
(Introduced) | Bigleaf Periwinkle, Large Periwinkle, Greater Periwinkle | Periwinkle, both Vinca major and Vinca minor are introduced species which escaped from gardens and have become fairly widely naturalized. V. major has larger leaves than V. minor as well as a larger blossom. V. Minor blossom is usually an inch across or smaller, while V. major may be 1.5 to 2 inches wide. |  |
| Periwinkle | Vinca minor*
(Introduced) | Small Periwinkle, Common Periwinkle, Dwarf Periwinkle, Lesser Periwinkle, Creeping Myrtle | This plant, introduced from central and southern Europe, can be weedy or invasive. It is an an attractive groundcover, which is the reason it made its way to the United States and is so widespread.
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV |  |
| Petunia | Ruellia caroliniensis*
(Native) | Carolina Wild Petunia | Hairy, long-pointed calyx lobes helps identify this wild petunia species. Walker County, 06/07/2009 |  |
| Phacelia | Phacelia bipinnatifida*
(Native) | Purple Phacelia, Fernleaf Phacelia | Aka Fernleaf Phacelia. |  |
| Phacelia | Phacelia hastata*
(Native) | Silverleaf Phacelia, Timberline Phacelia, Mountain Phacelia | Phacelia hastata may grow to 3 feet tall, although it is sometimes decumbent – the stems lying along the ground. It is a plant of mid to alpine elevations. These were photographed at 3,000' or higher. |  |
| Phlox | Phlox pilosa
(Native) | Downy Phlox | Downy Phlox, Chilhowee Mountain, Polk County, TN 05/08/2004 |  |
| Phlox | Phlox paniculata
(Native) | Fall Phlox; Garden phlox | Near Big Frog Mountain on FR221, Polk County, TN 06/13/2004 |  |
| Phlox | Phlox amoena*
(Native) | Hairy Phlox | Phlox species are difficult to differentiate. Not only do several species share similar shapes in both the flower and the leaves, but the color ranges are broad and similar. This unique characteristic for this species is the hairy flower calyx. Photo from Grundy County, TN, April 26 2008. |  |
| Phlox | Phlox divaricata
(Native) | Wild Blue Phlox | aka Woodland Phlox. The Pocket, Walker County GA 03/18/2009 |  |
| Phlox | Phlox glaberrima*
(Native) | Smooth Phlox | The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA 05/04/2009 |  |
| Pigeonwings | Clitoria mariana
(Native) | Butterfly Pea, Atlantic pigeonwings | July 12, 2007 Grundy County TN |  |
| Pincushion | Chaenactis douglasii*
(Native) | Dusty Maidens, Douglas' Dustymaiden, Chaenactis, Douglas False Yarrow | This is a member of the Asteraceae family which has no ray flowers, growing in the western part of the United States and Canada.
Medicinal: According to the Malheur Agricultural Experiment Station, Oregon State University: “Infusion of the plant is used as a wash for chapped hands, insect bites, boils, tumors, and swellings by the Okanagon, and Thompson. A strong decoction of the plants were applied to snakebites by the Thompson, Okanagon, and Paiute”
Found in:
AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, ND, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY |  |
| Pink | Dianthus armeria*
(Introduced) | Deptford Pink, Mountain Pink | Some authorities consider this plant, a European native, to be weedy or invasive. This is supported by the fact that this introduced species is now found in the wild in all but three states (not known in Arizona, Alaska, or North Dakota) as well as much of Canada. Deptford is a town in the south of England where the plant grew in such abundance that it became the source of the common name.
Similar to Maiden Pink.
The Mountain Pink common name is more commonly used for the species Centaurium beyrichii. |  |
| Pinkroot | Spigelia marilandica*
(Native) | Indian Pink, Woodland Pinkroot, Worm grass | Indian Pink is an attractive plant, and by the color and shape of the flower, you could guess correctly that it is popular with hummingbirds. It has a number of medicinal properties, and is said to be an effective anti-worming agent (thus the Worm Grass name, presumably.) However, as with many plants used for medicinal purposes, it can be toxic and deadly if ingested improperly. |  |
| Pitcherplant | Sarracenia oreophila*
(Native) | Green Pitcher Plant | This plant is critically endangered due to habitat destruction, both by development and agricultural use, and by plant collection by carnivorous plant enthusiasts and commercial dealers. There are about 35 known populations now: 5 counties in Alabama, 1 county in Georgia and 1 county in North Carolina. Formerly it was found in 7 additional counties in GA & AL. It was also known in one county in Tennessee, which is why the distribution on the USDA map includes TN. The Nature Conservancy has acquired three sites, the single Georgia location, a site in North Carolina, and one other site.
S. oreophila grows from a rhizome which may produce multiple pitchers, flowers, and leaves. While rhizomes are the principal mode of reproduction, it also produces seeds from its interesting flower.
Reference: Recovery Plan Green Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia oreophila) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region, Atlanta, Georgia |  |
| Plantain | Plantago lanceolata
(Introduced) | Narrowleaf Plantain, English Plantain, Buckhorn, Lanceleaf Plantain | One of several true plantains (genus Plantago) in the NW Georgia area. |  |
| Plum | Prunus virginiana*
(Native) | Chokecherry, Western Chokecherry, Black Chokecherry | There are three varieties of Prunus virginiana in the United States - P. Virginia var. virginiana (Common Chokecherry) is found in the eastern part of the country, and both P. virginiana var. melanocarpa (Black Chokecherry) and P. virginiana var. demissa (Western Chokecherry) are found in the western part. One variety or another is found in every state except Louisiana, Alabana, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, and Hawaii. Chokecherry is also found in most Canadian provinces.
There are minor differences between the varieties. Among other differences, var. melanocarpa has black fruit while the others have red or purple fruit. The fruit is edible, but use caution – as with many drupes (fruits with skin, pulp, and hard middle seed) the pit can be poisonous if consumed in large enough quantities (note that this is also true of peach, cherry, and plum pits,) and children have reportedly died from eating a large quantity of chokecherries with pits.
My initial identification of this plant was made using Idaho Mountain Wildflowers
.
Although it is a useful wildlife food, it is considered weedy or invasive in the Northeast by some authorities, so use some discrimination in determining whether to propagate the plant. |  |
| Pokeweed | Phytolacca americana*
(Native) | American Pokeweed, Pokeberry, Inkberry, Poke Sallet | Famously edible leaves for Poke Sallet (Poke Salad), but careful - other plant parts, including the mature leaves, are poisonous. The berries also stain, and can be used to make an ink. While there are many rumors on the Internet that the original U.S. constitution was written in pokeberry ink, and I have not yet found any truly authoritative source of information, the best information I can find implies that this is not the case; the constitution was written with iron-gall ink. However, more likely are the reports that many letters written home during the U.S. Civil War were indeed written with pokeberry ink.
American Pokeweed can be weedy (Twitter friend @kevinsonger even attributes - jokingly, I presume - spontaneous generation to the plant) and is listed officially as such by several authoritative sources, such as the Southern Weed Science Society.
Herbalist Guido Mase of the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism tweeted this about the plant: "Root toxic, low-dose lymphatic, cancer / infection support. Berry juice=solar panel." The solar panel reference is about the juice being used in an experimental solar panel to produce electricity, as reported at newsobserver.com.
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV |  |
| Pond-lily | Nuphar lutea*
(Native) | Yellow Pond Lily, Cowlily, Spatterdock | There seems to be some debate in the scientific community as to the appropriate names for Yellow Pond Lily. There are apparently 8 subspecies of this native plant, or maybe that's 8 separate species, depending on who you ask. I typically use the USDA classification, so for these purposes this is one of the subspecies of Nuphar lutea. One or more subspecies is found in every state in the United States except Hawaii, and in every Canadian province.
Yellow Pond Lily is an aquatic species which has a history of medical and food use. |  |
| Porteranthus | Porteranthus trifoliatus
(Native) | Bowman's Root, False Ipecac | Generally smooth-stemmed, branched, to about 3 feet tall. Leaves have three lanceolate, toothed leaflets that are 2-3 inches long, with a pair of narrow, untoothed stipules that fall off before the plant blooms. Similar species Porteranthus stipulatus (syn: Gillenia stipulata) retains its large, toothed stipules during flowering.
Found in: AL, AR, DC, DE, GA, IL, KY, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WV (USDA)
Synonym: Gillenia trifoliata. USDA lists this in genus Gillenia; ITIS lists it in Porteranthus. |  |
| Primrose-willow | Ludwigia alternifolia*
(Native) | Seedbox, Smooth Seedbox, Bushy Seedbox, Rattle-box, Square-pod Water-primrose | Ludwidigia alternifolia is a plant found in swamps and other moist areas throughout much of the eastern United States and on west into Colorado. It grows to three or four feet tall, although it may have a tendency to recline on other plants, blooming from mid- to late summer.
Thanks to Twitter friend @PineLilyFNPS for the tip that Ludwigia species are larval hosts for the Banded Sphinx Moth - Eumorpha fasciatus fasciatus
Found in:
AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV |  |
| Purple Coneflower | Echinacea purpurea*
(Native) | Eastern Purple Coneflower, Purple Coneflower | There are nine species of Echinacea found in the United State, with every state except for our 9 western-most states having at least one species. This species, Echinacea purpurea, is found in more of our states (28) than any of the other species.
Echinacea purpurea is a plant that grows to about 3 feet tall, with single terminal composite blossoms having pinkish-purple rays.
Eastern Purple Coneflower is listed as Endangered in Florida, and as Probably Extirpated in Michigan. |  |
| Pussytoes | Antennaria plantaginifolia*
(Native) | Plantain-leaf Pussytoes, Woman's Tobacco | The USDA Plants Database lists 40 species of Antennaria in the United States and Canada, and there is at least one species in every state except Hawaii. Antennaria plantaginifolia is one of only six species found east of the Mississippi River, being present in every state east of that geographic boundary as well as in the 5 other Mississippi River bordering states.
Plantain-leaf Pussytoes is stoloniferous – growing from a runner along the ground, and dioecious – male and female flowers are on different plants. |  |
| Queen Anne's Lace | Daucus carota*
(Introduced) | Queen Anne's Lace, Wild Carrot | While the root of Queen Anne's Lace is edible, use caution! This plant, as with all members of the carrot family, looks quite similar to poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), the deadly plant believed to be the source of the poison that killed Socrates.
From the website "Plantllife": There are several stories as to why the wild version is named 'Queen Anne's lace'. Most revolve around King James I's consort - the Queen Anne in question - who is said to have pricked her finger and stained some lace with a drop of blood. Wild carrot's single red flower surrounded by frothy white blossom is quite evocative of this tale. |  |
| Ragweed | Ambrosia trifida*
(Native) | Great Ragweed, Buffalo Weed, Horseweed, Giant Ragweed, Tall Ambrosia | Ambrosia – the nectar of the gods. An unlikely name for the genus of 24 species native to the United States which causes so much discomfort to us mere humans. At least one of these species is found in every state; Ambrosia trifida is found in all but 3 – Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada. It is the tallest of the Ambrosia species, sometimes growing to more than 10 feet tall.
The ragweeds generally cause much hayfever, allergic reaction, and asthma exacerbation due to their tiny airborne pollen, which can drift and be inhaled far from the source plant. In addition, this highly persistent plant is considered a noxious weed farmers. According to Wikipedia, it can reduce corn and soybean crop yields by more than 50%. |  |
| Ragweed | Ambrosia artemisiifolia*
(Native) | Common Ragweed, Annual Ragweed, Small Ragweed, Roman Wormwood | The leaves and stem of Common Ragweed are hairy. The leaves are deeply lobed and quite ragged. The inflorescence is a slender, almost candle-like cluster at the end of the stems. The upper flowers are usually male; the lower flowers female.
The ragweeds generally cause much hayfever, allergic reaction, and asthma exacerbation due to their tiny airborne pollen, which can drift and be inhaled far from the source plant. Because of this, other plants which bloom at the same time, such as Goldenrod, frequently get blamed for ragweed-caused hayfever.
Common ragweed is found in every state in the United States except for Alaska, and is found in most of Canada. While it is an introduced species in Hawaii, it is native to continental North America. Two varieties of the plant are native to the eastern United States; a variety found in the all but a few southeastern states is native to Canada but not to the United States, according to the USDA Plants Database. It is officially listed as a noxious weed in Illinois, Michigan, and Oregon, and is thus legally controlled. It is considered a weed due to agricultural considerations in much of the United States.
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY |  |
| Redbud | Cercis canadensis*
(Native) | Eastern Redbud | The Eastern Redbud adds a pink hue to the forest edges in early spring. |  |
| Rhododendron | Rhododendron calendulaceum
(Native) | Flame Azalea | Flame Azalea is Endangered in Ohio, and has been Extirpated in Pennsylvania.
Found in:
AL, CT, GA, KY, MD, NC, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
This example from Polk County, TN |  |
| Rhododendron | Rhododendron catawbiense
(Native) | Catawba Rhododendron, Mountain Rosebay,Purple Rhododendron | |  |
| Rhododendron | Rhododendron maximum
(Native) | Rosebay Rhododendron, Great Laurel, White Laurel | Mid-June in the Smokies |  |
| Rhododendron | Rhododendron canescens
(Native) | Florida Pinxter, Mountain Azalea, Pink Azalea, Hoary Azalea | This plant is Endangered in Kentucky, and Commercially Exploited in Florida.
Grundy County TN 04/26 |  |
| Rhododendron | Rhododendron periclymenoides*
(Native) | Pink Azalea; Pinxter Flower | Officially listed in these states:
New Hampshire - Endangered
New York - Exploitably Vulnerable
Ohio - Threatened
Rhode Island - Special Concern
Synonym: Rhododendron nudiflorum
Found in:
AL, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, KY, MA, MD, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV |  |
| Rose | Rosa multiflora*
(Introduced) | Multiflora Rose | Rosa multiflora is an invasive, weedy species with thorny, arching branches and fragrant blossoms in the late spring. While it can be attractive while in bloom, I know from personal experience this is not a plant you want want to propagate. |  |
| Rose | Rosa woodsii*
(Native) | Woods Rose, Common Wild Rose, Mountain Rose | While it's pretty easy to identify a wild rose, I am usually reluctant to call a specific species identification because there is usually significant variation within species, and significant similarities between species. For example this plant, Woods Rose (Rosa woodsii) and Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana) are very similar except for size, and the Nootka Rose generally grows at higher elevations than the Woods' Rose. This time, however, I was walking the 3 mile long Hull's Gulch National Recreation Trail in the Boise Foothills, and there was a sign along the way mentioning some of the plants, among which Woods' Rose was listed.
There are four currently recognized varieties of Woods' Rose. One variety is found only in California (var. glabrata), and one only in California and Nevada (var. gratissima.) Var. ultramontana is the more widespread western variety, and var. woodsii is found through the central part of the United States and Canada, and in eastern Canada – primarily east of the Rockies. Montana and New Mexico have both varieties.
Rosa Woodsii is a species widely distributed across much of western and middle America and prefers moist conditions, but can adapt to an extremely wide variety of soils. Primary thicket growth is by rhizome.
Woods' Rose is a shrub that grows to 6 or 7 feet tall, with many red, thorny canes forming what may be almost impenetrable thickets, a good cover for birds and small animals. The thorns are straight or slightly curved, covering primarily the lower portion of the stems.
Found in:
AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY |  |
| Rose Gentian | Sabatia angularis*
(Native) | Rose Pink | Upright plant 2' to 3' tall, opposite mostly ovate leaves that appear to be sessile. 5-petaled blossom with distinct yellow-green pentagonal center, which is has a red outline. |  |
| Rose Gentian | Sabatia capitata*
(Native) | Appalachian Rose Gentian, Cumberland Rose Gentian | Found in only 4 states (AL, GA, NC, TN), Sabatia capitata is legally protected, listed as Rare in Georgia, where it is known in 7 counties, and listed as Endangered in Tennessee, where it is known only in 2 counties – Hamilton and Sequatchie. It is listed as "S2" - some level of endangered - in Alabama. The research that I've done so far implies that it is likely extinct in North Carolina. |  |
| Rosinweed | Silphium pinnatifidum*
(Native) | Cutleaf Rosinweed, Cutleaf Prairie Dock, Tansy Rosinweed | Rosinweeds look very similar to sunflowers, but the seeds form from the ray flowers in rosinweeds, and from the disk flowers in sunflowers. Silphium pinnatifidum can be to 10' tall, and has numerous heads on branching, nearly leafless stems. S. pinnatifidum is considered by some botanists to be a variety of S. terebinthinaceum, with the primary difference being the deeply lobed (almost to the central vein) leaves in S. pinnatifidum. The basal floret of leaves in S. terebinthinaceum are spade-like. |  |
| Rosinweed | Silphium mohrii*
(Native) | Mohr's Rosinweed, Shaggy Rosinweed | Description: Very hairy plant to 6 feet tall, found in only a few counties in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. |  |
| Sage | Salvia lyrata*
(Native) | Lyreleaf Sage | Lyreleaf Sage is a member of the mint family. Leaves are primarily basal, are oblong and deeply pinnately lobed. The plant is 1 to 2 feet tall, and blossoms in late spring or early summer. It can dominate open fields during its blooming season. The genus name Salvia implies the many medicinal purposes for which many of the 95 species in the genus are used. |  |
| Sea Purslane | Sesuvium portulacastrum*
(Native) | Sea Purslane, Sea Pickle, Shoreline Seapurslane | This is a prostrate, succulent herbaceous plant of dunes and beaches along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern Atlantic Coast. The stems and leaves are edible, and have a salty pickel-like flavor, giving it the alternate common name of Sea Pickle.
Found in:
AL, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, NC, PA, SC, TX |  |
| Selfheal | Prunella vulgaris*
(Native) | Heal-All, Common Selfheal | North Georgia, Oct 2004. Used as herbal remedy for throat ailments |  |
| Senna | Senna marilandica*
(Native) | Southern Wild Senna | Member of the pea family with pinnate leaf structure and dense flower clusters in the leaf axils in the upper part of the plant. |  |
| Sherardia | Sherardia arvensis
(Introduced) | Field Madder, blue fieldmadder, Spurwort | This is the only species in the Sherardia genus found in the United States. While the USDA Plants database does not list it as an invasive species, that is probably because of relatively low economic impact; it is clearly spreading.
The plant grows 4 to 16 inches tall, but will sprawl and form mats with the flowers only a few inches above the ground.
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV |  |
| Silverbell | Halesia tetraptera*
(Native) | Mountain Silverbell, Carolina Silverbell, 4-wing Silverbell | Halesia tetraptera is a tree with white bell-shaped flowers that persist for about a week in the springtime. Depending on your choice of authority, there are two or three species of Halesia. H. tetraptera, H. carolina, and H. diptera are recognized by the USDA and , but most authorities seem to now classify what was H. Carolina as a subspecies of H. tetraptera. H. diptera, according to an article at Virginia Tech, is not a mountain species and is not found in North Georgia.
I'm breaking with my normal stance of considering ITIS to be authoritative on the valid classification because the following (and others) have chosen to classify H. carolina as a synonym of H. tetraptera. - Vanderbilt University
- NC State University
- Ohio State University
- Virginia Tech
- Richard Ware of the Georgia Botanical Society
H. tetraptera var tetraptera is a smaller tree to 35'. H. tetraptera var monticola can be over 100'. The tree we photographed was a small tree, but since it was clearly a young tree, the height was not indicative of the particular subspecies. |  |
| Skullcap | Scutellaria ovata*
(Native) | Heartleaf skullcap | Hairy, square-stemmed plant with blue to violet blossom with white corolla base. Leaves have cordate base attached to long petiole. |  |
| Skullcap | Scutellaria pseudoserrata*
(Native) | Southern Showy Skullcap, Falseteeth skullcap | There are 45 species of Scutellaria found in United States, 42 of which are native. At least one Scutellaria species is found in every state except Hawaii. S. pseudoserrata is found in 5 southern states – Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Similar species are S. elliptica, which has blue to violet flowers with white markings and hairy leaves, S. montana, which is almost entirely white with a lavender lower lip, and S. serrata, which may not have the distinct dark lavender lines exhibited by S. Pseudoserrata near the center of the lower lip. |  |
| Skullcap | Scutellaria integrifolia*
(Native) | Helmet Flower, Hissopleaf Skullcap, Helmet Skullcap, Hyssop Skullcap | Scutellaria integrifolia is an early summer wildflower found in fields and open woods. It is usually between 9 inches and 2 feet tall, and may have a branch or two in the stem. The stem and branches are terminated with clusters of blue, pink, or occasionally white flowers.
Endangered in Connecticut and New York, it is found in 23 of our eastern states |  |
| Sneezeweed | Helenium amarum*
(Native) | Bitterweed, Yellowdicks | Common weed found in meadows, along roadsides, and other disturbed areas. If cows eat them their milk will have a bitter taste. This plant is a native of the United States. |  |
| Sneezeweed | Helenium flexuosum*
(Native) | Purple-headed Sneezeweed, Purplehead Sneezeweed | Native to a large part of the United States, Helenium flexuosum has been introduced to and naturalized in parts of eastern Canada. It is a plant growing in damp areas up to about 3 feet tall, branching in the upper part of the plant. The blossoms terminate these stems.
Synonym: Helenium nudiflorum
Found in:
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV |  |
| Snow-wreath | Neviusia alabamensis*
(Native) | Alabama Snow-wreath | Alabama Snow-wreath is a rare decidous shrub with a blackberry-like stem, but the snow-wreath is thornless. It's a native plant found only in 6 states, and is listed as Threatened in its namesake Alabama, in Tennessee, and in Georgia, where it is found only in Walker County. |  |
| Solomon's Seal | Polygonatum biflorum*
(Native) | Smooth Solomon's Seal | Smooth Solomon's seal (P. biflorum) is 1 to 4 feet tall, arching, and is found in rich moist forests thoughout the eastern two-thirds of the United States and Canada. Similar species Hairy Solomon's seal (P. pubescens), has hairy veins on the underside of the leaf.
The name Solomon's Seal references the circular scars on the rhizome left by each year's flower stalk. I have not personally observed this, nor do I know what the seal of King Solomon looked like. |  |
| Speedwell | Veronica persica*
(Introduced) | Bird's Eye Speedwell, Persian Speedwell, Birdeye Speedwell | aka Persian Speedwell. May be V. arvensis, but longer flower pedicels imply V. persica, although USDA Plants Database doesn't list V. persica in Walker County, GA 03/28/2009
See Speedwell identification for more information on my identification process for this species. |  |
| Spicebush | Lindera benzoin*
(Native) | Northern Spicebush | Lindera benzoin is a shrub of moist forest understories, growing to 15-20 feet tall. You can make tea from the aromatic leaves and twigs. |  |
| Spiderwort | Tradescantia subaspera*
(Native) | Zigzag Spiderwort, Wideleaf Spiderwort | While spiderworts are found in all but 5 states, Tradescantia subaspera is found only in 18 states in the eastern half of the United States. The lovely 3-petaled blossoms melt away when the sun gets on them. According to a quote from 1894 wildflower author George Iles, found at Arthur Lee Jacobson's website, the "Spiderwort" name comes from the ability to draw the sun-melted blossoms out into long threads like a spider's web.
|  |
| Spiderwort | Tradescantia virginiana
(Native) | Virginia Spiderwort | Virginia Spiderwort |  |
| Spindletree | Euonymus americanus*
(Native) | Bursting Heart, Hearts-a-bustin', Strawberry Bush. | E. americanus is a shrub with thin stems and opposing, shallowly serrated leaves. The bush grows from 4 to 6 feet tall. Fruit is a red 4-lobed capsule. Each lobe splits open in the autumn, giving the name Bursting Heart.
A similar but taller and more northern species is Euonymous atropurpureus - Burningbush.
Thanks to @scgardeningnews for tweeting the South Carolina Native Plant Society Plant Identification website where I saw a photo that made this identification for me. |  |
| Spindletree | Euonymus atropurpureus*
(Native) | Burningbush, Eastern Wahoo, Spindle Tree, Indian Arrow-Wood | While Burningbush is the common name listed by the USDA, it is probably more commonly known as Eastern Wahoo. It grows as a shrub or small tree found throughout the eastern and central United States except for Vermont. It is found as far west as Montana. Synonyms are E. carolinensis & E. latifolius.
Wahoo Bark is an herbal medicine that is used for constipation and gall bladder problems, according to Mercy Hospitals. |  |
| Spring Beauty | Claytonia caroliniana*
(Native) | Carolina Spring Beauty, Wide-leaved Spring Beauty | Spring Beauty is one of the early wildflowers, normally blooming March through early May, although you may catch a blossom opening in late February in some locations.
Carolina Spring Beauty - Claytonia caroliniana has a pair of stem leaves which are lanceolate-ovate on a distinct petiole. Similar Virginia Spring Beauty - C. virginiana - has narrow, grass-like leaves narrowing into an indistinct petiole. |  |
| Spring Beauty | Claytonia virginica*
(Native) | Virginia Spring Beauty, Narrow-leaved Spring Beauty | Early spring wildflower that can be 4 to 12 inches tall. Very similar to Carolina Spring Beauty - C. caroliniana - with the primary differentiator being the leaf shape.
It is protected in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island as an endangered or historical species, according to the USDA Plants Database. |  |
| Spring Beauty | Claytonia perfoliata*
(Native) | Miner’s Lettuce, Indian Lettuce, Winter Purslane | One or more of the 28 North American species of Claytonia (Spring Beauty) are found in every state except Florida, Hawaii, and North Dakota. This species, Claytonia perfoliata, is primarily a western species, although disjunct populations have been reported in New Hampshire and Georgia. The USDA Plants Database shows it as introduced to Alaska and native to Georgia and New Hampshire, although I'm going to guess that it is likely an introduced species in those states as well. There are three subspecies of C. perfoliata - intermontana, mexicana, and perfoliata. Since ssp. perfoliata is the only one the USDA lists as being found in Idaho, where these photos were taken, it seems likely that these are ssp. perfoliata :-). |  |
| Spurge | Euphorbia mercurialina
(Native) | Cumberland Spurge, Mercury Spurge | The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA 03/21/2009 |  |
| Spurge | Euphorbia corollata*
(Native) | Flowering Spurge, Blooming Spurge, Emetic Root | I have just a slight doubt as to whether this is Euphorbia corollata (Flowering Spurge) or E. pubentissima (False Flowering Spurge,) both of which look almost identical in the photographs I've found, and I have not found a description of E. pubentissima sufficiently detailed to allow me to make a feature by feature comparison. The one observation I had that seemed a possible difference is that many of the site which seemed more authoritative showed E. pubentissima with fewer blossoms terminating the stems; occasionally only one. That, plus the fact that I couldn't find anything that indicates that this is not E. corollata has led me to make the call that this is Flowering Spurge. If anyone can point me to good information on differentiation of these two species, I would greatly appreciate it – email me.
The common name Spurge for members of the Euphorbia species is reported to come from the French word meaning purge – this plant has some strong medicinal and potentially poisonous properties, so do not ingest it. Further, the milky white sap is reported to be highly irritating to the skin, possibly even causing blistering. So carefully inspect it closely; it is an interesting plant. |  |
| Spurge | Euphorbia cyathophora
(Native) | Wild Poinsettia, Mexican Fireplant, Fire on the Mountain, Painted Euphorbia, Desert Poinsettia | This plant is one of a few Euphorbias called “Wild Poinsettia” as a common name – the well-known Christmas Poinsettia is also a Euphorbia species (E. pulcherimma.) While researching for the species name, I came away confused, but after finding this in the online Flora of China, I understood: “There has been much confusion in the literature between this and the following species, Euphorbia heterophylla.” Based on the Flora of China description, Euphorbia heterophylla has a pale or green marking at the base of the upper leaves where Euphorbia cyathophora has the distinctive red markings which lead to the “Fire on the Mountain” common name. This confusion apparently has led some publications to list Euphorbia heterophylla as a synonym of Euphorbia cyathophora and vice versa, and also to publish photos of one of the species as being the other. Of course, with all this confusion, Flora of China could be incorrect as well. Apparently at least one form or variety of Euphorbia heterophylla - var cyathophora - is what is now classified as the separate species Euphorbia cyathophora.
Apparently Euphorbia cyathophora can have either the violin-shaped and ovate leaves shown on the plant here, or long, linear leaves I've seen on other photos. I originally thought this was the easy differentiator between the two species, but from what I have found so far, that was an incorrect assumption.
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, FL, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NM, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI |  |
| Squawroot | Conopholis americana*
(Native) | Squawroot | Parisitic plant that makes it's living off the roots of oak trees. |  |
| Star Grass | Hypoxis hirsuta*
(Native) | Yellow Star Grass, Common Goldstar | Yellow Star Grass - Recently moved from Liliaceae family to the Hypoxidaceae (African Potato) family. Many taxonomists don't recognize the Hypoxidaceae family |  |
| Starwort | Stellaria pubera*
(Native) | Star Chickweed | Polk County, TN |  |
| Starwort | Stellaria media*
(Introduced) | Common Chickweed | Common Chickweed is a non-native species which is now found in every state in the United States. It is low-growing, often found in mats of tangle plants in disturbed areas. It can be invasive. |  |
| Stonecrop | Sedum ternatum
(Native) | Woodland stonecrop | The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA 04/04/2009 |  |
| Stoneseed | Lithospermum tuberosum*
(Native) | Southern Stoneseed, Tuberous Stoneseed, Tuberous Gromwell | A hairy plant growing from 1 to 2 feet tall in forests with underlying limestone rocks in the southeastern United States. While the genus name refers to the very hard seed, the species epithet refers to the tuber-like root. I photographed this plant after author Jay Clark pointed it out to me as we crossed a limestone outcropping on a deer trail we were walking in one of the few placed in Georgia where it's found.
Found in:
AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV |  |
| Storksbill | Erodium cicutarium*
(Introduced) | Crane’s Bill Geranium, Redstem Stork's Bill, Storksbill, Redstem Filaree, Heron's Bill | Erodium cicutarium is a plant of eurasian origin but has now spread throughout the world. According to the USDA Plants Database (map shown to the right) the only states where it is not found are Mississippi and Florida. While more common at lower elevations, it can be found in the montane zone which generally extends up to around 7500'. This plant is classified as a noxious weed in Colorado. |  |
| Strawberry | Fragaria virginiana
(Native) | Virginia Strawberry, Wild Strawberry | This most widely-distributed wild strawberry, the Virginia Strawberry is found in every state in the United States except Hawaii. This United States native plant was one of the two species used to create the hybrid garden strawberry. |  |
| Sunflower | Helianthus angustifolius*
(Native) | Swamp Sunflower, Narrow-leaf Sunflower | aka Narrow-leaved Sunflower. Relatively easy sunflower to identify due to the narrow leaves, which are no longer than normal for a sunflower, but much narrower. The stem of Helianthus angustifolius has coarse hairs, especially on the lower part of the plant. The leaves also have hairs on the edge near the stem. Narrow-leaf sunflower has yellow ray flowers with darker disk flowers than many other sunflowers. |  |
| Sunflower | Helianthus atrorubens*
(Native) | Purpledisk sunflower, Appalachian sunflower | Multiple flower heads terminating a stem which is quite hairy in the lower half; glabrous to pubescent nearing the inflorescence. The leaves are opposite with leaf pairs in whorled pattern around the stem. The leaves are greatly reduced as they near the top. Several flowers each on an individual 3” pedicels. Ovate, veined leaves are hairy and rough on top; hairy on bottom. A similar species is H. silphioides; the reason I decided this species is H. atrorubens is that the USDA doesn't list H. silphioides as being found in Georgia. |  |
| Sunflower | Helianthus microcephalus*
(Native) | Small Woodland Sunflower, Small-headed Sunflower | This is one of just a few Helianthus species which normally has fewer than 10 ray florets (petals.) Both the rays and disk are yellow. This plant is native to the eastern part of the United States, mostly south and central. The stem is smooth, sometimes glaucous, and the opposing lanceolate leaves are quite rough on the upper surface.
Found in:
AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV |  |
| Sunflower | Helianthus decapetalus*
(Native) | Thinleaf Sunflower, Ten-petal Sunflower, Forest Sunflower, Pale Sunflower | Helianthus decapetalus is an occasionally branching plant from 2 to 5 feet tall, with multiple flower heads on long stalks. It is a relatively leafy sunflower, with opposite leaves on the lower part of the plant and alternate leaves on the upper part of the plant. This is one of the sunflowers that may have green or reddish stems. The stems are smooth, occasionally glaucous, in the lower part, and may have short hairs in the upper area, usually so in the inflorescence. It blooms in late summer and well into fall.
Found in:
AL, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV |  |
| Sunflower | Helianthus tuberosus*
(Native) | Jerusalem Artichoke, Jerusalem Sunflower, Sunchoke, Girasole | As with many members of Helianthus, Jerusalem Artichoke can be quite variable. One of the key features of this plant, the edible tubers, are underground and produced late in the season, so they aren't really a good identification feature (unless you want folks walking around pulling up the plants – I don't.)
This beautiful, showy sunflower is considered weedy or invasive by some authorities. It is found in all but 5 states, and also in much of Canada.
Found in:
AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY |  |
| Sunflower | Helianthus debilis*
(Native) | Dune Sunflower, Beach Sunflower, Cucumberleaf Sunflower, East Coast Dune Sunflower, Branching Sunflower | The USDA Common name is Cucumberleaf Sunflower, but Beach Sunflower and Dune Sunflower seem to be the most commonly used common names.
Until 1969, Helianthus debilis was considered to have 8 subspecies. In 1969, however, 3 of those subspecies found only in Texas were moved to the separate species Helianthus praecox (Texas Sunflower), leaving 5 subspecies in Helianthus debilis. Of these, Helianthus debilis ssp. silvestris is also found only in Texas. Subspecies debilis and vestitus are found only in Florida, and subspecies tardiflorus is found in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Subspecies cucumerifolius is the most widespread subspecies, found 17 mostly coastal states.
Found in:
AL, CT, FL, GA, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, PA, RI, SC, TX, VA, VT, WV |  |
| Sweetroot | Osmorhiza longistylis
(Native) | Longstyle Sweetroot, Sweet Anise, Aniseroot | The leaves and stem when crushed will have a slight licorice smell; the root is anise-scented. This identification vs the very similar O. claytonii (Sweet Cicely) is based on the style of the flower, which is significantly longer than the 5 white petals. In O. claytonii, according to Wildflowers Of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians
the style is shorter than the petals. |  |
| Sweetshrub | Calycanthus floridus
(Native) | Eastern Sweetshrub | Grundy County, TN, 04/26/2008 |  |
| Sweetspire | Itea virginica
(Native) | Virginia Sweetspire, Virginia Willow, Tassel-white | This plant grows on streambanks and other moist areas. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental not only for its blossoms, but also for the rich, long-lasting fall color of its foliage. lightly fragrant. To about 8 feet tall. |  |
| Thistle | Cirsium vulgare
(Introduced) | Bull Thistle | Polk County, TN 08/14/2004 |  |
| Thistle | Carduus nutans*
(Introduced) | Bristle Thistle | aka Musk Thistle and Nodding Thistle, but I like the sound of Bristle Thistle. Rutherford County, TN. June 13, 2009. Photo by Cindy Williamson |  |
| Tickseed | Coreopsis lanceolata*
(Native) | Lanceleaf Coreopsis | Lanceleaf Coreopsis is a late spring / early summer wildflower that is found in all but eight states in the United States. While it is native to the continental states, it is an introduced species in Hawaii. The plant grows to approximately 3 feet tall. |  |
| Tickseed | Coreopsis tripteris*
(Native) | Tall Coreopsis, Tall Tickseed | Coreopsis is a genus of 33 species native to the United States, with a species found in every state except Alaska, Nevada, and Utah. Coreopsis triperis is found in 27 states. It is Endangered in Maryland.
While most Coreopsis species are 3 feet tall or shorter, this plant can be 8 or more feet tall. The Tickseed part of the name is because the seed is hard, dark, and flat, looking like the namesake arachnid. |  |
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| Tickseed | Coreopsis major*
(Native) | Greater Tickseed, Whorled Leaf Coreopsis, Forest Tickseed | Coreopsis major grows from 2 to 4 feet tall on roadsides and open forests. The blossom has both yellow ray and disk flowers and can be up to 2.5 inches wide.
Found in:
AL, FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, MA, MS, NC, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV |  |
| Ticktrefoil | Desmodium ochroleucum*
(Native) | Cream-flowered Tick Trefoil, Cream Ticktrefoil, Tick Clover, Creamflowered Tick-Trefoil | According to the December 2006 edition of “Castanea”, the journal of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society, there are 13 known populations of this species in 6 states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, and Tennessee. There are 5 other states within its historical range, but the populations have apparently been lost, presumably extirpated, in these states: New Jersey, Delaware, Virgina, North Carolina, and Missouri.
According to Linda G. Chafin's Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Georgia
there are fewer than 25 sites. Since 13 is less than 25 both of these publications are likely correct, with the difference likely being how recently the plant has been recorded at the various sites. For example, in Georgia there are 2 sites listed for this plant, one of them the Walker County location where these photographs were made. The other site is in Lee County, but the plant has not been seen there since the 1940s.
With those few sites where the plant is known, it is not a wonder that it is Endangered in Florida, Maryland, Tennessee, Threatened in Georgia.
I owe much appreciation to Jay Clark who pointed out these plants and their identity while we were looking for Shadow Witch Orchids.
Found in:
AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, TN, VA |  |
| Touch-me-not | Impatiens capensis*
(Native) | Jewelweed, Touch-me-not, Spotted jewelweed | Reported to be an antidote for poison ivy allergins, when crushed and the liquid rubbed on the area which was in contact with the poison ivy. |  |
| Touch-me-not | Impatiens pallida*
(Native) | Pale Touch-me-not, Pale Snapweed | Of the 10 Impatiens species found wild in the United States, 5 are native. This species, I. pallida is one of those natives, and it is found in 33 of our states. It is protected as a plant of Special Concern in Maine.
Pale Touch-me-not grows to 5 feet tall in moist areas, usually in dense colonies. |  |
| Trillium | Trillium catesbaei*
(Native) | Catesby's Trillium, Bashful Wakerobin, Rose Trillium | The yellow anthers make a quick differentiation with the nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum), which have pink anthers. |  |
| Trillium | Trillium simile*
(Native) | Sweet White Trillium, Jeweled Wakerobin | Trillium simile is one of our rarer trilliums, being found only in the certain mountain areas of Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. |  |
| Trillium | Trillium sessile
(Native) | Toadshade Trillium | aka Little Sweet Betsy. One of the sessile trilliums, which have the "toadshade" designation. T. sessile is shorter, has smaller leaves, and a smaller blossom than T. cuneatum, which is easily and frequently confused with T. sessile. |  |
| Trillium | Trillium decumbens*
(Native) | Trailing Trillium | Trailing trillium is characterized by carrying its three leaves close to the ground. It has a lovely deep red blossom, starting to bloom in mid-March. |  |
| Trillium | Trillium flexipes*
(Native) | White Trillium, Nodding Wakerobin, Nodding Trillium | One of a number of white trilliums which carry their flowers on a pedicel. Those with pedicels are wakerobins, those without are toadshades.
Synonyms:
Trillium declinatum
Trillium erectum
Trillium gleasonii |  |
| Trillium | Trillium cuneatum*
(Native) | Little Sweet Betsy, Toadshade Trillium | The sessile, stalked trilliums are known as Toadshades. |  |
| Trillium | Trillium vaseyi*
(Native) | Vasey's Trillium, Sweet Wakerobin | Vaseys Trillium, as indicated by the Sweet Wakerobin name by which it is also known, is one of the trilliums whose flower is on a pedicel. The blossom nods below the leaves. |  |
| Trillium | Trillium grandiflorum*
(Native) | Large-Flowered Trillium, Great White Trillium, White Trillium | Trillium grandiflorum is one of the showiest and most common of our eastern Trilliums. It grows to about 2 feet tall, and can be found in large colonies.
Endangered in Maine; Exploitably Vulnerable in New York. |  |
| Trillium | Trillium lancifolium*
(Native) | Lanceleaf Trillium, Lanceleaf Wakerobin | Lanceleaf Trillium is a small trillium with a sessile maroon blossom. It is found only in six southeastern state – TN, MS, AL, GA, SC, and FL, and is endangered in Florida and Tennessee.
Lanceleaf Trillium is similar and closely related to Prairie Trillium (Trillium recurvatum.) Prairie Trillium has more strongly recurved sepals, is usually larger than T. Lancifolium, has broader leaves, and (key identifier) the leaves are on short petioles, whereas T. Lancifolium leaves narrow significantly at their base, but they are sessile. T. recurvatum also has a larger, more northern and western range. |  |
| Trillium | Trillium petiolatum*
(Native) | Idaho Trillium, Long-petioled Trillium, Purple Trillium, Round Leaf Trillium, Purple Wakerobin | An unusual trillium with plantain-like leaves found primarily in the region where the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington come together. It may be 8 to 10 inches tall.
Found in:
ID, OR, WA |  |
| Triplet-Lily | Triteleia grandiflora*
(Native) | Large-flowered Triplet-lily, Douglas’ Brodiaea, Wild Hyacinth | Triteleia grandiflora is found in eight of our western states (CA, CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY.) It will be about 1 to 2 feet tall or a bit taller, growing in dry meadows, sagebrush, and pine forests. To us easterners, it has the appearance of an onion species with large flowers, but there was no detectable aroma. There are blue and white varieties.
Synonyms:
- Brodiaea douglasii
- Brodiaea howellii
- Triteleia bicolor
- Triteleia howellii
Found in:
CA, CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY |  |
| Trumpet Creeper | Campsis radicans
(Native) | Trumpet Creeper | Walker County, Ga 06/26/2004 |  |
| Tuliptree | Liriodendron tulipifera*
(Native) | Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar, Tuliptree, Tulip Magnolia | Tulip Poplar is not a poplar, which includes the cottonwoods, true poplars, and willows, but rather a member of the magnolia family. The “tulip' name comes not only from the blossom, but also from the leaves, both of which are tulip-shaped. The leaves are an attractive yellow in the fall. It is a tall, fast-growing tree, reaching heights of 80 – 120 feet. It grows thoughout most of the eastern and southeastern United States except for Maine and New Hampshire. |  |
| Twinleaf | Jeffersonia diphylla*
(Native) | Twinleaf, Helmet Pod, Ground Squirrel Pea | The only other species in the genus is J. dubia, an Asian plant. Jeffersonia diphylla is a species native to parts of the United States and Canada. It is endangered or threatened in four states – Iowa, New Jersey, New York, and Georgia. In Georgia it is found only in a small area of Walker County. |  |
| Venus' Looking-glass | Triodanis perfoliata*
(Native) | Venus' Looking Glass, Clasping Bellwort, Clasping Venus' Looking Glass, Roundleaved Triodanis | Synonym: Specularia perfoliata. There are 7 species of Triodanis in the United States. T. perfoliata is the most widespread, being found in all states except Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada, and in much of Canada. T. biflora, a more southern species, is found in 24 of the 50 states, and is not reported in Canada. Texas is the only state where all 7 species of Triodanis are found. This native plant is considered weedy or invasive by some authorities.
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY |  |
| Vetch | Coronilla varia*
(Introduced) | Crown Vetch, Purple Crown Vetch, Axseed, Hive Vine | Coronilla varia is a synonym for Securigera varia. Similarly to Kudzu, Crown Vetch was introduced into the United States for erosion control. Similarly to Kudzu, it now appears that was a mistake, and it is now present in every state except Alaska and North Dakota. Organizations in many states now consider this plant to be a significant threat to native plants.
Found in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY |  |
| Viburnum | Viburnum acerifolium*
(Native) | Maple Leaved Viburnum | Polk County, TN May 8, 2004 |  |
| Viburnum | Viburnum dentatum
(Native) | Southern Arrowood | Along Roaring Fork Creek in the GSMNP |  |
| Violet | Viola hastata*
(Native) | Halberdleaf Yellow Violet, Halberd Leaf Yellow Violet | The leaves of Halberleaf Yellow Violet are more or less arrowhead shaped, similar to that of a the working end of a halberd. |  |
| Violet | Viola sororia*
(Native) | Common Blue Violet | Common Blue Violet, Big Frog Trail, Polk County, TN 05/08/2004 |  |
| Violet | Viola canadensis*
(Native) | Canada Violet | One of our mid-spring wildflowers, Canada Violet grows to about 18" tall. Large colonies can carpet areas of open forests with their white blossoms. |  |
| Violet | Viola blanda*
(Native) | Sweet White Violet | This is a small white woodland violet. |  |
| Violet | Viola pedata*
(Native) | Bird's-foot violet | Bird's-foot or Crow-foot violet has one of the larger, showier blossoms of the wild violets. |  |
| Violet | Viola rostrata*
(Native) | Long-spurred violet | The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA 03/18/2009 |  |
| Violet | Viola rotundifolia
(Native) | Roundleaf yellow violet | One of several species of yellow violets found in the United States, Viola rotundifolia has ovate to cordate leaves. A key identifier for this species is, according to Wildflowers Of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians
is that this is the only yellow violet in eastern North America with the flowers and leaves on separate stalks. |  |
| Violet | Viola palmata*
(Native) | Wood Violet, Early Blue Violet, Trilobed Violet | There seems to be some disagreement as to whether Viola triloba is a separate species or included among varieties of Viola palmata. It seems generally accepted that what was for a time classified as Viola triloba var dilatata is within Viola palmata, and some authorities list Viola triloba var triloba as a synonym of V. palmata var triloba. An exception is the USDA Plants Database, which lists V. palmata as a hybrid of other Violet species.
The distinction (or maybe disagreement) is naturally enough around the form of the leaves, but at the sites with the most recent updates it seems the direction is to roll V. triloba into V. palmata, and I'm inclined to join that crowd. Since I have taken that position (open to discussion!) the states I have for this species is a combination of the distribution listed by the USDA for both Viola triloba and Viola palmata. The map shown to the right is that for V. triloba. The states I am including in my list for V. palmata are these: AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV |  |
| Waterleaf | Hydrophyllum canadense*
(Native) | Broad-leaf Waterleaf ; Bluntleaf Waterleaf, Maple-leaf Waterleaf | Broad-leaf Waterleaf is a woodland plant which grows from 1 to 2 feet tall, and blossoms in late spring. The maple-leaved plant is similar to H. appendiculatum – Appendaged Waterleaf, but the latter is a distinctly hairy plant, and is not usually found with white blossoms. |  |
| Waterleaf | Hydrophyllum capitatum
(Native) | Ballhead Waterleaf, Cat's Breeches, Dwarf Waterleaf | The Ballhead Waterleaf is found on moist mountain slopes and woodlands in 9 northwestern states (CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY.) The color seems to be generally bluish at lower elevations getting paler – to white – as the elevation gets higher, although you may find a mix at any altitude. This common, small, attractive plant may be up to about a foot tall. |  |
| Waterlily | Nymphaea odorata
(Native) | American White Water Lily, Fragrant Water Lily, White Water Lily | The American White Water Lily (waterlily) is a beautiful aquatic plant found in most states in the United States.
The species consists of two subspecies, Nymphaea odorata ssp. odorata and N. odorata ssp. tuberosa. The latter is usually has somewhat larger flowers, and the petals are somewhat blunter. The more widespread subspecies from which the species takes its epithet has a very sweet fragrance, reported to be missing from ssp. tuberosa. The unscented American White Water Lilies are not found in the west or southeast. |  |
| Wood Poppy | Stylophorum diphyllum*
(Native) | Wood Poppy, Celandine Poppy | A beautiful, yellow, early spring wildflower. |  |
| Wood Sorrel | Oxalis montana
(Native) | Mountain Wood Sorrel, Northern Wood Sorrel. | The "montana" epithet means "mountain". It is not found in the state of Montana. Synonym Oxalis acetosella |  |
| Wood Sorrel | Oxalis violacea*
(Native) | Violet Wood Sorrel | Gruetli-Laager, Grundy County, TN 04/26/2008 |  |
| Woodland-star | Lithophragma parviflorum
(Native) | Smallflower Woodland-star | Found in 11 western states, this small flower grabs attention as you walk the trails due to the lobed petals, giving it a star-like appearance. It is common, found usually at altitudes of close to 5,000 feet and higher. |  |
| Yarrow | Achillea millefolium*
(Native) | Common Yarrow, Milfoil | While this member of the aster family is native to much of the United States, it is an introduced species in Hawaii. |  |
| Yellow Loosestrife | Lysimachia quadrifolia*
(Native) | Whorled Loosestrife | While the species name for this plant implies that there are four leaves in the whorl, there can be 3 to 6 (some reports even 7.) This specimen found on Big Frog Trail near the trailhead in Polk County, TN has 5 leaves per whorl at the upper nodes, and 6 leaves in the lowest one photographed. The plant is generally 1 to 3 feet tall. |  |
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