American Plum, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (03/20/2012.) Scientific name is Prunus americana. Photo below was taken along Rocky Lane on Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA, on April 2, 2011. It is also known by the common name Wild Plum. Go to the American Plum detail page for more photos and information.
American Plum, Wild Plum - Prunus americana
Wood Vetch, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (03/20/2012.) Scientific name is Vicia caroliniana. Photo below was taken along Rocky Lane on Pigeon Mountain, Walker County, GA, on March 18, 2012. Go to the Wood Vetch detail page for more photos and information.
Wood Vetch, Carolina Vetch, Pale Vetch – Vicia caroliniana
Purple Phacelia, Fernleaf Phacelia – Phacelia bipinnatifida
I wasn’t planning on going down to The Pocket this weekend, but my wife had other plans for Sunday, so she suggested that I do something to take advantage of the beautiful day, so I headed down there shortly after getting home from church. In addition to walking the boardwalk and the trail up to the falls, I did a little back country walking above the bluff north of the horse trail. Wildflowers are abundant; here is my report, and a couple of photos taken off the beaten path in The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain.
The Phacelia are blooming. There is a Phacelia in the field to the right as you walk down to the boardwalk; they are blooming along the boardwalk and all the way up to the falls. The photo above was taken up on the top of the north bluff.
On our trip down to The Pocket last weekend, the Columbine plants I saw were only a few inches high with some of their early leaves – no flower buds yet forming. The plant we got at last year’s Native Plant Sale at the Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center ( @NatureCenter on Twitter), however, is starting to bloom. This picture is from today.
Cultivated Eastern Red Columbine – Aquilegia canadensis
This is Leap Day. For this once-every-four-years day, I thought that rather than the normal Native Plant of the Day (#NPOD on Twitter) I’d post a few native plants from and a report on the early spring status of the wildflowers at one of Georgia’s premier wildflower locations, The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain. As things worked out, Feb 27 was the day available to make the short trek down to that part of Walker County.
It was a beautiful day. When my wife and I headed down to The Pocket on Monday, Feb 27, 2012, we considered both the beautiful day and the time we were able to spend together a blessing from God. We also expected to find wildflowers, since we’ve had very little real winter and quite a warm February. However, we had no idea!
Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis at The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain
Coatbuttons, an introduced species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (02/20/2012.) Scientific name is Tridax procumbens. Photo below was taken in Sarasota County, FL, on December 18, 2011. It is also known by the common names Tridax Daisy, Tridax, and Cadillo Chisaca. Go to the Coatbuttons detail page for more photos and information.
Coatbuttons, Tridax Daisy, Tridax, Cadillo Chisaca - Tridax procumbens
Hairy Bittercress, an introduced species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (02/15/2012.) Scientific name is Cardamine hirsuta. Photo below was taken in Walker County, GA, on February 4, 2012. It is also known by the common name Hoary Bittercress. Go to the Hairy Bittercress detail page for more photos and information.
Hairy Bittercress, Hoary Bittercress - Cardamine hirsuta
Florida Tasselflower, an introduced species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (02/08/2012.) Scientific name is Emilia fosbergii. Photo below was taken in Sarasota County, FL, on December 18, 2011. It is also known by the common name Flora’s Paintbrush. Go to the Florida Tasselflower detail page for more photos and information.
Florida Tasselflower, Flora's Paintbrush, Florida Tassel Flower - Emilia fosbergii
UPDATE 07/12/2017: Effective the first of July, there have been changes to the fee structure:
Original post from 1/30/2012:
I’d been looking for an opportunity to head down to The Pocket to photograph the the leaves of Aplectrum hyemale, which are withered or entirely gone by bloom time in early May. Sunday was a beautiful day, so I headed out after our family lunch for the 20-mile drive. While I was a couple of months late for fresh leaves, it was still a trip of discovery – I discovered that the Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area is now a fee area.
Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area is now a fee area.
Wild Poinsettia, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (01/25/2012.) Scientific name is Euphorbia cyathophora. Photo below was taken at the Coquina Baywalk on Leffis Key, Manatee County, FL, on December 22, 2011. Go to the Wild Poinsettia detail page for more photos and information.
Wild Poinsettia, Mexican Fireplant, Fire on the Mountain, Painted Euphorbia, Desert Poinsettia – Euphorbia cyathophora