Purple-headed Sneezeweed, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (08/13/2011.) Scientific name is Helenium flexuosum. Photo below was taken in Walker County, GA on July 30, 2011. Go to the Purple-headed Sneezeweed detail page for more photos and information.
Purple-headed Sneezeweed, Purplehead Sneezeweed – Helenium flexuosum
Seedbox, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (08/11/2011.) Scientific name is Ludwigia alternifolia. Photo below was taken in Walker County, GA on July 22, 2011. Go to the Seedbox detail page for more photos and information.
Seedbox, Smooth Seedbox, Bushy Seedbox, Rattle-box, Square-pod Water-primrose – Ludwigia alternifolia
Maiden Blue-eyed Mary, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (08/05/2011.) Scientific name is Collinsia parviflora. Photo below was taken in the Boise National Forest in Ada County, ID on June 10, 2011. Go to the Maiden Blue-eyed Mary detail page for more photos and information.
Blue-eyed Mary, Maiden Blue Eyed Mary, Smallflower Blue Eyed Mary – Collinsia parviflora
When Europeans discovered North America, the Eastern Elk inhabited the eastern part of the continent in large numbers, including the Appalachian Mountains. By the late 1800’s, the Eastern Elk subspecies of Cervus elaphus (sometimes classified as Cervus canadensis) had been hunted to extinction. In 2001, after more than 120 years of absence, the National Park Service reintroduced Elk (Rocky Mountain subspecies) to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as an experiment. The experiment has been successful, and the elk are now well-established and have become a great attraction for visitors to the Cataloochee area of the Smokies.
On Monday of this week (08/01/2011) my wife and I drove the stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Balsam Gap outside of Waynesville, NC, to Cherokee. The wildflowers were great, including some “lifers” for us like Yellow Fringed Orchid, Fly Poison, and Lion’s Foot, which you’ll be seeing on these pages in the future. We took a side trip up Heintooga Ridge Road to check out the Balsam Mountain Campground. The Heintooga Ridge runs along the southwestern end of the Cataloochee area where the elk are located, and Cindy and I had commented that we’d need to get over to Cataloochee someday to see the elk. All of a sudden as we rounded a curve there were two elk standing in the road! I quickly stopped and grabbed a couple of photos through the window as this fellow posed for us as he ambled off along the side of the road.
Elk in the Smokies - Cervus elaphus
Thank you, Lord, for a great day with my wife, wildflowers, and wildlife!
My grandson Isaac and I were driving along the Snake River near Swan Falls Dam on June 15, 2011, and saw a flock in a parking area near the dam. They all left as we drove up except for this one, who started walking away as I stopped to take this photo.
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura
Mountain Indian Paintbrush, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (07/26/2011.) Scientific name is Castilleja covilleana. Photo below was taken in the Boise National Forest in Ada County, ID on June 10, 2011. Go to the Rocky Mountain Indian Paintbrush detail page for more photos and information.
Rocky Mountain Indian Paintbrush, Coville Indian Paintbrush – Castilleja covilleana
Salad Burnet, an introduced species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (07/23/2011.) Scientific name is Sanguisorba minor. It is also known by the common names Small Burnet and Garden burnet. Photo below was taken along the Hull’s Gulch National Recreation Trail in the Boise Foothills on July 21, 2011. Go to the Salad Burnet detail page for more photos and information.
Small Burnet, Salad burnet, Garden burnet – Sanguisorba minor
Sensitive Partridge Pea, Wild Sensitive Plant, Sensitive Pea – Chamaecrista nictitans
I ran across my first-ever Mullein Foxglove last Saturday along the gravel road to the Blue Hole at Pigeon Mountain. I had made a few trips down this way, monitoring a location for a couple of orchid species I want to catch in bloom. Jay Clark and I spotted the leaves of these orchids back in March, but now there is so much understory growth I haven’t been able to relocate them. In any case, it wasn’t a wasted trip since I was able to photograph a Whiteflower Leafcup, Heal-all, Agrimony, Tall Bellflower, Browneyed Susan, Pale Indian Plantain, and the Mullein Foxglove, all before the rain sent me home.
While I was photographing the plant, this fly landed on one of the blossoms. Dr. John Hilty at illinoiswildflowers.info says that bumblebees, honeybees, miner bees, and butterflies sip the nectar of this plant. We add this fly to his list.
Fly on Mullein Foxglove – Dasistoma macrophylla
Click on the image to go to Flickr, where you can view a larger version.
Mullein Foxglove, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (07/19/2011.) Scientific name is Dasistoma macrophylla. Photo below was taken along the road to the Blue Hole along Pigeon Mountain, in Walker County, GA on July 16, 2011. Go to the Mullein Foxglove detail page for more photos and information.
Mullein Foxglove, Mullein Seyemeria – Dasistoma macrophylla