Tennessee Wildflowers

Tennessee Wildflowers Page Two

Cream Violet. Scientific name: Viola striata. A somewhat common flower found in rich, moist woods. Often found near water and stream banks. The white flowers have noticable purple veins. Violets are easy to identify and relatively common.

Mountain Azalea. Scientific name: Rhodendron canescens. Also called a Piedmont Azalea. This is a native, Tennessee Azalea. I have found it on hillsides, up in the Cumberland Plateau, near limestone outcroppings. It is said to be a common shrub but I rarely see it in the forest. It is a real treat to find one in bloom as the flowers are magnificent. Most people are familiar with Azaleas from lawn plantings. This species resembles a large one, with larger leafs and prettier flowers. It is readily identifiable when found. Especially when blooming. Blooms in Spring (April and May, sometimes early June in higher elevations).

Mayapple. Scientific name: Podophyllum peltatum. The Mayapple is one of the most recognizable Spring wildflowers. Sometimes locals refer to the Mayappe as an Umbrella plant, but I have also heard wild, paper-leaf magnolia trees referred to as Umbrella plants. Hence the need for scientific names. It is very widespread and quite common. It is an early emerger and often seen in large stands before other plants have ermeged in significant quantities. Grows in moist woods, hollows, hillsides, and well, any good forest. The above photos show the Mayapple in all of its stages, from its first emergence, still in its sheath, through flowering and into a large stand. Flowering plants have a forked stem while non-flowering plants have a single stem. It is actually a bit uncommon to find the plant flowering. You have to time it just right. It blooms in April and May, but is highly variable and only some plants bloom. Finding the actual apple is even more rare. All parts of the Mayapple are poisonous. However, the pulp of the apple, without the seeds and skin is safe to eat and has been used to make preserves by country people for a long time. It is a lot of work due to the fact that the apple skin and seeds are poisonous. It is a chore to extract only the pulp. I have never had Mayapple preserves.

Dwarf Larkspur. Scientific name: Delphinium tricorne. This plant is relatively easy to identify due to its dark-blue, hanging flowers on a single stem (raceme). It could possibly be confused with Great Lobelia, but Dwarf Larkspur stays under 24 inches tall. A fairly common wildflower in moist areas. I usually find it in at the base of hollows, near but not adjacent to water. Notice the poppies and Miami Mist in the same photo, demonstrating how dense wildflowers can be at times.

Great Lobelia. Scientific name: Lobelia siphilitica. The speciman above is a bit pale in color. Most flowers are a deeper blue. The plant ranges in size from 2 feet to up to 5 feet tall. I have seen it growing in large stands in wet soil interspersed with Spotted Touch-me-Nots. The Great Lobelia has a hairy stem and the flowers are upturned, as opposed to the Larkspur which has a smooth stem and downturned flowers. Also Lobelia blooms in late summer, after the Solstice, while Larkspur blooms before the Solstice.

Dwarf Crested Iris. Scientific name: Iris cristata. This flower is the official state flower of Tennessee. Not to be confused with the Passion Flower, the official Wildflower of Tennessee. The Dwarf Crested Iris grows in colonies, often dense. It rarely gets taller than 6 inches or so. It is quite easy to identify due to its flat, curving leaves and striking flowers. There is usually some yellow on the top edge of the sepals. Quite a common flower. Blooms in early Spring, through May.

Early Saxifrage. Scientific name: Saxifraga virginiesis. I exclusively find this plant growing on rock ledges in moss where streams or dripping water are present. It seems to really love water. Blooms from late April through May. Flowers are relatively small with 5 petals per flower. Fairly easy to identify mainly due to the specific habitat it prefers to grow in.

Foam Flower. Scientific name: Tiarella cordifolia. Grows in shady, moist, rich woods. The leaves are hairy and the flowers are tiny. Fairly common flower. Blooms until the Solstice. Several species of flowers have low, lobed leaves, with a single stalk and white flowers. This makes identification a bit troublesome.

Yellow Violet. Scientific name: Viola pubescens. Fairly common flower. Looks like other violets except it is yellow with purple veins in the petals. Found in rich forests where other violets are found. Do not eat yellow violets. They are emetic (cause vomiting).

Fire Pink. Scientific name: Silene virginica. A striking red flower that is highly identifiable. The 5-bladed, red flower is very distinct. The flower is relatively common. Grows in rich forests. The right hand photo demonstrates that it will grow in limestone outcroppings as well. I have seen the plant growing alongside the road in moist ditches near springs. Blooms from April until the Solstice.

Ground Ivy. Scientific name: Glechoma hederacea. Also called Gill-Over-The-Ground. Generally thought of as a non-native invasive species. Spreads vigorously. Found in lawns and disturbed areas. Grows low to the ground. Blooms until the Solstice. The blooms are very pretty. The flowers slightly resemble violets, but are pale, much smaller, and have multiple flowers on a single stalk, as opposed to violets which have a single flower per stalk. Generally found in lawns growing alongside clover, violets and Indian strawberries. This photo is from my lawn. I love all the wildflowers in my lawn. Anal-retentive lawnsmen cringe when viewing it. Hah!

This is just a jumble of flowers demonstrating what you actually find when out looking for flowers. This photos shows a several Trout Lilies with one in bloom, an emerging Mayapple, three bloodroots, one in bloom, and some grasses that could be spring beauties.

Twin Leaf. Scientific name: Jeffersonia diphylla. Easily identifiable due to the very distinct double-leaf pattern. Hence the name Twin Leaf. The flower is similar to a Bloodroot, but should never be confused with it because Twin Leaf grows up to 20 inches tall, has a thin, delicate stem, and has the distinct twin-leaf shape without the many lobes of the bloodrood. Found in moist, rich soils in rich forests. Transplants well. Please do not take any if there are only a few.

Blue Phlox. Scientific name: Phlox divaricata. Very identifiable flower due to its light blue color and deeply lobed, 5-bladed petals. Grows to almost two feet and usually in a relatively thick patch. Found in rich, moist areas of rich forests. Also seen alongside roads where water drips and springs emerge. Interestingly, Phlox is Latin for flower. An accurate name for this profously flowering wildflower. Blooms until the Solstice.

Showy Orchis. Scientific name: Gelearis spectabilis. Not a very common flower but has a relatively wide range. It grows in very rich, undisturbed forest with rich, moist soil. I have seen it near water and also not near water, but always in rich, black, good soil in pristine forest. The above examples are growing in the Smokies in the Greenbriar area. They are a bit more purple than other photos I have seen. Apparently most examples are have more red/pink and less purple. Either way, this is a wonderfully delicate and beautiful flower. It is exciting to find this in bloom. Blooms in early Spring, finishing by mid-May.

Harsh Spiderwort. Scientific name: Tradescantia oihensis. Somewhat common. Blooms in mid-Summer. Identifiable by the grass-like leaves and the wide, 3-lobed flowers. Also the bright yellow stamens. Like most wildflowers pictured here, it grows in rich, moist, undisturbed forest.

Rhododendron. Scientific name: Rhododendron ________. There are several species of Rhododendron native to Tennessee and I have no idea how to tell them apart. They are simply too similar. If anyone out there can assist, please contact me and offer suggestions. Rhododendrons are large, up to 15 feet tall (or taller), with woody stems. They tend to create dense thickets, but may grow singly. The leaves are large, evergreen, and somewhat waxy. Common in loamy, wet or dry, well-draining soil. Typically found in mountain or ridge climates. Often found near limestone outcroppings. Easily recongnizable once you have seen one. Very similar to Mountain Laural, but longer leaves, taller plants, and the flowers are distinctly different. Blooms in June. Although could be earlier in lower elevations and later in higher elevations. The white flowers above are from the Cumberland Plateau and the purple flowers are from Joyce Kilmer forest in North Carolina (just outside of Tennessee). Rhododendrons like shade, but I have seen them thrive in lawns in full sun (occasionally). They like acid in the soil. Add pine needles around the base to help them thrive. They do better on north walls of homes. They are evergreen. Some species are prone to aphids. If you see black powder on the stems of a sickly domesticated rhododendron, treat for aphids and you should see an improvement.

Squawroot. Scientific name: Conopholis americana. Common in undisturbed forest. I see this plant frequently. It is present all year. Blooms in late Spring and early Summer, but blackened, "dead" flowers are present in the forest year-round. I have seen them in the dead of winter, although they are clearly left over from Summer. This is actually a highly adapted flower.What you are seeing is actually the flowers of the plant adapted to not need chlorophyl. In fact, squawroot doesn't even need insects to propogate. Squawroot is actually a parasite. It grows exclusively under oak trees and is a root parasite. Typically found in large clusters. If you find one, you usually find dozens. Look up. You will see an oak tree. Legend says that bears eat squawroot, but there are so few bears and so much squawroot that it is impossible to know for sure in this age. However, bears have been reintroduced to Big South Fork National River and Recreation area and have rapidly spread south. Bears have been hit by cars on I-40 in Monterey, Tennessee in 2006 and have been spotted around Monterey several times. There are no confirmed reports of bears coming off of the Cumberland Plateau at this time (early 2007) but it wont be long. Good!

Spotted Touch-Me-Not. Scientific name: Impatiens capensis. Also called Jewelweed. The is an easily identifiable flower. Fairly common. It grows in thick stands, in wet and/or swampy soil. Often found near Great Lobelia. The flowers have a long spur extending backwards, way past the flower stem (see photo above). Blooms in mid through late Summer. Well known as a remedy for stinging nettle (although I can't see why anyone would bother. I get nettle on me all the time. It itches and burns furiously for 10-15 minutes then goes away. It would take that long to find the Touch-Me-Nots. Stinging Nettle is self-limiting. And a very nutritous green to eat. And a good astringent...but enough about nettle). Anyway--supposedly you collect leaves, crush them up, and press them against the nettle irrated area and it stops itching/burning. Rumored to be a poison ivy cure, but don't believe a word of it. Poison ivy has an oil (urushiol) that MUST be removed soon after contact to stop the spread. Touch-Me-Not will not cure poison ivy. Some hikers carry a small bottle of a 10% bleach solution to clean poison ivy oil off of thier skin. It works. I scrub vigorously in cold streams to remove the oil, but I am not very susceptable to it in the first place. The Touch-Me-Not is named for the seed pods. If you touch them they literally explode, spreading their seeds around. Which explains why they tend to grow in thick stands. I typically find them in bright sunlight, away from the forest canopy. The soil must be very wet. You simply can't confuse this flower with anything else.

Pale Touch-Me-Not. Scientific name: Impatiens pallida. Basically the same as the Spotted Touch-Me-Not above, but yellow. Grows in very wet soil. Often found in large stands. Seed pods explode when touched. Just a different color and mild differences. I got lucky with the Bee pictured above. I was photographing a stand of these and this bee was flying around. Right place, right time.

Yellow Harlequin. Scientific name: Corydalis flavula. Also called Yellow Corydalis. A very common, small-bloomed yellow flower in early spring. I see a lot of this flower in pristine hollows in early spring. Small, sort of bell-shaped flowers on a parsley-looking plant. That is the best way I can describe it. Notice the Spring Beauties in the lower-left of the photo, indicating the early blooming of both plants. The Spring Beauty also provides a sense of scale. Harlequin blooms are very small.

Shooting Star. Scientific name: Dodecatheon meadia. Found in moist, rich woods. Sometimes found near limestone outcroppings. Pulications say this a common flower but my experience has been that it is seldom seem. Photo credit Kristen Bobo.

Sweetshrub, Calycanthus floridus. Also called Bubby Bush. Shrubby plant. Up to 10 feet tall. Woody stems. Quite fragrant. The flowers are sort of stiff, not delicate. If you crush the blooms they have a fruity berry smell, hence the name Sweetshrub. Not a very common plant. Found near streams, typically in the base of a hollow, in rich forest. Leaves, bark and flowers can be dried, gound and used as a cinnamon substitute.

Virginia Spring Beauty. Claytonia virginica. Very early blooming plant. Grows just about anywhere, from lawns to rich forest habitats. Flowers are pinkish/white with purple veins in them. The leaves look a lot like grass. Most of the leaves in the above photos are not from the blooming plants. The left-hand photo shows the leaves associated with spring beauty. Called Spring Beauty because of how early they bloom. Often found blooming in late February. Literally one of the first flowers you will find. Along with Cut-Leaf Toothwort.

Synandra. Scientific name: Synandra hispidula. Striking flower. Multiple blooms on a single stalk. The stalk is somewhat hairy. Flowers are about 1-1.5 inches wide and long. Not a very common flower. I have seen it only one time, in the floor of a hollow in very rich soil.

Harbinger-Of-Spring. Scientific name: Erigenia bulbosa. A very early blooming flower. Blooms in late February and April. Found when Spring Beaties and Cut-Leaf Toothworts are in bloom. This photo cave from my lawn. Also found in most forests. Small plant, reaching only 4 or 5 inches tall. Sometimes referred to as Pepper-and-Salt plant due to the white flowers contrasted with the dark-colored anthers.

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