706.754.9382
P.O. Box 1901
Clarkesville, Georgia 30523

 

Home | About the SRWA | Contact SRWA

 
 the SRWA
  Events
  Mission / About Us
  News & Articles
  Newsletter
  Projects
  Staff & Board
 the Soque River
  Fauna
  Flora
  Geography/Hydrology
  Habersham County
  History
  Recreation
  Sections & Tributaries
  Watershed Basics
 support SRWA
  Protector / Business Members  
  Donations & Memberships
  Online Shop
 Resources
 Links - Alphabetically
 Links - by Subject
 Other Resources
 the Watershed Partnership
  Presentations
  Protection, Plan, Policy
  Watershed Assessment



DonateNow

the Soque River - Flora

The Appalachian Mountains are home to one of the most diverse forests in the world.  Soque River watershed provides a home for various species of plant life.  From mushrooms to evergreens, all the flora of the watershed play an important role.  Here we provide some information regarding those plants and pictures taken by wildlife enthusiasts.

If you have a picture of a native Soque Wildflower, please feel free to email it to us and provide your information so we can credit you as the photographer.
srwa@soque.org


The Georgia Native Plant Society is a good source of information on the flora of this region.

Blue Native Iris and May Apple.  Photo by Randy Moser
Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberose  Text by Randy Moser
Butterfly Weed is a beautiful, bright orange wildflower which blooms in hot Georgia open areas and roadsides during late June and early July.  It has also been called "Chigger Weed".  It probably acquired this unfortunate name because it just happens to bloom at the same time that blackberries are ripening in North Georgia.  Many a person has received chigger bites while harvesting blackberries as the Butterfly Weed is in full bloom. 
Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
Blooms in low moist areas, marshes and wet meadows, and along creeks and streams throughout the watershed. Cardinal flower is easy to propagate from seed. The seed should be collected during September and October after the seed pods turn brown and dry. The very small seeds should be put in a seed tray with moist potting soil and refrigerated for 5 weeks. After refrigeration place them in a window with good southern exposure. They'll be ready to plant in the garden in early spring.
Closed Gentian Gentiana andrewsii
Closed Gentian is an intensely blue native flower that blooms in Georgia from mid summer to the first frost.  It is called "closed" because the bloom never opens.  This makes spreading the pollen very difficult and can only be accomplished by the most persistent bee.  It may be found in the Soque River watershed in moist locations along stream banks and in moist open meadows.  Photo by Lane Gresham, text by Randy Moser
Eastern Hemlock Tsuga Canadensis  Photo by Lane Gresham
The Hemlock provides shade for many of our streams.  This helps regulate water temperatures necessary to support cold water fish species such as trout and helps keep stream banks more stable during high flows.  The eastern and Carolina hemlock trees are dying due to a spreading infestation of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an aphid-like insect native to Asia.  The Lumpkin Coalition's website is a good starting place for information.
Foam Flower Tiarella cordifolia  April 30, 2003
Foam Flower is found throughout the watershed in shady, moist, deciduous woods. Variants of foam flower include flower color ranges from pink to white and some have unique foliage colors as well.
Mountain Camellia Stewartia ovata
The Mountain Camellia is a rare treasure found in the Southern Appalachian forest.  The tree is also called Mountain Stewartia and Summer Dogwood, because it blooms in early summer.  It was once thougtht that the last remaining tree in Habersham County was located in the Habersham Mills area.  Since 1994 groves of this rare tree have been found in several places in the Soque River watershed.  Text by Randy Moser
Mountain-Laurel Kalmia latifolia
Mountain-Laurel is found throughout the watershed in deciduous woods where the soil is sufficiently acid. It is in full bloom during mid-May.
Pink Lady's-Slipper Cypripedium acaule May 6, 2003
Pink Lady's-Slipper is one of the largest and most beautiful of our native orchids. It may be found throughout the watershed in pine-dominated deciduous forests. It's other common names include "Stemless Lady's Slipper" and "Moccasin Flower." Stemless refers to the two basal leaves which extend directly from the ground with no stems. Cypripedium acaule is on the list of Georgia Threatened Species.
Rivercane (Arundinaria gigantea)
Rivercane
grows in patches all across the Soque River watershed.  One of two native species of bamboo found in North America, it ranges as far north as the Ohio River.  Only a tiny remnant remains of once-vast stands of rivercane that occur most often along watercourses.  It usually spreads underground by rhizomes and can grow so thickly that it crowds out other plants.  Rivercane was a plant critical to Native American cultures and well as European settlers.  For a full article on rivercane, click the link above.
Smooth Purple Coneflower Echinacea laevigata
Coneflower is on the Federal Endangered Species List.  The habitat for this plant is restricted to the Eastern U.S. from Georgia to Pennsylvania.  It is found in sunny, open meadows where there is little competition from other plant species.  These types of habitats were historically maintained by fire and grazing from large mammals (neither of which is as prevalent today).  You are fortunate if you run across a stand of this lovely endangered flower.  Photo by Lane Gresham
Turk's-Cap Lily Lilium superbum
The tall Turk's cap lily blooms during July and August in low lying areas, such as moist meadows, and damp thin wood.
Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis
Wild Columbine can be found along rocky ledges, dry banks, roadsides, and woodland edges. It doesn't favor very rich soil, and seems to enjoy well drained, slightly acid, sandy loam.

- Back To Top -









home | about SRWA | contact SRWA | the SRWA | the Soque River | support SRWA

Soque River Watershed Association
PO Box 1901 - Clarkesville, GA 30523
(706) 754-7872
srwa@soque.org