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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.
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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. |
