Some uncommon and/or rare botanical finds photographed during various short explorations in the Spring of 2020.
These finds are usually from short visits, as opposed to the various full wildflower albums found within our website.
1 - Towns County, GA - Early April, 2020
Goldenseal
Lacking petals and losing the sepals early, the flowers of this species owe their color to the many whitish stamens. The plant has become rare over much of its range due to over-collecting for the herb trade. Listed as endangered in several states, including Georgia, this is the only population I have come across in my neck of the woods. I caught them a tad early here, with the leaves just unfurling and many in bud, but still saw a variety of blooms.
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Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
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Goldenseal
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Goldenseal bud
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Goldenseal
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A nice yellow form of Trillium cuneatum.
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Pussytoes (Antennaria sp.)
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2 - Union County - Early April, 2020
American Fly Honeysuckle
A northern plant, we are at the very southern limit of its range. As far as I know, only two sites are known in Georgia, and the two populations are only a few miles apart. After seeing these plants in the summer of 2019, it was on my calendar to catch them in bloom this spring.
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American Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)
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Two flowers separated by a bud
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The flowers typically grow as a pair on each stem
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One of the pairs here has lost a flower...
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A few more examples of the flowers:
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Mountain seep
This area was covered with wildflowers; too small to see in this view, except for the leafy foliage of Veratrum viride.
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3 - Union Co., GA - May, 2020
Isotria medeoloides
Early May - I was in the area, and checked out the status of one population:
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Small Whorled Pogonia, in bud
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Two weeks later, my day's explorations included visits to two Isotria sites.
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Site 1:
Small Whorled Pogonia (Isotria medeoloides)
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I found six flowering plants here, with two smaller ones in bud.
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A pair of flowering plants
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Site 2:
Small Whorled Pogonia (Isotria medeoloides)
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I found three flowering plants at this location.
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