 |
American Columbo (Frasera caroliniensis) Towns County, GA (2025-?) |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2025) |
|
American Columbo (Frasera caroliniensis) Towns County, GA (2025-?) |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2025) |
| Mid May, 2025 - Brasstown Valley: After monitoring one of Georgia's historical Isotria medeoloides sites, I thought I'd see how American Columbo was coming along. I have several go-to spots, so I headed for one of the closest. Based on prior years, I thought I might be a little early, but as it turned out, they were already a bit past peak bloom. |
|
 |
|
| American Columbo (Frasera caroliniensis) As I've said on other pages, the plant endures as a large basal rosette for 5-20 years before bolting as a large flowering stem 3 to 8 feet tall for a single season, then dying. |
|
 |
|
| Upper tip of an American Columbo plant |
|
 |
|
| Columbo flowers |
|
 |
|
| Upper section of a Columbo plant |
|
 |
|
| Typical Columbo flowers have four petals, although five-petaled flowers aren't uncommon. Note the fringed nectar pad that occurs in the middle of each corolla lobe. |
|
| Four days later - Forest Service land on Lake Chatuge: After posting my previous pics of Columbo, Elaine mentioned that she'd never seen any in bloom. I'd wanted to go back to the woods where I'd explored for old homesites last month and had seen hundreds of Columbo plants. I wasn't sure how well they would bloom in the woods, but we hiked in there hoping to find some in flower. We saw hundreds of basal rosettes, but it looked like we were going to strike out as far as blooms. Then, at the furthest area where I had found any plants before, looking down into a cove, we spotted three flowering stalks. While they weren't as tall as they get in sunnier locations, one was still taller than Elaine. |
|
 |
|
| Past their prime, but still some flowers blooming |
|
 |
|
| Elaine next to a Columbo stalk |