Crataegus sp.: Batesburg Hawthorn (Crataegus munda)?

This appears to be a Crataegus sp. Based on a comparison of Crataegus sp. listed in the Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia, this plant appears to resemble the Batesburg Hawthorn (Crataegus munda) most closely.

I was struck by the pure white flowers. I had to climb down a steep section of the shore line at Fort Yargo State Park while the lake level was low to get these photos. It would have been challenging to get these photos had the lake level been normal.

I found plants growing along the shore line at the lower left of this photo (segment 6). I also found some plants along segment 14.

A new flower and glossy leaves.

Leaves are alternate.

The plants have very long thorns. These are about 3 inches long.

A flower, up close. I was so focused on the young flower in front that I didn’t notice the more mature flowers with brown anthers in the background.

A developing fruit. This was photographed on a plant by the lake along segment 14.

Crataegus munda is native to South Carolina and Georgia in the United States.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database Crataegus munda (Batesburg Hawthorn)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Crataegus munda

Identification resources:
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Crataegus munda

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Up Close And Personal... Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans)

When I got back from the lake on Sunday, a couple of dragonflies were careening around the patio. One landed on the tip of a dead culm of a small bamboo plant. Chance for a photo shoot; too good to pass up. The great thing is that dragonflies have a favorite twig they’ll return to again and again and again… So I put my things down and crept back out with camera in hand. The first couple of shots were duds. Shooting a bright dragonfly against a dark background – overexposed!

So I sidled closer and took some more shots at an angle. I’m only a few feet away by this time. It’s a male Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans), one of my favorites.

With a few reasonable shots, time to live dangerously. I’ve found that some dragonflies don’t react to a camera lens held close to them whereas they will fly off if I move close. So I switched to macro and moved slowly to the left. I’ve learned to hold the camera at arms length, focus and shoot.

A ‘distance’ shot.

And then the really close up. I’m almost touching him with the lens.

He was quite patient. He did fly off a couple of times, circled around and came back to land less than a foot from me. A real treat!
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Identification resources:
- Dragonflies of Georgia: Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans)
- BugGuide: Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans) [Male][Female]

Related post:
- Dragonfly: Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans)

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Geranium maculatum is known by the common names Wild Geranium or Spotted Geranium. At Fort Yargo State Park, I’ve seen this plant at the head of the trail from the campgrounds to the dam (segment 6-7) and in the grassy area below the park office. In Walton County, I’ve seen it in roadside gardens.

This plant was growing in full shade. I almost missed it. I later saw plants growing in partial shade and full sun.

A close up of the flower and developing buds – in the shade.

Another close up of the flower with pollen – in the sun.

Geranium maculatum is native to the eastern United States and Canada. In Canada it grows in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. In the United States it grows in all states including, and east of , a line from North and South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana; it doesn’t grow in Florida.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Geranium maculatum (Spotted Geranium)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Geranium maculatum

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Geranium maculatum
- Missouri Plants: Geranium maculatum

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Lonicera sempervirens is known by the common names Trumpet Honeysuckle and Coral Honeysuckle. So far, I’ve only seen it at Fort Yargo State Park where I saw several plants along the trail from the campground to the dam (segment 6).

The leaves are opposite and the leaves immediately below the flower and, frequently, the pair below that are fused around the stem (perfoliate).

Two flower heads are developing

The developing flower buds, in profile.

The flowers open a couple of weeks later.

A flower, up close.

Trumpet Honeysuckle is native to the eastern United States and Canada.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet Honeysuckle)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Lonicera sempervirens

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Lonicera sempervirens
- Missouri Plants: Lonicera semperviren

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata)

Salvia lyrata is known by the common names Lyre-leaf Sage, Lyreleaf sage, Wild sage and Cancerweed. I’ve seen it mainly in patches on both Walton County and Barrow County – along roadsides. In Fort Yargo State Park is grows as individual plants. There is also a patch that grows on the lake side of the dam where the flowers are a light blue-almost white. We have a patch by the drive near the road; this patch grows in the shade and the flowers are a definite blue. The name Lyreleaf comes from the characteristic shape of the leaves.

A typical patch of Salvia lyrata growing at our place by the drive near the road. This patch grows in almost total shade; flowers are a darker blue than those that grow in full sun.

An individual plant growing in the shade. Leaves are darker due to red pigmentation.

Leaves of an individual plant growing in partial shade or full sun are green. The leaf shape is characteristic of this species.


Flower heads are developing.

Flowers begin to open.

Some flowers fully opened.




Different views of an individual flower

The flowerhead goes to seed.

Salvia lyrata (Lyreleaf Sage) is native to the United States. It grows in states bounded by New York-Connecticut to Kansas, south to Texas and east to Florida.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Salvia lyrata (Lyreleaf Sage)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Salvia lyrata

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata)
- Native & Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Salvia lyrata
- Wikipedia: Salvia lyrata

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Dwarf Cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis)

Potentilla canadensis is known by the common names Dwarf Cinquefoil or Canadian Cinquefoil. I almost overlooked this plant – mistaking it at first for the Indian Strawberry (Duchesnea indica). Potentilla canadensis leaves occur as compound leaves with five leaflets compared with Duchesnea indica which has compound leaves with three leaflets. The flowers are similar in appearance. Duchesnea indica produces red edible fruit; Potentilla canadensis doesn’t.

A patch of flowers

A closer view

The compound leaves with five leaflets; the runner is also visible

A mature flower

Potentilla canadensis (Dwarf Cinquefoil) is native to the eastern United States. Its range extends from Ontario through Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas to Texas to the east. It has not been reported from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, or Florida.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Potentilla canadensis (Dwarf Cinquefoil)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Potentilla canadensis

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Dwarf Cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis)
- Native & Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Potentilla canadensis
- Missouri Plants: Potentilla canadensis

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Young Ones…

We went over to Wilkes County, Georgia, last weekend. W has been participating in a frog survey and last Saturday night conditions were right for running the route. I wanted to go early to look for wildflowers. We drove up the route in the late afternoon.

There in a field were a couple of Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hens with four young ones making their way through the field about 50 yards from the road. They weren’t alarmed. They made their way through the field, stopping periodically to eat. The young ones would fall behind a little and then have to scurry to catch up.

One of the poults is immediately below the hen on the right; two of the others are in a horizontal line to the right.

Four poults are visible. Two are feeding and the other two – second and fourth in the same line – have their heads up.

This was quite a different site from the large flock of Wild Turkey was saw at Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center last Fall.
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Identification resources: The Cornell Institute of Ornithology - All About Birds: Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Related posts:
- Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center: Wild Turkey

Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica)

Nyssa sylvatica is known by the common names Blackgum, Black Tupelo, and Sour Gum. It can grow to 60 or 70 feet. There is a good specimen tree on the point just south of the bridge at the Fishing Area in Fort Yargo State Park. This is the tree that I’ve photographed.

The tree began to flower in late April. This photo also shows the characteristic glossy leaves.

A close up of the flower buds

The flowers are opening a week later

A week later. This is usually the stage at which I notice the flowers.

A close up.

The Blackgum is one of the first trees to change color in the Fall. It's easy to spot them from a distance.

A closer view of the same tree

The tree loses its leaves earlier than most trees.

Nyssa sylvatica (Blackgum) is native to the United States. It grows in the eastern United States and Canada from in states east of a line from Ontario, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It doesn’t grow in Quebec or the maritime provinces of Canada.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Nyssa sylvatica (Blackgum)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Nyssa sylvatica

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica)
- Native & Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Nyssa sylvatica (Blackgum, Black Tupelo, Sour Gum)

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)

Erigeron philadelphicus is known by the common names Philadelphia Fleabane, Common Rough Fleabane, or Prairie Fleabane. I haven’t seen it at our place. I found it when I walked down the back side of the dam at Fort Yargo State Park to photograph the Princess Tree.

A stand of plants near the bottom of the dam.

A closer view of the stem showing the leaf arrangement

A close up of the leaves

A close up of the flowers that have very fine petals compared with those of the Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus).

Erigeron philadelphicus (Philadelphia Fleabane) is native to the United States. It grows in most provinces in Canada and states in the United States except Arizona, Utah and Alaska.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Erigeron philadelphicus (Philadelphia Fleabane)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Erigeron philadelphicus

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)
- Native & Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Erigeron philadelphicus (Daisy Fleabane, Common Fleabane, Philadelphia-daisy)
- Missouri Plants: Erigeron philadelphicus

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower
- Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

Erigeron strigosus is known by the common names Daisy Fleabane, Common Rough Fleabane, or Prairie Fleabane. It grows in the open field at our place and flowers profusely for several months.

A stand of plants at one edge of the field

A closer view of a few plants

An even closer view

A flower begins to open. These petals are pinkish look almost translucent. This photo also shows the characteristic leaf shape of this species.

Recently opened flowers are often pink; this year some have been a deeper purple.

The opening flower in profile

The plants flower at the same time as the Small’s Ragwort (Packera anonyma). As the flowers mature, the pink/purple color fades; the flowers are white.

Close up of a mature, white flower.

Erigeron strigosus (Daisy Fleabane) is native to the United States. It grows in most provinces in Canada and states in the United States except the southwestern states (Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah) as the Northwest Territories and Alaska.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Erigeron strigosus (Prairie Fleabane)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Erigeron strigosus

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)
- Native & Naturalized Plants of Georgia and the Carolinas: Erigeron strigosus (Daisy Fleabane, Common Rough Fleabane, Prairie Fleabane)
- Missouri Plants: Erigeron strigosus

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower
- Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)