September 14th, 2012. We
took off up to Stephens County and explored two separate areas: the Lake
Russell Wildlife Management Area and Currahee Mountain. After we left
the Lake Russell WMA, we drove north to Currahee Mountain.
Currahee Mountain, the highest mountain in
Stephens County at 1,735 feet above sea level, rises steeply approximately 800
vertical feet (240 m) above the surrounding area and allows a view for
many miles around on a clear day. The mountain lies to the southeast of
Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountain crest and is part of the Georgia Piedmont or
"foothill" province. It’s a popular place for rock climbers.
The road wound up a relatively
gentle incline until it started up the ridge to the summit of the mountain
itself. As we rounded a fairly steep bend in the road, I spotted several
different wildflowers growing on the top of an gravel embankment. The embankment
was too high and steep to climb but several of the flowers were hanging down.
Continued from
The
view from the summit of the mountain was spectacular
Looking
to the south and southeast. This was where my fear of heights kicked in. The
path went right along the edge of the summit; it was a vertical drop from the
edge of the summit. The rock-climbing sections of the mountain were directly
below us.
Carya species (Hickory)
Hickory
nuts
Eupatorium
serotinum (Lateflowering Thoroughwort, Late Boneset)
I didn’t take much notice of the plant once I noticed that the plant was covered with…
Atteva
aurea (Ailanthus Webworm Moth)
Querqus
sp. (Oak sp.)
Ageratina
aromatica (Lesser Snakeroot, Aromatic Eupatorium,
Small-leaved White Snakeroot, Wild-hoarhound)
The
flowers
A
closer view. These are exquisite flowers.
The
leaves
Symphyotrichum
patens (Late Purple Aster)
The
flower
The
leaf
The Currahee Mountain road was a rich source of wildflowers
Click on an image to view a larger image
Identification resources:
Southeastern
Flora:
Name
that Plant: Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia:
Vanderbilt
University: Eupatorium serotinum (Lateflowering Thoroughwort, Late Boneset)
J.
Pippen, Duke University: Lesser Snakeroot (Ageratina aromatica)
Distribution:
United
States Department of Agriculture Plants Database:
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