April 6th, 2013. We drove
over to the Clark Hill Wildlife Management Area to look for Adder’s Tongue
ferns. We didn’t find any but were treated to a number of early spring
wildflowers.
Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum
virginianum)
We saw only one small
patch of these on the north side of the road just around the bend from the
check-in station. This species is found in many counties in north Georgia as
well as some counties in south Georgia.
Birdfoot Violet (Viola
pedata)
These were growing on the
south side of the road just around the bend from the check-in station and
extended for one-quarter to one-half a mile. The area on the north side of the
road had been burned recently so it wasn’t possible to determine if these also
grew on that side of the road. This species is also found more frequently in
north Georgia counties than in south Georgia counties
An unusual white variant
Yellow
Stargrass, Hairy Yellow Stargrass, Common Stargrass (Hypoxis hirsuta)
There were just a couple of Yellow Stargrass plants on the top of
the embankment among the Birdfoot Violets. One was doing well; the other was
not thriving. This species may be found in many counties throughout Georgia
Rattlesnakeweed, Veiny Hawkweed (Hieracium venosum)
Rattlesnake Weed plants are easily recognized by the
characteristic leaf coloration. These were just setting buds and will be
flowering before long. This species is found more frequently in counties in
north Georgia than in south Georgia.
Trumpet
Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
We
found Trumpet Honeysuckle blooming in a couple of places. This species may be
found in counties throughout Georgia.
Hog
Plum, Flatwoods Plum (Prunus umbellata)
These
trees were blooming in many places in the WMA. This particular plant was only
three to four feet high which made photographing the flowers easy. This species
may be found in counties throughout Georgia except for the most northen
counties.
Resurrection Fern, Scaly Polypody (Pleopeltis
polypodioides)
We found some nice
specimens of Resurrection Fern, a species that may be found in counties
throughout Georgia.
Yellow Thistle (Cirsium
horridulum)
This species may have
cream, pink or maroon flowers. The plants in this area weren’t producing the
foot-high flower stalks I’m familiar with at home. The flower stalks were
almost non-existent; the plants were producing flowers at ground level. This
species is found in many counties in Georgia.
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus
florida)
We didn’t see too many
Flowering Dogwoods in the WMA. This tree was in full bloom at the edge of the
woods not far from the lake. This species may be found in counties throughout Georgia.
I didn’t expect to find as
many wildflowers in bloom in this area so it was a pleasant surprise to find so
many plants in bloom.
Click
on an image to view a larger image
Identification
resources:
Southeastern
Flora:
Natural
and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia:
Distribution:
United
States Department of Agriculture Plants Database:
Related
post:
- Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens): Berries & Seeds
