Saxon-Norman-Broad, Wilkes County, Georgia: Prostrate Blue Violet, Green-and-gold & Trumpet Honeysuckle

March 23rd, 2012. We had a few hours. The weather wasn’t great but we felt like getting out. So we drove one of the back roads in Wilkes County, Georgia. We drove out to Lexington on US-78 and turned north on GA-77 to the road marked as the Saxon-Mattox Road. It’s the last road before the Broad River crossing. This road runs from Saxon to Norman and then to Broad. In Google Maps, the road begins as Goose Pond Road and then becomes CR-113 to Norman. The section from Norman to Broad is Norman Rd NE. We didn’t really expect to see much but we were really in for a pleasant surprise.

This road runs roughly parallel to the Broad River through dry pine and deciduous forests. Periodically the road dips to cross creeks that drain into the Broad River.

Prostrate Blue Violet (Viola walteri). The first wildflower we encountered growing along an embankment beside the road. This area was dry and plants growing in the moister areas were larger. We saw some large plants growing along the creek bank.

A closer view. A rain shower had just passed through the area but this photo shows the characteristic leaves of this plant

Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum). We saw several small patches of Green-and-gold along the roadside in the drier areas

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Closer views

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Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). We saw Trumpet Honeysuckle blooming at many locations in the drier areas along the road. I’ve posted a series of close-up photos of this flower here.

To be continued…
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
Southeastern Flora:
- Viola walteri (Prostrate Blue Violet)
- Chrysogonum virginianum (Green-and-gold)
- Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet honeysuckle)

Name that Plant
- Viola walteri (Walter's Violet)
- Chrysogonum virginianum (Green-and-gold)
- Lonicera sempervirens (Coral Honeysuckle, Woodbine, Trumpet Honeysuckle)

Distribution

University of North Carolina Herbarium:
- Chrysogonum virginianum
- Lonicera sempervirens

USDA Plants Database
- Viola walteri (Prostrate Blue Violet)
- Chrysogonum virginianum (Green and gold)
- Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet Honeysuckle)

Related post:
- Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)