Saxon-Norman-Broad, Wilkes County, Georgia: Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)

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. On DeLorme’s Georgia Atlas & Gazetteer, 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.

I was excited to finally see Rue Anemones in bloom in the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge. I wasn’t thinking much about finding them in the relatively open woods in the creek bottoms on this road. Then I saw a white flower I didn’t immediately recognize. When I got up close, however, I immediately recognized it as a Rue Anemone. I was a little surprised to see them in this relatively open woodland but there they were. And then we saw them in several areas including…

Along the edge of drainage ditches by the roadside. It would have been easy to miss them. They are just below the moss in the center of the photo.

A closer view of an individual plant.

A closer view of an individual flower.

To be continued…
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Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Thalictrum thalictroides (Rue anemone, Windflower)
- Name that Plant: Thalictrum thalictroides (Rue anemone, Windflower)

Distribution:
- University of Norh Carolina Herbarium: Anemonella thalictroides
- USDA Plants Database: Thalictrum thalictroides (Rue anemone)

Related posts:
- Saxon-Norman-Broad, Wilkes County, Georgia: Prostrate Blue Violet, Green-and-gold & Trumpet Honeysuckle
- Saxon-Norman-Broad, Wilkes County, Georgia: Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)
- Saxon-Norman-Broad, Wilkes County, Georgia: Luna Moth (Actias luna)
- Saxon-Norman-Broad, Wilkes County, Georgia: Down In The Creek Bottom
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Late Winter Surprises (Part 2)