Curly Dock (Rumex crispus)

Rumex crispus is known by the common names Curly Dock, , Yellow Dock, Sour Dock, or Narrow Dock. It is widespread in Georgia and would be considered by most to be a weed. The flowers are tiny – about 1/4 inch across and go unnoticed unless you look closely. The seeds are fascinating.

A young plant.

The flower spike is just developing.

A flowering plant, from a distance. This one is simple; they can have multiple flowering/fruiting spikes.

A flower, up close.

A flower, up close.

Young fruit, just developing.

Developed fruit.

A dried plant.

The seed pods, up close.

Rumex crispus (Curly Dock) is native to Europe and western Asia. It grows throughout the United States and Canada.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Rumex crispus (Curly Dock)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Rumex crispus

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Curly Dock (Rumex crispus)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Rumex crispus
- Missouri Plants: Rumex crispus
- Wikipedia: Rumex crispus

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus) - Part 1

Euonymus americanus is known by the common names Strawberry Bush, Bursting-heart, and Hearts-a-bustin'. So far, At Fort Yargo State Park, there are only a few bushes that I know of. They are growing along the Rock Garden, north of the Fishing Area (segment 12); I know of only one south of the Fishing Area (segment 13)

The buds are developing.

The shrub with flowers. In this site, the shrubs are only about 24 inches high.

The flowers in profile; they lie close against the leaves.

Flowers and buds, a closer view.

A flower with pollen, up close.

The flower has been pollinated.

The fruit is just starting to develop.
To be continued…

Euonymus americanus (Strawberry Bush) is native to the eastern United States. It grows in states south and east from New York in the north to Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma to Texas.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Euonymus americanus (Bursting-heart)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Euonymus americanus

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Euonymus americanus
- Missouri Plants: Euonymus americanus

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

We made a second trip to Wilkes County, Georgia, to check out a couple of wildflowers we had seen on our previous trip. Afterwards, we went on up to the Broad River Wildlife Management Area – on the south side of the river. We were looking mainly for wildflowers and dragonflies. Much of the area had been clear-cut some time ago and replanted with pines. But these hadn’t grown far; the area had many wildflowers and several species of wildflowers.

As we were driving out, a flash or red, white and black passed us. It was interesting because the bird - Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) – landed in a tree beside the road ahead of us and flushed another smaller woodpecker. Both must have been startled because they flew off in different directions. We lost sight of the small woodpecker but…

The Red-headed Woodpecker landed on the top of a snag about one-quarter mile away. I managed one photo before it flew off into the forest on the other side of the clearcut.

A cropped photo shows the bird in surprising detail given the distance it had flown. It is a beautiful bird.
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Identification resources:
The Cornell Institute of Ornithology - All About Birds: Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

Polygonatum biflorum is known by the Solomon's Seal or Smooth Solomon's Seal. At Fort Yargo State Park, I first saw it blooming along the Rock Garden trail (segment 12) and above the cliff south (segment 13) of the Fishing Area in late April. I’ve since found it fruiting along segment 3. This was the first time I had ever seen Solomon’s Seal. There’s nothing quite like stumbling across a plant legend when it’s the last plant you expect to see.

The first flowering plant I saw. They'd be easy to miss if you didn't look at just the right angle at the right time.

Buds. A closer view. The characteristic striation on the leaves is visible also.

An open bloom.

The bloom from below.

Fruit; about six weeks later, in mid-June.

Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon’s Seal) is native to the eastern United States and Canada and grows in most states east of the Rocky Mountains with the exception of Newfoundland and the Canadian maritime provinces.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Polygonatum biflorum (Smooth Solomon's Seal)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Polygonatum biflorum

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Polygonatum biflorum
- Missouri Plants: Polygonatum biflorum

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Wild Ginger (Hexastylis arifolia)

Hexastylis arifolia known by the common names Wild Ginger, Heart-leaf, Little Brown Jug, Arrowleaf Heartleaf and Littlebrownjug. A Fort Yargo State Park where I’ve seen lot of plants along the Rock Garden trail north of the Fishing Area (segment 12) and a few south of the Fishing Area (segment 13). Wild Ginger is easy to recognize by it’s characteristic heart-shaped leaves which have lighter-colored patches between the veins. Older leaves may appear to be coated black and the patches may not be visible.

The woods are covered with a thick layer of leaf litter and I wasn’t sure when these plants would flower in this area. In late April, I carefully cleared away some leaves surrounding a couple of plants and found the flowers beneath them. After I photographed them I replaced the leaves. I watched each week and, over time, flowers of a couple of flowers were observable without removing leaves but must remained covered.

A young plant with typical heart-shaped leaves with distinctly lighter patches between the veins.

Flowers are almost white with a purple tinge. (An older leaf in the upper left appears almost black).

Another view of flowers.

A close up of flowers. These flowers are green with a purple tinge.

Hexastylis arifolia is native to the United States. Their range is states south and east from Virginia and Kentucky south to Louisiana.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Hexastylis arifolia (Littlebrownjug)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Hexastylis arifolia

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Wild Ginger (Hexastylis arifolia)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Hexastylis arifolia
- Alabama Plants: Hexastylis arifolia

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Eastern Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)

Calycanthus floridus known by a wide variety of common names: Eastern Sweetshrub, Carolina Allspice, Sweet Shrub, Spicebush, or Sweet Betsy. Two varieties – C. floridus var glaucus and C. floridus var. floridus – grow in this area. The leaves of C. floridus var glaucus are covered with a grayish coating that is easily rubbed off; leaves of C. floridus var. floridus have a fine, short hairs on the underside.

At Fort Yargo State Park I’ve found this plant growing in the shade along the Rock Garden trail (segment 12) and south of the Fishing Area (segment 13). The most striking characteristic of this plant were the leaves that were rolled longitudinally and were strikingly gray underneath. I could spot the plants early in the Spring by their rolled leaves. The leaves uncurl gradually.

I didn’t see the flowers at first because they are dark red and blend into the green of the leaves in the deep shade in the woods so I was only able to get photos of older flowers that were past their best. I’ll be on the lookout earlier next year. Based on the underside of the leaf, this is probably Calycanthus floridus var. glaucus.

The plants are small shrubs about 30 inches high and spreading.

In the early Spring, I could spot them because the leaves were curled in the direction of the length of the leaf.

A flower. I didn’t spot the flowers for a while. They were past their best.

The fruit is developing, You can spot it below the dead flower.

A developing fruit

A fully developed fruit. It had disappeared the following week.

Calycanthus floridus is native to the United States. The range of the two varieties overlap. C. floridus var floridus has a wider range than C. floridus var glaucus.
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Distribution Map:
United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database:
- Calycanthus floridus var. glaucus (Eastern Sweetshrub)
- Calycanthus floridus var. floridus (Eastern Sweetshrub)
University of North Carolina Herbarium:
- Calycanthus floridus var glaucus
- Calycanthus floridus var floridus

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Eastern Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)
- Native & Naturalized Plants of Georgia and the Carolinas. Eastern Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus var. glaucus)
- Alabama Plants: Calycanthus floridus

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower

Rattlesnakeweed (Hieracium venosum)

Hieracium venosum is known by the common names Rattlesnake Weed or Veiny Hawkweed. So far, I’ve only seen it at Fort Yargo State Park where I saw a patch of plants along the trail south of the Fishing Area (segment 13) – above the cliff where I found the Bank Swallow nest hole. Here, they grow in shade and partial sun.

From a distance, the flowers don’t impress.

The leaves are characteristic in shape and the reddish veining.

The flower head is ‘gangly.’ The plant, from above.

In profile, the flower head is quite artistic.

The flowers, up close.

I didn’t see the seeds but the skeleton of the seed head is characteristic.

Hieracium venosum (Rattlesnakeweed) is native to the eastern United States and Canada. It grows in states east of a line from Ontario, Michigan south to Louisiana and eastwards. It does not grow in Quebec or the Canadian maritime provinces. It grows in Missouri and British Columbia.
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Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Hieracium venosum (Rattlesnakeweed)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Hieracium venosum

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Rattlesnakeweed (Hieracium venosum)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Hieracium venosum

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower