April 11, 2022 Yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is among the many early-blooming spring ephemerals found in moist deciduous forests and woodlands across the Eastern US. The flower can be found blooming in April and May in most counties of Virginia and is relatively common in the mountains and Piedmont, though less common in the Coastal Plain. The plant is […]
March 9, 2022 Virginia spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a small perennial herb beloved for its attractive, pink-striped white flowers. It grows in rich, moist forest soils and blooms from March to May, produces its seed capsules, and then disappears until spring comes again. There is another Claytonia species native to Virginia, Carolina spring beauty or Broad-leaved spring beauty (C. caroliniana), […]
October 6, 2021 White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) is a perennial plant in the Asteraceae family that fills woodlands, thickets, forest edges and some old fields in Virginia with white blooms in September and October. The plant can range from 1-4 ft in height and features opposite leaves and flat-topped clusters of flowers. It spreads both by rhizome and seed. The […]
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a perennial warm-season bunchgrass native to southern Canada and most of the United States. Typically growing 2-4 feet tall, its base, up to 1 foot in diameter, is densely tufted with blue-green leaves, whose colors are the source of its common name. The leaves are up to 10 inches long and ½ inch wide, sometimes […]
Joe-Pye Weeds (Eutrochium spp.) are a genus of tall perennial wildflowers, native to the eastern United States and Canada. Up to 7 feet tall, they produce large clusters of tiny pink flowers in late summer.Beautiful and functional in gardens, due to their high value to native wildlife. Joe-Pye Weeds (Eutrochium spp.) are a genus containing 5 species of tall perennial wildflowers. […]
Orange-grass St. John’s Wort (Hypericum gentianoides) is an herbaceous annual species native to eastern North America.6-10” tall with an upright, wiry appearance due to tiny, appressed leaves. Prefers sandy or rocky areas, and requires disturbance to survive.Common name orange-grass was inspired by the citrus smell occurring when leaves are crushed. Orange-grass St. John’s Wort (Hypericum gentianoides), also known as pineweed or […]
August 8, 2021 Scaly Blazing Star (Liatris squarrosa) Scaly Blazing Star (Liatris squarrosa) is a perennial wildflower in the aster family with purple tuft-like flowers that are popular with botanists and pollinators alike. These flowers grow above large, square, overlapping bracts for which the plant is named. They grow on unbranched stems 1-3 feet tall with small alternate leaves. Scaly blazing star is native to dry, sunny habitats with rocky or sandy soils such as prairies, savannas, limestone and sandstone glades, and open woodlands. Populations of unplanted scaly blazing star can be indicators of high-quality native grasslands, as they thrive in dry soils […]
Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) is an evergreen woodland orchid native to the eastern half of the United States and Canada.Has beautiful, ground-level leaves with unique white veining. Got its common name from its rattlesnake skin-like leaf pattern, its leaf arrangement similar to unrelated plantains, and its down-covered flower stalk. Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) is a woodland orchid native to […]
July 15, 2021 Groundcherries (Physalis spp.) are perennial herbs in the nightshade family. There are seven native species of ground cherry in Virginia that can be distinguished by the shapes and textures of their leaves and flowers, but they all can be identified by their drooping, bell-shaped yellow flowers and golden fruits enclosed by papery heart-shaped husks. They can be found in a variety of habitats and can be weedy in disturbed area such as pastures and agricultural fields. When ripe, […]