Yarrow, Milfoil (Achillea millefolium)

Perennial herb, often rhizomatous, 12-36" tall with sparsely to densely hairy stems. Leaves: both basal and alternate on the stem, 2-6" long, finely dissected with a feathery appearance. Flowers: Ray flowers white (occasionally pink), usually 5, 3-toothed, 0.08-0.12" long, disk whitish, 10-30 flowered, 0.1-0.15" wide. Involucral bracts to 0.2: long, overlapping; heads radiate, numerous in flat-topped clusters that terminate flowering stems. Bloom time: May - November. Where found: Both introduced and native subspecies occur in North America. Fields, lawns, and disturbed places throughout the U.S., southern Canada and TN. Common. 

Notes: Yarrow was formerly called Blodwort, Deadman's Daisy, Nosebleed Plant, Staunchgrass, and Woundwort as the primary medicinal use of the plant was to stop bleeding. The genus name Achillea pays honor to Achilles, who is said to have used this plant in the Trojan War to help the wounded soldiers. It was thought to be especially helpful when a wound was caused by iron. Due to this belief, the crushed plant was applied to shrapnel and bullet wounds during the American Civil War. The Navajo refer to it as "life medicine" because of the many healing properties. It contains at least 100 biologically active compounds with more than 12 anti-inflammatory agents. 

Limestone Fameflower, Rock Pinks (Talinum calcaricum)

Plant Type: This is a succulent, it is a perennial which can reach 15cm in height (6inches).

Leaves: This plant has basal leaves only. Leaves can reach 2.5cm in length (1inches). The leaves are succulent and tubular in shape.

Flowers: The flowers have 5 Regular Parts and are up to 2.5cm wide (1 inches). They are an unusual shade of purple. Blooms first appear in late spring and continue into early fall. Flowers only open in the afternoon.

Habitat: Rocky areas of cedar glades.

Photographic Location. Cedars of Lebanon Forest.

Range: Central Basin of Tennessee.

The species name calcaricum refers to this plant's unusual habitat of limestone areas. This small, attractive flower is rather hard to find both because it is small, rather rare and only blooms in the afternoon. It may occasionally be found in fairly large groups. It was once considered to be T. teretifolium which is found on rocky areas of the Cumberland Plateau. The botanist Stewart Ware described it as a new species in 1967.(Hemmerly)
Similar Species: Rock Portulaca (Talinum teretifolium) is larger, to 30cm (1') high with leaves to 5cm (2") long.

Reference: 2bnTheWild.com

Small's beardtongue, Small's penstemon (Penstemon smallii Heller)

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)
 
Numerous, tube-shaped, dark-pink, white-throated flowers are borne on upright, branched stalks up to 2 1/2 ft. high. Differing from other eastern penstemons, the flowering branches extend down into the axils of the leafy stems, giving the plant a bushy appearance. The shiny, opposite leaves have attractive, dark veins and clasping, heart-shaped bases. The basal rosette of leaves turns reddish-bronze in the winter.
 
Smalls Beardtongue blooms for up to four weeks, much longer than other eastern penstemons. It occurs naturally in places that are in shade for half the day, but also tolerates full sun. A popular flower in mountainous regions of the South.

Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)

Bean family (Fabaceae)

Description: This annual wildflower is 1-2½' tall, branching occasionally. It is semi-erect, using its tendrils to cling to adjacent vegetation. The stems are light green, ribbed, and sparsely pubescent. Alternate compound leaves about 3-5" long occur at intervals along each stem; each leaf is even-pinnate with 5-6 pairs of leaflets and a branched tendril at its tip. The petioles of the compound leaves are short. At the base of each petiole, there is a pair of dentate stipules about ¼" in length. Individual leaflets are about ¾" long and ¼" across; they are oblong in shape and smooth along their margins with short pointed tips. Each leaflet has a short petiolule (basal stalklet) about 1 mm. long. at its base. The upper leaflet surface is medium green and hairless, while the lower surface is pale green and slightly pubescent along the central vein.
The middle to upper leaves produce 1-2 flowers from their axils; these flowers are nearly sessile (pedicels about 1 mm. long). Individual flowers are about ¾" long, consisting of 5 purple petals and a light green tubular calyx with 5 teeth. The petals are arranged in a pea-like floral structure consisting of a banner, 2 wings, and a keel; the latter encloses the reproductive organs. There is usually a patch of white at the base of the banner (uppermost petal). The teeth of the calyx are linear-lanceolate and similar to each other in length. The blooming period occurs from late spring to mid-summer for about 2 months. The flowers are replaced by elongated seedpods about 1½-3" in length that are hairless. Initially, the seedpods are green and flattened, but they later become dark brown and more swollen as the seeds enlarge. Each seedpod contains 5-12 seeds. Individual seeds are subgloboid (somewhat flattened) and smooth. This wildflower spreads by reseeding itself.

Range & Habitat:  Common Vetch was introduced into North America from Eurasia for agricultural purposes. Habitats consist of cropland (mainly wheat fields), fallow fields, weedy meadows, roadsides, areas along railroads, and miscellaneous waste areas. Sometimes Common Vetch is deliberated planted as a source of forage for farm animals. Habitats with a history of disturbance are strongly preferred.
 

Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees and other long-tongued bees. Various insects feed destructively on the foliage, flowers, or developing seedpods of Vicia spp. (Vetches). These species include the caterpillars of such butterflies as Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulfur), Colias philodice (Clouded Sulfur), Everes  comyntas (Eastern Tailed Blue), Glaucopsyche lygdamus couperi (Silvery Blue), Leptotes marina (Marine Blue), and Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak). It also includes caterpillars of the skipper, Erynnis funeralis (Funereal Duskywing), and the moth, Caenurgina chloropha (Vetch Looper). Vetches are food plants of Acyrthosiphon pisum (Pea Aphid), several leafhoppers (Empoasca spp.), and the thrips, Sericothrips cingulatus. The foliage of Common Vetch is edible to mammalian herbivores: It is readily eaten by cattle, horses, sheep, deer, rabbits, and groundhogs. Even though the seeds are potentially toxic, they are sometimes eaten by such upland gamebirds as the Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Greater Prairie Chicken, and Bobwhite; some of these birds also consume limited amounts of the foliage.
 

Photographic Location: A designated state natural area in Middle TN.
 

Comments: Common Vetch is less showy than other vetches because its flowers are more likely to be hidden within the foliage. Unlike many other vetches, Common Vetch produces its flowers in sessile pairs or individually, rather than in one-sided racemes of 3 or more flowers. Several varieties or subspecies of Common Vetch have been described in Europe, although they are not distinguished here. Mohlenbrock (2002) refers to the narrow-leaved subspecies of Common Vetch as Vicia angustifolia, which is a scientific synonym of Vicia sativa nigra. Also known as Narrow-leaf Vetch and Garden Vetch

Large-Flowered Valerian (Valeriana pauciflora)

Valerian family (Valerianaceae)

    Description: This native perennial wildflower is 1½–3' tall and unbranched or sparingly branched. The stout central stem is erect, medium green, hairless, and terete. Basal leaves are usually cordate or oval-cordate with long petioles; sometimes they are odd-pinnate with 2 small lateral leaflets and a large terminal leaflet. The cauline leaves occur in opposite pairs along the stem and they are odd-pinnate with 3-7 leaflets. Each cauline leaf is up to 8" long and 4" across. The leaflets are more or less ovate in shape; the terminal leaflet is larger than than the lateral leaflets. The leaflets are medium green, hairless, and smooth to slightly dentate along their margins. Each cauline leaf is sessile at the base, or it has a short petiole. The central stem terminates in a short dense panicle of flowers that becomes more elongated with age. Much smaller panicles of flowers may develop from the axils of the upper leaves. Each flower has a slender funnelform corolla with 5 spreading lobes; this corolla is white to light pink and about ½–¾" long. Exerted from each corolla, there are 3 stamens and a slender style. At the base of the flower, there is a green calyx that is much shorter than the corolla.

      The blooming period occurs from late spring to early summer and lasts about a month. Each flower has a single-celled ovary that produces a single achene. Each achene has a tuft of plume-like hairs; the achenes are distributed in part by the wind. The root system is fibrous and its produces occasional rhizomes or stolons. Sometimes small colonies of plants develop from the rhizomes or stolons.

    Cultivation: The preference is light shade to partial sun, consistently moist conditions, and fertile soil with abundant organic matter. The foliage is rarely bothered by disease or insects.

    Range & Habitat: Found in the Western and Eastern Highland rims in TN, and from PA to South IL south to VA and TN.  Habitats include floodplain woodlands along streams or rivers, shaded ravines, and bottoms of rocky canyons. This species is found in high quality habitats that are moist and shady.

     Faunal Associations: Information about floral-faunal relationships for this species is very limited. The long slender corollas suggests that the flowers are pollinated by bumblebees, butterflies, Sphinx moths, and possibly hummingbirds. The nectar of the flowers is inaccessible to most insects with short mouthparts.

    Photographic Location: Photographic Location: In a designated state natural area in Middle TN.

    Comments:  Sometimes, this species is called Pink-Flowered Valerian.

Wood Spurge (Euphorbia commutata)

Smooth, almost succulent perennial from 8 to 16" tall, often branched from the base. The young stems and leaves are commonly somewhat reddened. Stem leaves, about 0.6" long, are usually pale yellowish-green, numerous, mostly sessile, obovate or ablanceolate below, ovate to oval above, all shallowly toothed. The involucres terminate umbel-like branches at the top of the stem.

Leaves of the umbel are broadly triangular-reniform, tending to be fused together. The tiny flowers lack sepals and petals, and the yellow color in the inflorescence comes from crescent-shaped glands in the involucre. 

Bloom time: April - June. 

Where found: from the Western Highland Rim east in TN. In the U.S., the range is from PA to MN south to FL and TX. Frequent.

Miami Mist (Phacelia purshii)

Annual, 6-20" tall with hairy stems. Leaves: alternate, lower leaves petioled, upper leaves sessile, about 1.5" long, coarsely pinnately lobed. 

Flowers: cup-shaped pale lavender or sometimes blue with a white center, about 0.5" wide, 5 deeply fringed lobes; inflorescence has 10-30 individual flowers; stem and inflorescence are hairy, the hairs appressed. 

Bloom time: April - June.

Where found: Rich woods, moist fields, and along roadsides from PA to MI, south to GA, AL, and OK. Primarily in Middle TN, but also in Claiborne, Monroe, Blount, Sevier, and Johnson counties n East TN. Occasional. 

Note: This species was named after its discoverer, Frederick Traugott Pursh (1774-1820), a German explorer, collector, horticulturist, and author who made distinguished contributions in all his fields during the 21 years he resided in North America. Miami Mist is remarkably similar to Fringed Phacelia, but Fringed Phacelia is generally smaler, with weaker stems and white flowers.

Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)

Colonial shrub with slender, arching canes to 5' tall, stems are thorny. Leaves: alternate, pinnately compound with about 7 ellptic leaflets, 0.8-1.5" long; deeply fringed leaf-ike appendages at the base of leaf stalks. 

Flowers: numerous, white, about 1.25" wide, 5 triangular petals are shallowly indented, borne in clusters. 

Bloom time: May - June.

Where found: Introduced from Asia. Roadsides, fence rows, and pastures. Naturalized over much of the eastern U.S. and TN. Frequent. 

Note: An eastern Asia introduction for use as a "living fence" around farm buildings and ponds, this rose has become an invasive pest. 

Poison Ivy (Anacardiaceae)

Member of the Cashew Family

Climbing or trailing perennial vine with abundant aerial roots. Leaves: alternate and have 3 leaflets that are mostly flat, ovate to elliptic, entire or often with a few irregular, more or less pointed teeth or shallow lobes, from 2 - 6" long. The inflorescence arises from the lower leaf axils and is loose, branched, panicle-like. 

Flowers: numerous, small, whitish to cream-colored.

Bloom time: May - July. 

Where found: open woods, disturbed areas, lawns. Found throughout TN and likely more prevalent than officially recorded. Extended rage from S. Nova Scotia to se MN south to FL and TX.  Note: leaves and stems contain a severe contact poison that may cause a rash, inflammation, swelling and itching in susceptible individuals.

Mayweed, Dog Fennel (Anthemis cotula)

Malodorous, taprooted annual 6-24" tall with branched stems. Leaves: alternate, 1.0-2.5" long, 2-3 times pinnately dissected giving the plant a lacy appearance. 

Flowers: ray flowers white 10-18, 0.2-0.4" long, 3-toothed, sterile; disk yellow, 0.2-0.4" wide; heads radiate, single head terminates each flowering stalk. 

Bloom time: May-August. 

Where found: introduced from Europe. Fields and disturbed areas throughout the U.S. and TN. Frequent.  

Note: other common names that allude to the unpleasant odor of Mayweed are Fetid Chamomile, Pigstye Daisy, Poison Daisy, Stinking Chamomile, and Stinkweed. Touching or ingesting the plant may cause an alleric reaction. There are only 2 Anthemis species in TN.

Glade Sandwort (Arenaria patula)

Small, bushy smooth annual, 4-10" tall, highly branched at the base. 

Leaves: opposite, numerous, needle-like, to 0.8" long. 

Flowers: numerous, white, about 0.5" wide, 5 notched petals; 5 sepals are narrowly lanceolate and slightly shorter than petals. 

Bloom time: April - June.

Where found: limestone cedar glades, shallow sandy soil, and dry limestone cliffs from OH to MN, south to VA, AL and TX. In TN, in Middle and East TN. Frequent. 

Note: The genus name Arenaria is Latin, from arena, meaning "sand," in reference to the fact that most species of these herbs prefer sandy areas; patula means "spreading", referring to the low-growing and spreading habits of these plants. Glade Sandwort is easily overlooked because of its small size and thin stems. Throughout the world, there are more than 150 Arenaria species.

Small Skullcap (scutellaria parvula)

Small perennial herb only 4-8" tall, often with several stems together arising from a thin rhizome; 4-angled sems have spreading glandular hairs. 

Leaves: opposite, hairy, sessile, to 0.6" long, ovate to nearly round, obscurely toothed, 3-5 veins on each side of the midrib. 

Flowers: blue to violet corolla, to 0.3" long, with dark spots on the inside of the lower lip; calyx usually reddish and glandular hairy; flowers arise from the axils of foilage leaves. 

Bloom time: April - June.

Where found: Cedar glades, prairies, and upland woods, from Quebec to ND, south to FL and TX. In TN, primarily the Central Basin and Western Highland Rim, thinly scattered elsewhere. Occasional. 

Note: The species name parvula means "very small, insignificant" in reference to the size of the overall plant, as well as he diminutive size of the flowers. Small Skullcap is also called Little Skullcap and is the smallest skullcap in our area and can easily be overlooked.

Blue Toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis)

Slender, smooth, tap-rooted biennial or winter annual, 8-24" tall, with an errect, almost leafless flowering stem arising from a basal rosette of prostrate, leafy stems. 

Leaves: linear, 0.4-1.0" long, alternate on flowering stem, opposite on prostrate stems. 

Flowers: blue to lavender, 0.2-0.5" long,; 2-lipped corola with a narrow spur, lower lip has a double-humped, white palate and much exceeds the upper lip; borne in 1 to several racemes. 

Bloom time: April - May.

Where found: roadsides, fields, and thin soil of rockout crops. Widespread in eastern North America and the Pacific Coast states. Widely scattered across TN. Occasional. 

Note: Plans in the Linaria genus are also called 'toadflaxes' because the flower opens its mouth like a toad when squeezed in a certain way. The Linaria genus is comprised mostly of plants from Eurasia, a number of them cultivated. The North American species have blue (rather than yellow) flowers with a lower lip that is greatly enlarged relative to the upper one.

Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

Low, colonial, stemless perennial, 4-8" tall, from a bulbous base and slender stolongs. Leaves: basal, smooth, trifoliolate; leaflets 0.25-0.5" long, notched at the tip, tinged with purple on the backside. Flowers: purple to pink to white, 5 petals, 0.4-0.7" long, each sepal has an orange gland at the tip; several flowers in umbel-like clusters on stalks 4-8" tall that extend well beyond the leaves. 

Bloom time: April - June.

Where found: in dry woods, rocky places, pinelands, and barrens throughout most of the eastern U.S. and TN.
Common. 

Notes: This plant arises from rose-colored underground bulbs. A thin, icicle-like water storage organ may lie beneath the bulbs. Wood sorrels are also known as "wild shamrocks". 

Great Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis grandis)

Showy, colonial herbacious perennial from stout rhizomes; to 39" tall. Leaves are alternate, trifoliote with shamrock-like leaflets each 1-2.5" wide, edged with a maroon line; like typical Oxalis, but much larger. Flowers usually extend above the leaves, are yellow, 5 sepals and petals with traces of red in the center. 

Bloom Time: May - June.

Where found: Rich woods, East of the Mississippi River south of the Great Lakes to Georgia. In TN from the Cumberland Plateau eastward. Occasional. 


Note: Seven species of Oxalis are found in TN. The genus name Oxalis is from the Greek oxys for "sharp or sour", in reference to the flavor of the leaves, which contain sour-tasking oxalic acid. Plants of this genus have leaf blades divided into 3 leaflets, each notched and heart-shaped, forming a shamrock. The leaflets fold down at times, especially at night, as if protecting the plant. 

Widow's Cross, Glade Stonecrop (Sedum pulchellum)

Low winter annual, 2-12" tall, usually spreading at the base; grows on exposed limestone. Leaves: alternate, linear, round in cross-section, to 1.5" long, anthers often red, flowers are crowded on 3-7 short, divergent branches, each 1-3" long. 

Bloom time: April - May. Where found: limestone ledges, roadsides, and openings, from KY and GA, west to OK and TX. Characteristic plant of the cedar glades of middle TN but also occurs on cliffs; is currently spreading along TN roads in limestone gravel. Frequent.

Note: The name "Widow's Cross" comes from the shape of the 4-petaled flower. Stonecrops generally prefer the arid climates of deserts, rocky shores, tundra, and other dry, open areas because heir fleshy leaves store water. 

The pores on the leaves conserve water by opening at night to admit carbon dioxide, which is needed for growing, and closing during the heat of the day to prevent water loss.

Morrow Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii)

Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae)

Description: This introduced woody shrub is about 6-10' tall and much branched. Young branches are terete, pubescent, and gray-colored. Older branches become covered with bark that develops shallow longitudinal fissures; this bark is typically greyish brown. Along the smaller branches and twigs there are pairs of opposite leaves. The blades of these leaves are about 2-3" long and ¾–1" across; they are oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate with blunt tips and rounded bottoms. Their margins are smooth. 
 
Pairs of flowers develop from the axils of the leaves on pedicels up to ½" long. The corollas of these flowers are initially white, but they later become cream-colored. The corolla of each flower spans about ¾–1" long and across; it divides into 5 widely spreading slender lobes from a narrow tubular base. Exerted from the throat of each flower, there are 5 stamens and a single style with a globoid stigma. The anthers of the stamens are yellow, while their filaments are white. The tubular calyx of each flower is greyish green and pubescent with five teeth; it is very short. Underneath each calyx, there are small blunt bractlets and a pair of narrow leafy bracts. The blooming period occurs during mid- to late spring and lasts about 3 weeks. The flowers are very fragrant. The ovary of each flower matures into a globoid red berry about ¼" across. Mature berries are juicy with a flavor that is bland or slightly bitter.
 
Cultivation: Morrow Honeysuckle prefers full sun to light shade, moist to slightly dry conditions, and soil containing fertile loam or clay-loam. It may also adapt to soil that is gravelly or sandy. This attractive shrub is easy to grow, but it can invade natural habitats.
 
Range & Habitat:  Morrow Honeysuckle has an affinity from disturbed woodlands with young trees. It is able to displace native shrubs and casts a dense shade that can kill off most of the ground flora, including spring wildflowers in woodlands. Morrow Honeysuckle develops its leaves earlier in the spring than other shrubs and it retains its leaves later in the fall. This shrub is native to East Asia.
 
Faunal Associations: The flower nectar of honeysuckle shrubs attracts the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird and Sphinx moths (particularly Hemaris thysbe & Hemaris diffinis); other insects that may visit the flowers include Swallowtail butterflies, Anthophorid bees (Anthophora spp.), and bumblebees. Several insects feed on honeysuckle shrubs.  White-Tailed Deer occasionally browse on the foliage and smaller branches.
 
Photographic Location: Standing Stone State Park in TN
 
Comments: Morrow Honeysuckle is one of several honeysuckle shrubs that have been introduced from Eurasia. Many of these species are highly invasive of natural habitats; among the worst offenders in the Midwest are Lonicera maackii (Amur Honeysuckle), Lonicera morrowii (Morrow Honeysuckle), Lonicera tartarica (Tartarian Honeysuckle), and Lonicera × bella (Showy Honeysuckle). The latter is considered a fertile hybrid of Morrow Honeysuckle and Tartarian Honeysuckle.

Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica)

Indian Pink is also known as Woodland Pinkroot and Pinkroot.

Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perennial which can reach 70cm in height (28inches).

Leaves: The leaf arrangement is opposite. Each leaf is entire.

Flowers: The flowers have 5 Regular Parts. They are red and yellow. Blooms first appear in mid spring and continue into late spring.

Habitat: Rich woods.

Photographic Location: Standing Stone State Park in TN

Range: Throughout the southeast and only as far north as southern Illinois, Indiana and Maryland. This showy flower is fairly common. It sometimes forms fairly large colonies in open woods.

Medical Uses: Native Americans and early physicians used a root tea to expel intestinal parasites (worms). Warning!: Overdoses could be fatal! Causes increased heart rate, dizziness and convulsions.

Reference: 2bnTheWild.com

Prairie Trillium (Trillium recurvatum)

Lily family (Liliaceae)

Description: This native perennial plant is 6-12" tall and unbranched. The central stem is hairless, stout, light reddish green, and about 5-10" long. At the apex of this stem, there are 3 leaves surrounding a single flower. Immature plants, however, produce only leaves without the flower. Each leaf is about 3-4" long and 1½–2" across. It is ovate, tapering to a petiole-like base. Other characteristics of each leaf include: smooth margins, parallel venation (with diagonal side veins), an absence of hairs, and an upper surface that is somewhat shiny and speckled with patches of light green and dark green. Upon occasion, the upper surface will be plain green, rather than speckled. The flower has 3 reddish brown petals, 3 green sepals, and 6 black stamens. Each petal is about ¾–1" long, oblanceolate, and curving upward so that its tip is adjacent with the tips of the other petals. With the age, the petals begin to hang downward and fall off the stem. Each sepal is about ¾" long, triangular in shape, and hangs dorom the base of the flower. The sepals persist on the stem for a longer period of time than the petals. Each stamen is about ½" long, curving inward toward the other stamens. The blooming period is mid- to late spring and lasts about 3 weeks. There is no noticeable floral scent. A single berry is produced that contains numerous seeds. The main rootstock is thickened and elongated, with numerous feeder roots. Rhizomes are also produced, causing this plant to form vegetative colonies.

Cultivation: The preference is light shade or dappled sunlight, moist to mesic conditions, and rich loamy soil. The foliage is not often bothered by pests or disease. Trilliums are slow to develop because of the short period of active growth, and up to 10 years may be required before a plant reaches flowering size in the wild.

Range & Habitat: It is found primarily in mesic deciduous woodlands, including oak-hickory woodlands and maple-dominated woodlands. Sometimes it survives degradation of woodland habitats, and can be found along fence rows with woody vegetation, overgrown areas near railroads, and miscellaneous waste areas with partial or light shade.Faunal Associations: The reddish brown flowers probably attract beetles and flies, which feed on the pollen. The berries of Trilliums are reported to be sweet, but little information is available about what kinds of animals are attracted to them. The seeds of Trilliums are often distributed by ants because of their fleshy elaisomes, and there have been reports of Vespid wasps entering Trillium berries and carrying off the seeds. Among mammalian herbivores, deer are especially known to eat the flowers and foliage of Trilliums. There is also some evidence that the seeds can pass through their digestive tracts and remain viable, so deer may help to distribute the seeds across long distances. Where deer are too abundant, however, they may destroy local populations of Trilliums. It is possible that the speckled pattern of the foliage of the Prairie Trillium is an adaptation to deer predation as this type of pattern may help to camoflage the plant with the surrounding forest floor.

Photographic Location: Standing Stone State Park in TN.

Comments: The common name is misleading because the Prairie Trillium occurs in woodlands like other Trilliums, rather than prairies. However, it is especially common in Illinois and the surrounding states where prairies occur. This Trillium species is easy to identify for the following reasons: 1) The sepals hang downward from the flower, whereas in other Trillium spp. the sepals are usually spreading; 2) The reddish brown flowers are sessile against the stem and leaves, whereas the flowers are held above the foliage on short stalks in some other Trillium spp. (e.g., Trillium erectum); and 3) The leaves taper gradually at the base into short petioles, whereas the leaves are sessile and quite rounded at the base in many other Trillium spp. There are varieties of the Prairie Trillium with yellow flowers and plain green leaves.

Baby Blue Eyes (Nemohila aphylla)

Small diffusely branched, weak-stemmed annual, 4-16" all, from a taproot. Leaves: alternate, long-petioled, 0.5-1.2" long, triangular in outline, deeply divided into 3-5 lobes, then again lobed and toothed.

Flowers are white to pale blue, upward-turned, bell-shaped, only 0.12" wide, 5 rounded lobes; borne singly on long, thin stalks from the leaf nodes. 

Bloom time: March - May.

Where Found: Moist woods and river bottoms, from MD to KY, south to FL and TX. In Middle and East TN also Shelby County in West TN. Frequent.

Note: this flower is sometimes referred to as Smallflower Baby Blue Eyes.

Hairy Phlox (Phlox amoena)

Erect, finely hairy perennial herb to 12" tall, stems erect or reclining at the base. Leaves: opposite, 1-2" long, narrowly oblong to lanceolate and ascending.

Flowers: red-purple (also lavender to white) 0.6-0.8" across, tubular with 5 divergent lobes; style short, not reaching the lowest anthers, anthers remain inside the flower tube and are not visible upon flowering. Compact inflorescence with a hairy calyx. 

Bloom time: April - June.

Where found: dry woods and fields from southern KY to Western NC, south to northern FL and Eastern MS. In Middle and East TN. Frequent.

Phloxes, sometimes referred to as "sweet williams" are popular because for a minimum effort, gardeners can
have a striking, long-lasting and sweet smelling display.

Most of the 50-60 species are native and found only in North American, with a few species in northern Asia.
Species of Phlox were not cultivated in North America until they were reintroduced by European horticulturists.

Phlox species often hybridize in the wild making them difficult to identify. There are 11 species listed for TN.

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)

Erect gray-green, smooth perennial herb, 12-36" tall. Leaves: single, large, sessile, 3 ternately compound leaf above the middle of stem; 1 (rarely 2) smaller, but similar compound leaf just below the inflorescence; oval leaflets, 1-3" long, are irregularly lobed above the middle. 

Flowers: Yellow-green to purple-gren, about 0.5" wide, petals absent, 6 petal-like sepals; 1-3 terminal, panicle-like flower clusters (rarely a branch with more leaves).

Bloom time: April - May.

Fruits: Dark blue, poisonous berry-like seeds.

Where found: Rich woodlands. Mostly a northeastern species that extends south to northern GA and northern AL. In the Eastern 2/3 of TN. Frequent.

The genus name Caulophyllum is from the Greek kaulon, "a stem," and phyllon, "a leaf".  The stem of the Blue cohosh acts as a stalk for the large compound leaf.

Other names for this plant include Blueberry Root, Blue Ginseng, and Lions' Foot.  The names Papoose Root and Squaw Root were given to the Blue Cohosh because Native Americans used the roots to make a tea for facilitating childbirth and to aid in menstruation. The Cherokee would hold root ooze in the mouth for a toothache and rub the leaves on poison oak rash.

In the late 1800s, this plant was also used as a sedative
and an antispasmodic, as well as to treat hysteria, rheumatism, and bronchitis.

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Perennial herb, 1-4' tall. Leaves: stem and basal leaves mostly 3-lobed, the lobes incised and with rounded tips.

Flowers are nodding, 1.6" long; 5 yellow petals with red spurs that contain the nectar; 5 red sepals; numerous yellow stamens form a column projecting well beyond the petals; completely yellow or salmon flowers are rarely found. 

Bloom time: March - May. 

Where found: usually dry woods, limestone bluffs, and limestone glades, but can tolerate moisture. Throughout the eastern U.S. In TN, from the Western Highland Rim eastward. Frequent.

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Mostly smooth, errect ,sparsely branched biennial to 3' tall. Leaves are alternate, coarsely toothed, short-stalked, to 2.6" long & wide. Leaves have a garlic order. 

Flowers are white, 4 petals to 0.25" long and spatulate
and gradually narrowed to a claw; in a raceme to 12" long, terminal from the leaf axils. 

Bloom time: April - May.

Where found: introduced from Europe.  A weedy species of woodlands and gardens, found in most of the Eastern
U.S. Sparsely distributed across TN. Occasional.

The genus name Alliaria is from the Latin allium and means "garlic", referring the pungent odor of the plant. The plant is
also called Hedge Garlic. The edible leaves have the odor and
taste of garlic and can be added to salads for flavoring. 

When cooked, the leaves lose their aroma but retain their
bitterness, so are best raw. The seeds can be used for seasoning, despite the bitter taste.

Scouring Rush (Equisetum hyemale affine)

Horsetail family (Equisetaceae)

    Description: This native perennial plant is unbranched and 2-4' tall. It consists of a single central stem with multiple overlapping joints; the diameter of this stem spans up to ¾" across. The stems of Scouring Rush are green, olive-green, or dark green, rough in texture, and evergreen; they are usually erect. The joints that make up the central stem are individually several inches long; the upper joints are shorter than the lower joints. Each joint has about 10-40 fine ridges along its length. At the apex of each joint, there is an appressed ring-like sheath up to 1" long, from which the next joint develops. Except at its upper and lower rims, this sheath can be whitish grey, brown, or black; it is always black along the rim of its base, while its upper rim terminates in up to 40 tiny black teeth. These teeth are deciduous and often break off the stem. The interior cavity is quite large and spans at least one-half the diameter of a joint. Each fertile stem terminates in a spore-bearing cone up to 2" long on a short stalk. This cone is variably colored and usually pointed at the top. Infertile stems are very similar to fertile stems, except they lack spore-bearing cones. Secondary stems (branchlets) are rarely produced. The cones release their spores from late spring to mid-summer; they wither away later in the year. The root system consists of extensive rhizomes with fibrous secondary roots. This plant often forms dense colonies; sometimes these colonies can be quite large in size.

    Cultivation: The preference is full sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil that is mucky, gravelly, or sandy. However, drier conditions and other kinds of soil are tolerated. This plant can spread aggressively, especially where the soil is poorly drained. It has few problems with pests and disease.

   Range & Habitat: Scouring Rush is a common plant that occurs in every State except Hawaii, and most of Canada. Habitats include swales in black soil prairies and sand prairies, low-lying areas along rivers and ponds, marshes, roadside ditches, pastures, and gravelly railroad embankments (including the gravel ballast). This plant is found in both degraded and higher quality habitats; the typical variety of this species occurs in Eurasia.
   
    Faunal Associations: Scouring Rush provides excellent cover for various kinds of wildlife, including wetland birds, small mammals, and insects. Because the tough stems have coarse fibers and silica deposits, they are not bothered by mammalian herbivores. The food value of this species to most kinds of wildlife is low.

   
    Comments:  These tough stems were used to scour pots, pans, and floors during pioneer days, hence the common name. However, the Scouring Rush is not a rush, but a horsetail. The horsetails are closely related to ferns and both were common during the Carboniferous period (280-345 million years ago), when tree-sized horsetails and ferns occurred.  Scouring Rush can be distinguished from other horsetails in the state by its large size, rough unbranched stems, and pointed cones. While there is some variability across local populations, this species is usually easy to identify. However, sometimes it forms sterile hybrids with other horsetails. When this occurs, it is possible to confuse the hybrid with one of the parent species.