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My favorite wildflower ID book, at Amazon:

Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians: 2nd Edition

Genus Name Scientific Name Common Names Comment

Adam and Eve Aplectrum hyemale

(Native) Puttyroot Orchid, Adam and Eve This orchid is easy to miss due to its small flowers which may blend into the background, and the fact that its leaves have withered by the time it blooms.



Connecticut: Special Concern

Massachusetts: Endangered

New Jersey: Endangered

New York: Endangered

Pennsylvania: Rare

Vermont: Threatened



Adder's Mouth Orchid Malaxis unifolia

(Native) Green Adder's Mouth (Syn. Microstylis unifolia.) There are over 250 species of Malaxis - Adder's Mouth - orchids in the world, most of them in Asia and the East Indies, but about 10 species are found in North America. Malaxis unifolia is the most widespread of the Adder's Mouth Orchids in the United States, found in swamps, bogs, barrens, and dry forests from Minnesota south to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, and in all states eastward from there. It is listed for protection (Endangered, Threatened, etc.) in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island. (While M. unifolia is not found in Canada, there are two other species of Malaxis widely distributed in Canada.)



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, GS

Advert:

Agrimony Agrimonia gryposepala

(Native) Tall Hairy Agrimony, Common Agrimony, Hooked Agrimony, Tall Hairy Grooveburr Agrimonia is a relatively small genus, with about 10 to 15 species worldwide. More than half of those are found in the United States, with about 7 native species. Agrimonia gryposepala is the most widely distributed of those native North American species, being found from coast to coast except in a swath of states from Montana to Texas - those in the Rocky Mountains. It is also missing in Florida. It prefers moderately to very moist habitats. These photos were taken in Cosby Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, at an elevation of about 2500'.



The differences between some Agrimonia species are somewhat subtle. I think this is Agrimonia gryposepala because it has shiny, glandular hairs on the stem and inflorescence, I find no more than 5 major leaflets on the mid-cauline leaves (A. incisa and A. parviflora have 7 to 13), and the non-glandular (eglandular) hairs on the stem and inflorescence are erect (A. rostellata has ascending eglandular hairs in the inflorescence.) That leaves A. gryposepala and A. striata standing among the species found in the region where I found this specimen. Differences between these two species are noted in the descriptions of the photographs.



Found in:

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Agrimony Agrimonia parviflora

(Native) Southern Agrimony, Harvest Lice, Swamp Agrimony, Small-flowered Agrimony

Agrimonia is a relatively small genus, with about 10 to 15 species worldwide. More than half of those are found in the United States, with about 7 native species. The species can be somewhat difficult to differentiate at a glance, with the keys to identification focusing on the type of hairs on the stems and leaves, and on the number of major and minor leaflets on the compound leaves. Agrimonia parviflora is one of the more widely distributed species, found in moist areas of 29 states from the eastern Great Plains to the East Coast in the United States, as well as in Ontario, Canada. Agrimonia species can be very difficult to determine to the species, with only subtle differences between them.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV

Alfalfa Medicago lupulina

(Introduced) Black Medic, Black Hay, Hop Clover, Hop Medic, Yellow Trefoil This plant is a native to Eurasion and Africa, and after introduction to the United States has spread to every state, and also throughout most of Canada. Clearly is appropriately considered invasive.



The leaves are trifoliate, looking very much like those of species in the Trifolium (Clover) genus. As with Trifolium campestre the stem of the terminal leaflet is longer than those of the lateral leaflets. Leaflets of Medicago have a tiny tooth at their apex; those of Trifolium do not.



Found in:

AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Alumroot Heuchera villosa

(Native) Mapleleaf Alumroot, Hairy Alum Root, Rough Heuchera Approximately 32 Heuchera species are found in North America. The populations in the northern and southwestern states in the range (particularly Ohio, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Mississippi) seem to be very limited - only 1 or 2 counties in each of those states. From what I can tell, its presence in New York is questionable; BONAP distribution map indicates a presence in 1 county; New York Flora Association indicates that it is not known in the wild in New York. It is Threatened in Ohio and Endangered in Maryland. There is a variety (var. arkansana) which is found only in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. The inflorescence of var. arkansana may be smaller and more dense, and the flowers are glabrous or less hairy than the more widely distributed var. villosa.



The Heuchera genus is named for Johann Heinrich von Heucher, an Austrian-born botanist of the 17th and 18th centuries.



Found in:

AL, AR, GA, IN, KY, MD, MO, MS, NC, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV

American Toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis

(Native) Blue Toadflax, Canada Toadflax, Oldfield Toadflax

The three native North American and single native South American species of Linaria were separated into the four-species genus Nuttallanthus in 1988 by David A. Sutton in his comprehensive treatment of the tribe Antirrhineae which is now placed in the Plantaginaceae (formerly within Scrophulariaceae.) The remaining species of Linaria are Eurasian in origin. Some use American Toadflax as the genus common name for Nuttallanthus.



Of the three species found in the United States, Nuttallanthus floridanus is, as the name implies, primarily a Florida species, but also found in the adjoining Southeastern states of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. N. texanus is a more western species, found sporadically in the Southeastern states, but mostly centered west of the Mississippi in the south central U.S, and scattered through most of the rest of the West, and into Canada. N. canadensis, the one presented here, is an eastern species, found in all states east of the Mississippi River and west to Texas and north to Minnesota and Canada. (There is some disagreement as to whether this plant is found in North and South Dakota.) While several reliable organizations report it as being in California, Oregon, and Washington, it is possible that is not present there. Some of the confusion on those western states might be because Nuttallanthus texanus was once classified as Linaria canadensis var. texana. I know that at least one source has (as of 2019-01-12) photos of what appears to me to be Nuttallanthus texanus but listed as Nuttallanthus canadensis.

Synonym: Linaria canadensis



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, GS

Anemone Anemone piperi

(Native) Piper's Anemone, Windflower According to the USDA Plants Database, there are 19 species in the Anemone genus that are native to the United States. Several of these are found in a relatively small region of the continent, and Piper's Anemone - Anemone piperi - is one of those, being found in only 5 northwestern states, and in British Columbia. It grows in shaded, moist forests to altitudes of up to nearly 10,000'. This one was photographed at an elevation of a little over 5,000'.



Found in:

ID, MT, OR, UT, WA

Anemone Anemone quinquefolia

(Native) Wood Anemone, Nightcaps, Twoleaf Anemone Anemone quinquefolia is found in most of the eastern United States, ranging further west - to the Dakotas - in the northern part of the range, and even as far west as Alberta in Canada. There are two varieties recognized by Flora of North America - var. minima is found only in NC, TN, VA, and WV, and var. quinquefolia, the widely ranging variety. The lateral leaflets in var. minima are sometimes unlobed. However, since they are also sometimes lobed and you may need to get to measuring achene sizes to differentiate, it's probably not worth trying to determine the variety for most of us.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Anemone Anemone virginiana

(Native) Thimbleweed, Tall Anemone Anemone virginiana is a tall - for an Anemone - summer-blooming plant, growing up to around three feet tall in rich open forests and thickets. There are three varieties; the one with by far the widest distribution in the United States is var. virginiana, which is widely distributed through the eastern two thirds of the United States, and in Ontario and Quebec in Canada.



The other two varieties are differentiated primarily by sepal length, anther length, and involucre bract shape. Var. cylindoridea is found only in Minnesota and New York in the U.S., but is found in all of the southern tier of provinces in Canada. Var. alba is found from Minnesota eastward in the Canada-bordering states, in New England, and the eastern seaboard south to New Jersey, in eastern Canada, and in Saskatchewan.



Found in:

AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY

Anemone Anemone acutiloba

(Native) Sharp-lobed Hepatica, Liverleaf, Liverwort



The classification of Hepatica has been disputed. In the past it was considered as a single species with two varieties (some called them subspecies) of Hepatica nobilis. Hepatica nobilis var. acuta, Sharp-lobed Hepatica, and Round-lobed Hepatica, Hepatica nobilis var obtusa. They have also been classified in the past by some authorities as separate species in the Hepatica genus (H. acuta, H. acutiloba, H. americana, H. hepatica, and H. triloba.) Most authorities now consider these two plants to be separate species in the Anemone genus. H. nobilis var. acuta is now Anemone acutiloba, and H. nobilis var obtusa is now Anemone americana (Anemone hepatica by some authorities.) The classification within the USWildflowers' database here was changed to conform to more broadly accepted Anemone genus in February, 2016.



Sharp-Lobed Hepatica is listed as "Threatened" in Connecticut, and "Endangered" in Florida. According to USDA, it is "Possibly Extirpated" in Maine. The inclusion of listing the species in Florida may possibly be a relic of Hepatica nobilis, with var. obtusa being found in two counties along the northern border (Jackson and Gadsden.)



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Anemone Anemone americana

(Native) Round-lobed Hepatica, Liverleaf



The classification of Anemone / Hepatica has been in flux. In the past it was considered as a single species with two varieties (some call them subspecies) of Hepatica nobilis. Hepatica nobilis var. acuta, Sharp-lobed Hepatica, and Round-lobed Hepatica, Hepatica nobilis var obtusa. They have also been classified in the past by some authorities as separate species in the Hepatica genus (H. acuta, H. acutiloba, H. americana, H. hepatica, and H. triloba.) Most authorities now consider these two plants to be separate species in the Anemone genus. Hepatica nobilis var. acuta is now Anemone acutiloba, and Hepatica nobilis var obtusa is now Anemone americana - the species presented here. It is closely related to the European Anemone hepatica species. The classification within the USWildflowers' database here now has moved these two plants listed from varieties of H. nobilis to Anemone americana and Anemone acutiloba.



Round-lobed Hepatica is "Endangered" in Florida and "Special Concern" in Rhode Island. It is found in both deciduous and evergreen forests, frequently in drier areas than A. acutiloba may be found.



Found in: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Angelica, Wild Celery Angelica triquinata

(Native) Mountain Angelica, Filmy Angelica There are about 24 species of Angelica in the North America, with only 18 of those in the central and western half of the continent. Angelica triquinata - Mountain Angelica - is one of four Angelica species found in the eastern United States (2 are only in eastern Canada). It has a fairly narrow distribution, being found in the Appalachian Mountains from far northeast Georgia up through Pennsylvania. It is Endangered in Kentucky and Maryland.



Of the other eastern species, A. atropurpurea is a more northern species has 20 to 45 umbellets vs 13 to 25 umbellets for A. triquinata, and the acute-tipped leaflets are mostly glabrous, while the acuminate leaflets of A. triquinata have ciliate margins. A. dentata is found only in southwestern Georgia and the panhandle of Florida, and both it and the most widely distributed eastern member of the genus, A. venenosa, have obtuse leaf tips, and A. venenosa is densely pubescent. The species name of this last species speaks to the poisonous nature of the plant; there are also indications that A. triquinata is poisonous, based on the drugged reaction of certain insects to the nectar.



Found in:

GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV

Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia

(Native) Common Arrowhead, Arrowleaf, Burhead, Wapato, Duck-potato, Broadleaf Arrowhead Found in every state except Nevada (probably too dry) and Alaska, it is native to the North American continent, but has been introduced and naturalized in Hawaii. It is also native to much of southern Canada. It is listed as Endangered in Illinois. The Southern Weed Science Society considers it to be weedy in some areas.



Found in:

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Aster Symphyotrichum pilosum

(Native) Hairy White Oldfield Aster, Frost Aster, White Heath Aster, Downy Aster

A different species of Symphyotrichum, S. ericoides, has the national name of White Heath Aster, but this species is also referred to by that common name in some places. Many species formerly classified in the Aster genus have been reclassified into Symphyotrichum and other genera within the Asteraceae family. This one was previously classified as Aster pilosus. Many of these small white aster species are difficult to tell apart (I'm not absolutely certain on this one.) The primary differentiator for S. pilosum one is the hairy stem, which is referenced by the species epithet "pilosum", from the Latin word for hair - pilus.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, GS

Aster Symphyotrichum patens

(Native) Late Purple Aster, Spreading Aster Formerly classified as Aster patens. There are three varieties of Symphyotrichum patens - gracile, patens, and patentissimum. Var patens is the only one found in the northeastern states, var patentissimum isn't found in the coastal states. Some authorities do not recognize var gracile. The species is possibly extirpated in Maine; it is officially listed as Threatened in New Hampshire.



It is with some trepidation that I step into the arena of identifying Symphyotricum species. There are many very similar species in this large genus (90 species in the genus.) But this plant was so beautiful I wanted to give it a shot, so with the help of my trusty copy of Wildflowers Of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians and the Internet, I've given it a shot, and think this is likely Symphyotrichum patens - Late Purple Aster. It has too few ray flowers to be New England Aster. The pubescent purplish stem eliminates Smooth Aster. The entire leaves eliminate (in my mind) Purple-stemmed Aster. Since the leaves are not linear, this isn't Southern Prairie Aster. The leaves, in my opinion, encircle the stem too much for this to be Aromatic Aster (although I regret not crushing a leaf to check for an aroma.)

Aster Oclemena acuminata

(Native) Whorled Wood Aster, Whorled Aster, Mountain Aster, Sharp-leaved Aster The traditional Aster genus was quite large, with over 250 species in North America. Although the dissolution of Aster started in the 1830's, recent studies have resulted in changes to the classification of most (or, it appears to me, all) of those species into various other genera. While most are now in Symphyotricum or Eurybia, there are a few each in several other genera, with 3 of them in Oclemena - all in eastern North America.



Oclemena acuminata was formerly known as Aster acuminatus. It is Threatened in Kentucky, and Presumed Extirpated in Ohio where it was known historically only in Ashtabula County, in the far northeastern corner of the state. It is known in the Appalachian Mountain states from northeast Georgia north to Maine, and in a few eastern provinces in Canada. In the southern part of its range, it is found only in the higher elevations of the mountains, which is why one of the common names is Mountain Aster. The photographs on this page were taken around 6,000' elevation in western North Carolina.



Found in:

CT, GA, KY, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WV

Aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

(Native) New England Aster, Michaelmas-daisy Symphyotrichum is a huge genus with around 90 species, with over 75 being found in North America. It was formerly part of the huge Aster genus, which received major reclassification in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, being split primarily between Symphyotrichum(90+ species) and Eurybia (23), with a few species also being reclassified into Ampelaster (1), Doellingeria (3), Ionactis (5), Oclemena (4), and Sericocarpus (5). Symphyotrichum novae-angliae has synonyms of Aster novae-angliae, Lasallea novae-angliae, and Virgulus novae-angliae.



New England Aster is perhaps one of the best known Asters, and with good reason. It is quite a showy plant, sometimes with hundreds of large, colorful deep purple to pink compound flowers on leafy plants growing to 4, 5, or occasionally even 6 feet tall, seen in open wooded areas, meadows, prairies, and along streams, but especially visible along many roadsides. It also has very wide distribution, being found in 42 of the 50 states, and most of Canada. (The reports of the plant in California may be historic or, as in Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, of naturalized garden escapees.) It's especially common in the Upper Midwest and (reasonably) the New England states. It also has a fairly long blooming season, starting to bloom in early August and blooming until first frost.



Found in:

AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Avens Geum canadense

(Native) White Avens, Canada Avens Geum canadense - White Avens - is one of the most widely distributed of the Avens, being found in every state in the eastern 2 / 3 of the United States except for Florida, as well as most of eastern Canada. Florida and Hawaii are the only states without a Geum species. Some authorities - and this seems to be the trending direction - include what were formerly classified in the Waldsteinia genus (Barren Strawberry) within Geum, increasing the number of Geum species by four. While this is a member of the Rose family (Rosaceae,) I found it to be similar enough to some Buttercups (Ranununculus) that I spent a lot of time looking for white-petaled Ranunculaceae plants until Twitter friend @desmoinesdem posted a photo of a plant she was trying to identify - same as mine. That photo can be found here: Bleeding Heartland. Fortunately for us, @Lynzey515 identified it for us as White Avens.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY

Balloonvine Cardiospermum halicacabum

(Introduced) Balloon Vine, Love in a Puff, Heartseed Introduced and spreading in the continental United States, Cardiospermum halicacabum is native to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The only balloonvine native to the continental United States is Cardiospermum dissectum, native to southern Texas.



This vine, which may grow to 10 feet long, climbing on fences and other plants via tendrils, may not survive winter in colder climates, but is considered a perennial in milder climates and be weedy and invasive in those areas. It is officially listed as a pest or noxious weed in Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Texas.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MO, MS, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA

Balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata

(Native) Arrowleaf Balsamroot There are 14 species of Balsamroot found in the United States, all of them in the west. This one, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, is characterized and named by the elongated arrowhead shape of the leaf. While it is in bloom it can turn large patches of the dry montane landscapes yellow with its dominant presence.

Baneberry Actaea pachypoda

(Native) White Baneberry, Doll's Eyes Poisonous, especially the berries. This member of the Buttercup family is found in every state in the eastern half of the United States. It is protected in New York and Florida.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Barberry Xanthorhiza simplicissima

(Native) Shrub Yellowroot Shrub yellowroot gets its name from the yellow interior of the roots and stem. The root contains berberine, from which it gets its yellow color, and probably is what has led to its use in traditional medicines.



Found in:

AL, CT, FL, GA, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV

Barberry Mahonia repens

(Native) Creeping Oregon Grape, Creeping Barberry The Berberis genus at one time contained all the barberries, but relatively recently those with pinnate leaves have been reclassified into the Mahonia genus. Further, many of what were previously classified as separate species have been consolidated, leaving what had been over 20 species and varieties of Berberis as 13 species or subspecies in the Mahonia genus in the United States.



This species, Mahonia repens is listed as Endangered in California under the synonym Mahonia sonnei. It is found in 19 states, most of them in the west, although there are populations in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. These eastern populations might have been established from seeds brought back from the west. Seeds were brought east as early as the Lewis and Clark expeditions in the early 19th century.



Found in:

AZ, CA, CO, DE, ID, IN, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, PA, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY

Barren Strawberry Geum donianum

(Native) Southern Barren Strawberry, Appalachian Barren Strawberry, Small-petaled Barren Strawberry

The Barren Strawberry genus (Waldsteinia) has had a pretty confusing history of classification, and it appears that it may no longer exist, with most authorities now agreeing that it needs to be placed within Geum - Avens. Even when they were separated into Waldsteinia, there was much confusion as to whether Northern and Southern Barren Strawberry should be combined into a single species as Waldsteinia fragarioides or to separate Southern Barren Strawberry into its own genus, either as W. parviflora or as W. donianum. Finally in the 21st century, after genetic study and much discussion on the names, most (not all) authorities that care seem to agree that Waldsteinia should be combined with Geum, although with deciduous style (the rest of the Geum has a persistent style), in its own subgenus - Waldsteinia. Most publications still classify these plants in Waldsteinia, and the USDA map shown to the right combines Northern and Southern Barren Strawberry into a single genus.



Geum donianum - Southern Barren Strawberry - differs from Geum fragarioides - Northern Barren Strawberry - most obviously (if that term can be used) in the size of the flower, most easily noted by the petal size relative to the sepal size, with the petals of G. donianum being shorter than to just a bit longer than the sepals, and those of G. fragarioides being distinctly longer than the sepals. Their ranges overlap in Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. There is another species (G. lobatum) in a small area of the southern Appalachians which has deeply lobed rather than compound leaves, and one in Idaho and Montana (G. idahoensis with shallower lobes and larger flowers.



Synonym: Waldsteinia fragarioides var. parviflora, Waldsteinia parviflora.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, GS (This list and the USDA map show the distribution for the combined G. donianum and G. fragarioides, since they are so similar and many publications combine them.)

Beaksedge Rhynchospora latifolia

(Native) Broadleaf White-topped Sedge, Sandswamp Whitetop Sedge

Rhynchospora (Beaksedge) is a large genus of sedges with over 250 member species worldwide, and nearly 70 in North America. Identification of sedges to the species can be very difficult unless you are truly an expert, and I'm certainly not. Fortunately the white-topped Beaksedges are very limited - only 3 in the United States, so that clears the field a lot. These white-topped species are in subgenus Diplostylae, section Dichromena. All species in that section were until fairly recently classified in the separate genus Dichromena. The white-topped species are R. floridensis, found only in the southern half of Florida, R. colorata, and R. latifolia. Both of the latter two species are found throughout most of Florida as well as in several other southeastern states.



These photographs were taken outside the range of R. floridensis, so these are either R. latifolia or R. colorata. Among the differences between the two species are the basal width of the longest involucral bracts, with R. latifolia usually being at least 5 mm wide, and R. colorata being less than 5 mm wide. The white portion of the R. latifolia lowest bract is also longer than that of R. colorata at 22-55mm vs 9-25mm. Unfortunately I did not measure the bracts, so I must rely on other characteristics, and I get mixed results. R. latifolia is described as being white on the lowest bract to midpoint and then narrowing abruptly to green, while the white on R. colorata ends a bit before midpoint and then tapering to the green tip - some of my photos seem to show white ending before midpoint with a gradual taper, implying R. colorata. However, several authorities reference the number of bracts, with R. colorata having up to 6 (occasionally 7), and R. latifolia usually having 6 to 10 (occasionally as few as 5), and my photos show 8 or more bracts in most cases. Since the number of bracts seems less subjective than "near midpoint" and "to midpoint" or "tapering gradually" and "tapering abruptly", I have chosen to rely on the number of bracts and list these as Rhynchospora latifolia, although I may be wrong. Note that Weakley's Flora lists R. latifolia as "common" vs "uncommon" for R. colorata in Florida. It is also possible that I may have photographed both species, but all photos are from the same location - along a sand road in Bradford County, Florida.



Rhynchospora latifolia is found in wet areas of the Southeastern Coastal Plains from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas. There was a report of it being found in Coffee County Tennessee in 1901 (my guess is at May Prairie, where other Coastal Plain plants are found, or at AEDC), but since the collected specimen was destroyed by fire and the description was not published, some experts believe that was likely to be R. colorata, which is found in nearby areas of Alabama.

Synonym Dichromena latifolia.



Found in:

AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX

Beardtongue Penstemon canescens

(Native) Eastern Gray Beardtongue Woodland perennial to 30 inches tall with pale purple to and white blossoms, with purple lines in the interior.

Beardtongue Penstemon payettensis

(Native) Payette Beardtongue, Payette Penstemon One of the more showy and beautiful Penstemon species, Payette Beardtongue is found only in Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. Unlike some Beardtongues, in P. payettensis the flowers circle the stem, which grows up to 2 feet tall, rather than forming on only one side of the stem.

Beardtongue Penstemon deustus

(Native) Hot-rock Penstemon, Scabland penstemon, Hot-rock Beardtongue A plant found in 7 of our western states (CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY,) Hot-rock Penstemon is usually found in middle elevations in rocky soil, growing up to 2 feet tall. It is among the 249 species of Penstemon found in the United States.

Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis

(Native) Foxglove Beardtongue, Tall White Beardtongue, Mississippi Penstemon, Smooth White Beardtongue, Talus slope Beardtongue Penstemon is a large genus with over 250 species, all endemic to North America (most in the western part of the continent), except perhaps a single species in Asia. Many of these species are similar, and differences in species can be down to minutiae in characteristics, such a shape and hair features of the stamens. The Penstemon genus had long been included in the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) family based on morphological characteristics (stuff we can see), but relatively recent genetic work (1990s) determined that most plants classified in that family were not as closely related as previously thought. Along with species moved to other families, Penstemon was among a number of species moved to Plantaginaceae. There was disagreement about what the new family should be called; the scientists working on the effort preferred Veronicaceae, but due to a technicality in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) that name was rejected (published in 1782, prior to the 1789 cutoff for this type of name) and the new group of species are within the family Plantaginaceae.



Penstemon digitalis is a widespread species, being found in every state east of the Mississippi River except Florida, as well as 10 states west of that river. It's also found in eastern Canada. Some authorities think that this species was originally native only to the Mississippi River Basin. It is found in moist areas of meadows and open forests.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV

Beautyberry Callicarpa americana

(Native) American Beautyberry, French Mulberry American Beautyberry is a well-named shrub growing usually to around 5 feet tall, sometimes taller, and 5 to 10 feet wide. The beauty of this plant, native to the southeastern United States, makes it an attractive addition to a native garden.



According to the USDA, the roots, leaves, and branches were used by native Americans medicinally for treatment of fevers, rheumatism, stomachaches, dysentery, and other conditions.

Bee Plant Peritoma serrulata

(Native) Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Stinking Clover, Skunk Weed, Navajo Spinach Peritoma is a small genus of about 6 species, all of which are endemic to North America. At some point each species in Peritoma has been considered to be a Cleome species, (Cleome serrulata is considered to be a synonym of Peritoma serrulata), but as it stands now, in most current classifications there is no Cleome species native to North America, and all species in Peritoma are native to this continent.

Distribution of Peritoma serrulata is fairly widespread across North American.. Even though its native range is not much east of the Rocky Mountains, it is occasionally found in the wild in the midwest and northeast. In those cases it is likely a garden escapee or the occasional waif, unlikely to be persistent.



Found in:

AZ, CA, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY

Beechdrops Epifagus virginiana

(Native) Beechdrops, Cancer Drops, Clapwort, Virginia Broomrape Epifagus is monotypic - E. virginiana is the only species in the genus. It is a member of Orobanchaceae - the largest parasitic plant family. The genus name is indicative of its preferential host species - Fagus is the genus of Beech trees. Epifagus virginiana is almost exclusively parasitic on American Beech - Fagus grandifolia. A study published in "The Michigan Botanist" confirmed this long-held belief, although there is some indication that when Maple trees are mixed with Beech, as is often the case, Epifagus may also, perhaps "accidentally" attach itself to the roots of Acer species as well as Fagus species.



Epifagus virginiana is found throughout most of the eastern United States and eastern Canada, as well as eastern Mexico. It has been used in herbal medicines to treat dysentery, cancer, and gonorrhea ("clap"), yielding the Cancer Drops and Clapwort common names.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV

Beggarticks Bidens aristosa

(Native) Bearded Beggarticks, Tickseed Sunflower, Bur Marigold Beautiful multi-branched, multi-blossomed flower seen in late summer along roads and fields. The specimens presented here probably would have been classified as B. polylepis prior to a 1977 Arkansas study which determined the primary differentiator between the two "species" - the number of calyx lobes - was a factor of the size of the plant within a colony, with the larger plants having B. polylepis characteristics and the shorter plants having B. aristosa characteristics. Since B. aristosa was an older classification, most authorities have merged B. polylepis into B. aristosa.



Found in:

AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV

Beggarticks Bidens pilosa

(Native) Shepherd's Needles ,Spanish Needles, Romerillo, Common Beggar's-tick, Hairy Beggarticks, Cobbler's Pegs Synonym: Bidens alba

Many authorities (and, frankly, most folks who are not authorities) continue to consider Bidens alba a separate species from Bidens pilosa, and the plants on this page would be B. alba under those circumstances. As of January, 2012 the USDA plants database continued to maintain the separation of species, but the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (along with the Flora of North Amertica) has adopted a more recent classification which rolls B. alba and B. odorata into B. pilosa. (I know that will be a disappointment to some.) The USDA map shown does not include Missouri (as of January 2012), since if the species are considered separate B. pilosa is not found in the state, but B. alba is found there. That map also shows the plant as non-native. Bidens alba is considered native to parts of the United States. If that plant is considered a separate species, then Bidens pilosa is a non-native species. If Bidens alba is rolled into Bidens pilosa, then Bidens pilosa will need to be considered a native species in those areas where Bidens alba was considered to be native. That logic may be difficult to follow, but that's why I indicate B. pilosa to be a native species while the USDA map shows it to be introduced.



On a December, 2011 trip to Florida Shepherd's Needles seemed to become the dominant flowering plant along the highways by the time we got as far south as Gainesville. It seemed to be everywhere, and is officially considered a weedy or invasive plant in Hawaii, where it is not native. It's also considered weedy and invasive in much of the rest of the tropical world, where it has spread as man's travel has spread. While the plant may (probably will!) spread where it is not wanted, it is reported to be a great attractor for butterflies.



Found in:

AL, AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, HI, KY, LA, MA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NM, OR, PA, SC, TX, WI

Beggarticks Bidens bipinnata

(Native) Spanish Needles, Spanish Needles Beggars Ticks Bidens is a large genus of over 200 species found around the world. There is at least one Bidens species found in each of the United States. The name comes from the latin words for two teeth - in most Bidens species the seeds have two usually barbed awns at the end (although Bidens bipinnata usually has more than two.) These barbed awns allow the seeds to stick to hair, fur, and clothing, thus being distributed as far as the carrier may travel. The genus is closely related to Coreopsis, and classification changes will likely occur in the future.



Bidens bipinnata is one of the more widely distributed species in the genus, and is more tolerant of drier habitat than many other species in the genus. It is found in floodplains, fields, roadsides, gardens, and other disturbed areas throughout the eastern United States and in its southern range as far west as Arizona, south into Mexico. It may also be native to eastern Asia, and may be introduced in much of the rest of the world.



Found in:

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, GS

Bellflower Campanula divaricata

(Native) Southern Harebell, Small Bonny Bellflower, Southern Bellflower, Southern Bluebell Southern Harebell is a many-branched, somewhat weak-stemmed plant with many attractive, dangling, small, bell-shaped blue flowers. Primarily a species of the southeast, it is endangered or extirpated in Maryland.



Found in:

AL, CT, GA, KY, MD, NC, NH, SC, TN, VA, WV

Bellflower Campanulastrum americanum

(Native) Tall Bellflower, American Bellflower This species is perhaps more widely known as Campanula americana which would place it in the genus containing Southern Harebell (C. Divaricata) and Bluebell Bellflower (Campanula rotundifolia.) However, the Campanula species have distinctly bell-shaped flowers, which is not the case with Campanulastrum americanum, which has relatively flat flowers. That would have been one of the characteristics that resulted in creation of a new genus for American (aka Tall) Bellflower - Campanulastrum which has this single species in it.



The plant is found in most of the eastern half of the United States except for the New England states, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Bellflower Campanula rotundifolia

(Native) Bluebell Bellflower, Bluebell, Harebell, Bluebell-of-Scotland, Blue Rain Flower, Heathbells, Witches Thimbles Campanula rotundifolia is a circumboreal species around the world in the northern hemisphere, and is thus found throughout much of northern North America, including Canada and the northern states in the United States from coast to coast. It is also found in the higher elevations in the Rockies (up to 12,000 feet) and Appalachians, so is completely absent only from a few midwestern states, Nevada (too dry), and the deep southeastern states. It is also found in the northern parts of Asia and Europe - it is well-known in Scotland. It grows in a variety of habitats, from dry meadows to moist beaches; the one photographed here on a rocky shore of a cove in Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada.



Found in:

AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Bellwort Uvularia grandiflora

(Native) Large-flowered Bellwort This member of the lily family is one of the mid-spring wildflowers. It has lovely yellow flowers and attractive foliage. It is found throughout much of the eastern half of the United States, but is listed as an endangered species in Connecticut and New Hampshire.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Bellwort Uvularia perfoliata

(Native) Perfoliate Bellwort, Merry Bells Perfoliate Bellwort is one of two perfoliate - leaf-piercing stems - bellworts. The other is Large-flowered Bellwort, Uvularia grandiflora. Perfoliate Bellwort is a smaller plant, usually with smaller leaves and blossoms, in addition to usually being somewhat lower-growing.

Bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia

(Native) Sessileleaf Bellwort, Wild Oats Early- to mid-spring smooth-stemmed wildflower of deciduous woodlands.

Bellwort Uvularia puberula

(Native) Mountain Bellwort, Carolina Bellwort, Appalachian Bellwort, Coastal Bellwort Of the five species in the Uvularia genus (all five Bellworts are endemic to eastern North America), there are two with perfoliate leaves, and three with sessile leaves. The species presented here, Uvularia puberula is one of those sessile-leaved Bellworts. Another of the sessile species, Uvularia floridana may overlap with the other species only in the most southern parts of their ranges - southern Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and northern Florida, the areas where the relatively rare Florida Bellwort is found. In most of the range of Uvularia puberula it is most likely to be confused with Uvularia sessilifolia, the third and most widely distributed of the sessile-leaved Bellworts. As is implied by the species epithet, U. puberula is hairier than U. sessilifolia - primarily in the lower leaf surface and upper stem.



Some authorities recognize two varieties of Uvularia puberula - a mountain variety (var. puberula, the one presented here) which has broader, rounded to slightly clasping leaves and hairs in line on the ridges of the stem, and a Piedmont variety (var. nitida), with narrower cuneate-based leaves and glabrous stems. You'll need to look at the underside of the leaves and details of the styles to differentiate var. nitida from U. sessilifolia if you are in the Piedmont or coastal plains.



It appears that sometime in the last 10 years Uvularia has been moved into the family Colchicaceae (Meadow Saffron) as part of the disassembly of Liliaceae. I have chosen to leave them in Liliaceae on USWildflowers.com until I get a chance to research that move in more depth.



Found in:

AL, GA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV, GS

Bergamot, Beebalm Monarda fistulosa

(Native) Wild Bergamot The Bergamots are also known as Bee Balm. This species is lavender with a hairy upper lip on the blossom.

Bergamot, Beebalm Monarda clinopodia

(Native) White Bergamot, Basil Bee Balm White Bergamot can usually be found in many-flowered clusters of plants 18-36 inches tall in showy displays starting in late spring or early summer. Many authorities apply the name Basil Beebalm to M. clinopodia, but both the USDA Plants Database and ITIS database apply Basil Beebalm only to a separate species, M. clinopodioides, and only the name White Beebalm to M. clinopodia. The ranges of M. clinopodioides and M. clinopodia are contiguous, but do not overlap, according to the USDA Plants Database.

Bergamot, Beebalm Monarda didyma

(Native) Crimson Bee Balm, Scarlet Bergamot, Scarlet Beebalm, Oswego Tea There are 16 Beebalm (Monarda) species in the United States. All are native to the lower 48 states; Alaska and Hawaii are the only states without a Monarda species. Texas is the most favored state by Monarda; 12 of the species are found in that state, 4 of them being found exclusively in Texas.



Monarda didyma, Scarlet Beebalm, is one of the more widely distributed species, being found in most of the northeast quadrant of the United States, including several states west of the Mississippi River, and south to Georgia.



Found in:

CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV

Birds Beak Cordylanthus wrightii

(Native) Wright's Bird's Beak, Club Flower

Cordylanthus - Bird's Beak or Club Flower - as currently described is a small genus of a dozen or so species found in western North America. Other species previously classifed in Cordylanthus have been moved to Chloropyron and Dicranostegia. The plants of Cordylanthus are hemi-parasitic - they have chlorophyll and thus provide some of their own food, but are also partially parasitic on the roots or shoots of another host plant, obtaining water and minerals from the other plant. This root parasitism has allowed Cordylanthus to grow in dry areas during drier times when most other annuals have died. Cordylanthus, along with many other parasitic former members of Scrophulariaceae has been moved to Orobanchaceae.



Cordylanthus wrightii grows in sandy areas in plains and pine forests of the four corners states in the southwestern United States, and in extreme western Texas. It blooms from July thru October.



Found in:

AZ, CO, NM, TX, UT

Bittercress Cardamine concatenata

(Native) Cutleaf Toothwort syn. Cardamine laciniata, Dentaria laciniata, Dentaria concatenata

Cutleaf Toothwort is one of the early spring wildflowers, blooming March through May.

Bittercress Cardamine dissecta

(Native) Forkleaf Toothwort, Thread Leafed Toothwort, Fineleaf Toothwort Forkleaf Toothwort gets the Forkleaf name because its leaves divide - fork - many times into narrow, untoothed segments. The narrow leaves give it the other common names listed. According to the Wildflower Center, the toothwort common name refers to the tooth-like projections on the underground stems.

Bittercress Cardamine angustata

(Native) Slender Toothwort Toothworts have previously been classified in the Dentaria genus, but recently, presumably based on DNA testing, have been moved en masse into the Cardamine - bittercress - genus. Many publications still list the plants in Dentaria.



C. agustata - Slender Toothwort - has long-stemmed basal leaves which are broader and more ovate than their single pair of opposing, 3-part stem leaves. The basal leaves are veined (but not as prominently as in C. diphylla) and are toothed. The stem leaves of C. angustata may be toothed or entire. Heterophylla, the species epithet used when this plant was classified in Dentaria, means "different leaves" - either referring to the difference between the stem and basal leaves, or with differences in the appearance of particularly the stem leaves on different plants within the species.



The plant is typically 8 to 16 inches tall. Toothworts grow from a rhizome. One differentiator between C. diphylla and C. angustata is that the rhizome of C. angustata has constrictions forming multiple segments, while the rhizome of C. diphylla is of uniform size. I do not encourage digging up native plants; populations have been lost by that activity.

Bittercress Cardamine hirsuta

(Introduced) Hairy Bittercress, Hoary Bittercress, Lamb's Cress, Spring Cress, Flickweed

Hairy Bittercress is a weedy plant of the Mustard family, introduced from Europe and Asia. Frequently found in moist fields, yards, and roadsides, it is one of the earliest bloomers, blooming in January or February. The foliage is edible.



Found in:

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV

Blackberry Rubus argutus

(Native) Sawtooth Blackberry, Southern Blackberry, Highbush Blackberry The Rubus genus covers blackberries, dewberries, and raspberries. There are 273 species in the North America, according to the USDA Plants Database. Most of these species are not widely distributed or common where they are found. Rubus argutus is one of the more widely distributed species, and is the most commonly found blackberry in the southeastern United States.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV

Blackberry Rubus flagellaris

(Native) Northern Dewberry, Common Dewberry Rubus flagellaris - Northern Dewberry - is plant with a trailing stem running along the ground for up to 15 feet. The stem has scattered hooked prickles, and is green when young, brown when older. The fruiting stems rise from the trailing stem, sometimes rising to 4 feet above the ground. The leaves are compound, usually trifoliate, with the three leaflets having a serrated edge.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV

Blackberry Rubus odoratus

(Native) Purple-flowering Raspberry, Thimbleberry The clusters of purple flowers with nice maple-shaped leaves make this an an attractive plant, found along roadsides and the edges of fertile forests. It is a shrub that grows thickly, to around 5 feet tall.



Endangered or Threatened in Illinois and Indiana.



Found in:

AL, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV

Blackberry Rubus parviflorus

(Native) Thimbleberry, Western Thimbleberry, Salmonberry, Mountain Sorrel, White Flowering Raspberry, Western Thimble Raspberry Western Thimbleberry is a native of the western part of the United States, and the north central region as far east as Michigan. There is a disjunct population in Massachusetts; I would suspect that this is a naturalized population rather than indigent.



When I photographed this I had hoped it was Bartonberry - Rubus bartonianus - a Rubus species found only in Hell's Canyon. While similar, the easy access location of this plant (Kleinschmidt Grade) didn't match to any of the known locations of Rubus bartonianus, and the leaves are somewhat different, so that left me with Thimbleberry rather than Bartonberry.



Thimbleberry is also a common name for an eastern Rubus species, Rubus odoratus.



Found in:

AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, MA, MI, MN, MT, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, WY

Blackfoot Melampodium leucanthum

(Native) Blackfoot Daisy, Rock Daisy, Plains Blackfoot, Arnica Melampodium is a fairly small genus, with about 36 species native to North and South America (some introduced in Europe), and 7 species found in North America. 5 of those 7 have yellow ray flowers; only Melampodium cinereum (Hoary Blackfoot), found in the United States only in south Texas, and the species shown here, M. leucanthum (Blackfoot Daisy), have white ray flowers. Blackfoot Daisy has a wider distribution (the widest distribution of any Melapodium in the United States), being found in Texas and 5 other states north and westward. Its range overlaps with M. cinereum in a few Texas counties, and there some plants have intermediate traits, leading some authorities to think they should be classified as a single species. Melampodium leucanthum grows in open grasslands and desert scrublands, blooming as early as March and as late as November at altitudes up to about 8,000 feet.



Found in:

AZ, CO, KS, NM, OK, TX

Bladdernut Staphylea trifolia

(Native) American Bladdernut Walker County, Ga 04/19/2008. The seed capsule is an enlarged green papery-shelled 'bladder', giving it the 'bladdernut' common name.

Bladderwort Utricularia subulata

(Native) Zigzag Bladderwort, Slender Bladderwort

The Bladderwort family (Lentibulariaceae is made up of 3 genera and somewhere around 300 species of carniivorous herbs. Of these, over 200 species are in the genus Utricularia, but fewer than 30 Utricularia species are found in the United States. The Bladdwort genus - Utricularia - capture tiny insects and protozoans in bladders held in the water or saturated soil in which the plants grow. The Utricularia plant osmotically pumps water out of the bladders, creating an effective vacuum. When the prey bumps a trigger hair, the hair mechanically opens the trap door to the bladder, which sucks in some water along with the victim, which will then be dissolved by secretions from the plant.



Utricularia subulata is described as the most widely distributed species in Utricularia, being found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world in both the northern and southern hemispheres - every continent except Antarctica. It is native and found through much of eastern part of the United States, as well as being naturalized (non-native) in northern California. It grows in wet, acidic areas such as peat bogs, moist sands, ditches, and wet pine savannas. It is found primarily in the coastal plain regions, but can also be found in the interior as far north as Arkansas and Tennessee.



Found in:

AL, AR, CA, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OK, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA

Blanketflower Gaillardia pulchella

(Native) Indian Blanket, Indian Blanketflower, Firewheel There are 12 species of Blanketflower native to the United States, plus a hybrid cultivar (G. xgrandiflora) which has naturalized in several states. At least one species is found in every state, with Gaillardia pulchella being the most widespread of them.



This is a popular species for gardening due the the attractive flowers and hardy nature of the plant, being heat- and drought-tolerant. It is the basis for at least one cultivar. It can flower year round in parts of its range. Native to much of the continential United States, it is an introduced species in Hawaii and Canada. My speculation is that it is likely an introduced plant, perhaps a garden escapee, in Alaska and other parts of its northern range.



Found in:

AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI

Blanketflower Gaillardia pinnatifida

(Native) Red Dome Blanketflower, Hopi Blanketflower, Yellow Gaillardia, Slender Gaillardia, Cutleaf Blanketflower

There are about a dozen species of Blanketflower native to the United States, plus a hybrid cultivar (G. xgrandiflora) which has naturalized in several states. At least one species is found in every state. Most of these are in the western half of the country, and Gaillardia pinnatifida is one of those western species, found in well drained soils of the plains and open forests from Texas north to Kansas and west to Arizona and Nevada. Gaillardia pinnatifida blooms mostly from May through July, but may be found occasionally as early as March and as late as October.



Found in:

AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT

Blazing Star Liatris spicata

(Native) Dense Blazing Star, Marsh Gayfeather, Spike Gayfeather Liatris spicata is found in most of the eastern half of the United States, primarily east of the Mississippi River. The populations that are found west of the Mississippi are likely the result of naturalization from garden escapees. There are two varieties: var. resinosa and var. spicata. Var. resinosa is found in the coastal plains of the southeast, and is differentiated primarily by narrower leaves than in var. spicata, and more abrupt change from relatively wider leaves in the lower have of the stem to nearly linear, bractlike leaves in the upper stem.



Most likely to be found flowering in July thru September, it is found in a variety of habitats where it can receive full sun or perhaps a bit of shade. It is tolerant of a range of soil and moisture conditions, but probably most commonly seen on road margins. It is a good addition to native plant gardens.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV

Bleeding Heart Dicentra eximia

(Native) Wild Bleeding Heart, Eastern Bleeding Heart, Turkey Corn Dicentra is a genus of about 20 species, of which 7 to 11 are found in North America, depending on which authorities you follow (and whether you include the highly cultivated Dicentra spectabilis species - which may now be classified as Lamprocapnos spectabilis.) Dicentra eximia is one of 3 or 4 species found in the eastern United States (Dicentra formosa may occasionally be found in the wild as a garden escapee, but those populations are unlikely to persist.)



While many publications refer to Dicentra eximia by the common name Turkey Corn, in my experience I've always heard it referred to as Bleeding Heart. Since the range of this lovely plant is on cliffs, rock outcrops, and rocky slopes of the Appalachian Mountains from New York south to South Carolina and Georgia, it is possible that it is called Turkey Corn in the northern part of its range. There are reports of disjunct populations in Illinois and Michigan, as well as outside of the Appalachians in other more eastern states. These are likely to be garden escapees rather than native or long-established naturalized populations since Dicentra eximia is a widely cultivated plant.



Synonyms: Fumaria eximia, Bicuculla eximia



Found in:

GA, IL, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV, GS

Bleeding Heart Dicentra canadensis

(Native) Squirrel Corn, Wild turkey-pea, Turkey Corn, Colicweed, Ghost Corn, Lyre Flower Dicentra is a genus of about 20 species, of which 7 to 11 are found in North America, depending on which authorities you follow (and whether you include the highly cultivated, non-native Dicentra spectabilis species - which may now be classified as Lamprocapnos spectabilis.) Dicentra canadensis is one of 3 or 4 species found in the eastern United States (Dicentra formosa - Pacific Bleeding Heart, native to the far western U.S. - may occasionally be found wild in the east as a garden escapee, but those populations are unlikely to persist.)



Dicentra canadensis (Squirrel Corn) is found in rich forest coves of eastern North America as far south as northern Georgia (in the mountains) and perhaps in South Carolina. It is protected as Threatened, Endangered, or Of Special Concern in Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota (due to habitat threat by invasive species), New Hampshire, and New Jersey. It blooms in April and May.



The plant has yellow underground corms shaped like corn kernels, providing the most commonly used common name of Squirrel Corn.



Found in:

CT, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, GS

Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis

(Native) Bloodroot, Red Indian Paint, Red Puccoon Sanguinaria is a monotypic genus - Bloodroot is the only species in it. It is one of about 60 - 65 species in the Poppy family (Papaveraceae) in North America. It is found only in North America. It is most closely related to Eomecon chionantha, a plant native to China which has the common name of Snow Poppy or Dawn Poppy.



Sanguinaria canadensis (syn. Sanguinaria australis) is a beautiful, white, early spring wildflower. Bloodroot gets its name from the red juice of the root, caused by the compound sanguinarine. While sanguinarine has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal characteristics, it can be toxic, so do not ingest it.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV

Blue Eyed Mary Collinsia parviflora

(Native) Blue-eyed Mary, Maiden Blue Eyed Mary, Smallflower Blue Eyed Mary While there are a couple of Collinsia - Blue-eyed Mary - species found in the eastern United States, most of the 19 species found in the U.S. are western plants. Of those in the west, Collinsia parviflora has the broadest distribution, and is even found in a few eastern states, and throughout much of Canada.



Maiden Blue-eyed Mary is Threatened in Michigan.



Collinsia has recently been reclassified, moved from Scrophulariaceae - Figwort family - into Plantaginaceae - Plantain family.



Found in:

AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MA, MI, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, PA, SD, UT, VT, WA, WY

Blue Eyed Mary Collinsia verna

(Native) Blue Eyed Mary, Spring Blue-eyed Mary, Eastern Blue Eyed Mary, Innocence, Lady-by-the-Lake

While many publications still list the Collinsia genus in Scrophulariaceae - the Figwort family (aka Snapdragon family) - it has more recently been classified within the Plantains - Plantaginaceae.



Most of the Collinsia species are found in the western part of the United States. Collinsia verna is one of only a couple found in the east, and this is the only one with widespread distribution in the east. This species is native to Tennessee, but the plants photographed here are from a long-naturalized population in Hamilton County, TN. The USDA Plants Database doesn't list it as found in Alabama, but the Alabama Plant Atlas, published by the Alabama Herbarium Consortium and The University of West Alabama do list it in Colbert County in northwest Alabama. The genus is named for Zacchaeus Collins, an early 19th-century botanist.



Found in:

AL, AR, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MO, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, WI, WV

Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium

(Native) Blue-eyed Grass, Stout Blue-eyed Grass, Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass This beautiful member of the Lily family has grass-like winged stems frequently growing in clumps. The lovely blue flowers with yellow centers are at the end of the grass-like stems.

Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium mucronatum

(Native) Needletip Blue-eyed Grass, Michaux's Blue-eyed-Grass, Slender Blue-eyed Grass, Narrow-Leaved Blue-eyed-Grass Sisyrinchium is a very confusing genus, even among botanists - much more to a rank hobbyist as myself. Based on the following criteria, I'm calling this S. Mucronatum: Purplish spathe

USDA database has this one in Walker County, Ga, where I photographed it. The other species that are possibles in Walker County because they may have purple coloring in the spathes are: S. atlanticum - general plant formation does not seem to match my plant, and the spathes only occasionally have a purple tinge, where as this plant has more than just a tinge. S. capillare - USDA has no county information on this species, so I do not know if it is in Walker or nearby counties, and has even narrower stems than S. mucronatum . S. nashii - Wider stems than S. mucronatum , and the purplish tinge in the spathes are only on the margins.

This plant has narrower stems than most of the Sisyrinchiums I've seen around here, which I believe to be S. angustifolium. However, the stems in this plant may be too wide for S. mucronatum, which still leaves me with some doubt in this identification, with the most likely alternative identification to be S. nashii.



There are 41 Blue-eyed Grass species listed in the USDA Plants Database, with every state in the union having at least one species. Sisyrinchium mucronatum is found throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada, but is protected as Endangered or of Special Concern in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. It flowers in late spring and early summer.



Found in:

AL, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Bluebead Clintonia borealis

(Native) Blue-bead Lily, Yellow Corn Lily, Yellow Clintonia Clintonia borealis is one of four species of Clintonia found in the United States; all are native. C. borealis and C. umbellata are found in the eastern half, while C. andrewsiana and C. uniflora are found in the west.



A similar species is Clintonia umbellata (White Clintonia, Speckled Wood Lily). Clintona borealis has a yellow-green flower, with usually 3 to 8 of them in the raceme, while Clintona umbellata is white, usually speckled, with 10 to 24 in an umbel. Clintonia umbellata may have narrower leaves than borealis,and while borealis may have a few hairs on the margins, umbellata has many.



Found in:

CT, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Bluebead Clintonia umbellulata

(Native) White Clintonia, Clinton's Lily, Speckled Woodlily Clintonia is a small genus of only 5 species, 4 of which are native to North America - the other one is Asian. Two of the North American species are western, the other two are more eastern. Clintonia umbellulata is a species primarily of the Appalachian Mountains, found from north Georgia and South Carolina northward to western New York. It is a protected plant in New York and Ohio. The other eastern species is Clintonia borealis, which is found at higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains in the southern end of its range (also north Georgia and South Carolina) but is much more widespread and at lower elevations in the northern tier of states.



Found in:

GA, KY, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV

Bluebells Mertensia virginica

(Native) Virginia Bluebells Virginia Bluebell is a showy, early spring wildflower found through most of the eastern United States.



Found in:

AL, AR, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV

Blueberry Vaccinium elliottii

(Native) Elliott's Blueberry, Mayberry, High Bush Blueberry There is much variability in the classification of blueberries and their relatives. Some authorities place them in several different genera, and others place them all in Vaccinium, subdividing it into several sections. Broadly described, Vaccinium includes blueberries, cranberries, and bilberries, and may include as many as 500 species worldwide. There are some other "berry" common names applied to Vaccinium as well, such as deerberry and huckleberry - both of those may also be applied to species in other genera as well. Since they are similar in appearance and can hybridize, identification can be difficult; fortunately the fine folks at the Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve had already identified these.



Elliott's Blueberry is a true blueberry in the sense that it is in the Cyanococcus section of Vaccinium; for those who subscribe to the narrower classifications, it is classified by some as Cyanococcus elliottii. It is primarily a species of the coastal plains of the southeastern United States, growing in bottomlands and on sandy slopes near rivers primarily in coastal plains from Virginia south to Florida and west to Texas. It is also found in Coffee County, Tennessee (certainly NOT a coastal plain), where that disjunct population is Endangered.



Found in:

AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA

Bluehearts Buchnera americana

(Native) Blue Hearts, American Bluehearts, Prairie Bluehearts, Plains Bluehearts Finding consistent information on the Buchnera genus has been somewhat difficult. It has been classified in the Scrophulariaceae family (Figworts), but as that family is being dismantled, Buchnera most recently has been placed in Orobanchaceae (Broomrape family), possibly in part due to its hemiparasitic nature - it gets some nourishment from the roots of other plants (no one plant species in particular), but also produces its own nourishment through photosynthesis. There are 138 species of Buchnera worldwide (from The Plant List), with several of them found in North America. Two Buchnera species are found only in a single state each - Hawaii has the introduced species Buchnera pusilla and Arizona has Buchnera obliqua. There is some dispute as to the identity of a species found in some southeastern states - either Buchnera longifolia or Buchnera floridana, depending on which authority to which you subscribe.



Buchnera americana is the most widely distributed North American species in the genus, and is found historically in 24 states. It now has protected status or is no longer present in at least 7 of them, perhaps in as many as 13 states. It is also very rare in Canada, being found only in a small area of Ontario, where it has Endangered status.



Found (at least historically) in:

AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA

Bluets Houstonia caerulea

(Native) Quaker Ladies, Azure Bluet, Bluets Small plant with mostly basal leaves; stem leaves are opposite and quite small. Can form large colonies.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Bluets Houstonia pusilla

(Native) Tiny Bluet, Small Bluet, Least Bluet These tiny plants can be easy to miss when blooming single, but even with their 2 to 4 inch height, they're hard to miss with the frequent masses blooming together.

Bluets Houstonia purpurea

(Native) Venus' Pride, Large Bluet, Large Houstonia, Summer Bluet, Purple Bluet Houstonia purpurea is in a group of Houstonia species with multiple flowers in the inflorescence - subgenus Chamisme. My experience with Bluets prior to identifying this plant was with the smaller bluets with solitary flowers on usually terminal pedicels - H. caerulea and H. pusilla. Two of the three varieties of this species, H. purpurea var. purpurea and var. calycosa, are found throughout much of the eastern half of the United States. The third variety, var. montana - Roan Mountain Bluet - is found only in a small area of the Appalachian Mountains on the Tennessee / North Carolina border.



Houstonia purpurea var. montana is a U.S. endangered species. Some authorities recognize it as a separate species, Houstonia montana. While the other two varieties can be quite common in parts of their ranges, var. calycosa is listed as Endangered in New York, and var. purpurea is Endangered in North Carolina. Var. purpurea is presented in these photographs.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV

Bluets Houstonia serpyllifolia

(Native) Creeping Bluet, Mountain Bluet, Thymeleaf Bluet, Appalachian Bluet, Michaux's Bluets There are about 18 species of Houstonia found in North America, mostly in the east and the south, with Texas having the honor of the most species. Houstonia serpyllifolia has a relatively narrow distribution, found in the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania (perhaps historically only) south to extreme northeast Georgia and western South Carolina. It is Rare (or Extirpated) in Pennsylvania, protected as a State Endangered Species in Kentucky, and is on the State Watch List in Maryland.



This is normally a late spring through early summer blooming species, but these were photographed in a south-facing rock bluff at about 6000' in September.



Found in:

GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV

Broomrape Orobanche uniflora

(Native) One-flowered Broomrape ; One-flowered Cancer Root, Ghostpipe, Naked Broomrape Not having knowingly encountered this parasitic plant previously, I was surprised to find that it is found in every state in the United States except for Hawaii. It's also found in much of Canada. It may attach its feeder roots to the roots of many different species of plants.



Plants of the genus Orobanche are classified as a noxious weed or similar pest plant in the United States federally and in 9 states specifically, but there is an exception for native species in all cases but two states (Massachusetts and Florida), and Florida specifically excludes Orobanche uniflora from its noxious weed list, which leaves only Massachusetts with a negative classification for One-flowered Broomrape.



An explanation of the somewhat unfortunate name is probably appropriate. "Broom" is an old-world name for vetches and other similar legumes, which are among the plants which Orobanche parasitize. A "rapum" is a term for a knob of roots, to which Orobanche attach to perform their nefarious parisitic activities.



Synonyms: Thalesia uniflora, Aphyllon uniflorum, Orobanche porphyrantha, Orobanche purpurea, Orobanche sedii, Orobanche terrae-novae. Weakley classifies this plant as Aphyllon uniflorum in his esteemed Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States (2015), and that change - return; it has bounced between Orobanche and Aphyllon over the years since 1753 - that change seems to be generally accepted now based on a paper published in 2016 by Adam C. Schneider.



Found in:

AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Buckeye Aesculus flava

(Native) Yellow Buckeye, Sweet Buckeye, Yellow Horsechestnut, Common Buckeye Aesculus flava (syn. Aesculus octandra) - Yellow Buckeye - is the largest of the 6 or native species of Buckeye found in North America, growing to 100' tall (there are another half-dozen or so species native to Asia and Europe.) It grows in rich forests from lower elevations all the way up to mountain tops within its range - generally the Ohio Valley and southern Appalachians, and is one of the most common trees in the southern Appalachians. I know it more from young trees, because they are easy to spot in the understory with the palmate leaf structure and showy flowers. I didn't realize until researching for this description that there are two more Buckeyes within the range of Yellow Buckeye that may also have yellow blossoms - Aeculus sylvatica (Painted Buckeye) and Aesculus glabra - Ohio Buckeye. Some key diagnostics are mentioned with the photos below.



Found in:

AL, DC, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV, GS

Bugbane Cimicifuga racemosa

(Native) Black Cohosh, Black Bugbane, Black Baneberry, Black Snakeroot, Fairy Candle Syn. Actaea racemosa. Black Cohosh is well-known for medicinal uses; as with many plants with medicinal value, it is also poisonous if not used properly. The plant is up to about 8 or 10 feet tall, branching with several inflorescences on each plant. It is quite distinctive; I've read it described as "stately," and I agree. It is found in eastern North America from Canada south to central Georgia in the United States.



Actaea racemosa was originally classified in the Actaea genus by Linnaeus, but Nuttall reclassifed it to Cimicifuga based on the follicles. However, a 1998 study by James A. Compton, Alastair Culham, and Stephen L. Jury, using DNA testing and other techniques, has recommended that the genus should be considered part of the Actaea genus. If considered separate, the Actaea genus is Baneberry with four species; the Cimicifuga genus is Bugbane containing six species. USDA uses the Actaea; ITIS.gov uses the Cimicifuga classification. When there is conflict, I use the ITIS classification. UPDATE 02/17/2016: ITIS has changed their classification of this species to Actaea sometime in the past few years. At some point I'll change this record on USWildflowers.com.



It is classified as Endangered in Illinois and Massachusetts.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV

Bugbane Trautvetteria caroliniensis

(Native) Tassel Rue, False Bugbane, Carolina Bugbane Some experts consider Trautvetteria caroliniensis - Carolina Bugbane - to be monotypic, although other authorities consider there to be 4 to 6 species in the genus. While some authorities recognize three varities of Trautvetteria caroliniensis - var. caroliniensis in the eastern U.S., var. borealis in the western U.S., and var. japonica in Asia. There is disagreement even on that classification, and most authorities consider the plants in these three disjunct geographical regions to be the same species, since the differences between the varieties seemed primarily to be geographic. There also appears to perhaps be an as-yet unnamed new species in the genus which has been found in Claiborne County, Tennessee.

Trautvetteria caroliniensis is protected with a Rare classification in Pennsylvania, and is likely extirpated in Indiana.



Found in:

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MD, MO, MS, MT, NC, NM, OR, PA, SC, TN, UT, VA, WA, WV, WY

Bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis

(Native) Prairie Mimosa, Illinois Bundleflower, Prickleweed, Illinois Desmanthus While there are 14 species of Bundleflower (Desmanthus) in the United States, Desmanthus illinoensis - Prairie Mimosa - has by far the widest distribution. Most species are limited to one or two states each, with a handful in a few more states than that, but Desmanthus illinoensis is found in 29 states in the south and central parts of the United States. Texas has the prize with the most Desmanthus species, with 10 species found in the state.



Syn. Acuan illinoense; Mimosa illinoensis



Found in:

AL, AR, CO, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI

Bur Cucumber Sicyos angulatus

(Native) Bur Cucumber, Oneseed Bur Cucumber; Star Cucumber While there are several species in Sicyos in the United States, Sicyos angulatus is the most widespread. The others are found in only 1 or 2 states (Sicyos ampelophyllus in 3), but Sycyos angulatus is found in 37 states and in Canada as well - clearly another of the few species in the Cucumber Family (Cucurbitaceae) found in temperate climates. Bur Cucumber is considered a noxious weed in Delaware, Indiana, and Kentucky.



This vine grows up to 25' long and may have multiple stems. It has branched tendrils which allow it to climb over fences and other plants.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV

Burnet Sanguisorba minor

(Introduced) Small Burnet, Salad burnet, Garden burnet Burnet means brown - color of the post-mature flower heads. Salad Burnet is one of the common names, because the plant was brough over from Europe as a food - it is used in salads, drinks, and dressings, and is reported to have a cucumber-like flavor.



The plant is eaten not only by humans, but also the seeds or foliage are eaten by birds, elk, deer, rodents, hares, and rabbits, and is a valuable food source for these animals. In spite of being non-native, it does not appear to be aggressive in crowding out native species.



Found in:



AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Bush Honeysuckle Diervilla rivularis

(Native) Mountain Bush Honeysuckle, Hairy Bush honeysuckle, Riverbank Bush Honeysuckle This is one of only three species of Diervilla - Bush Honeysuckle. Officially listed as Threatened in Tennessee, Mountain Bush Honeysuckle seems to be even rarer in Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina, the only other states where it is recorded. According to USDA Plants Database, found only in Dade County in Georgia, Yancey County in North Carolina, five counties in Tennessee. The USDA does not have a county distribution map for Alabama, but the Alabama Plant Atlas shows it only in Cherokee and Blount counties in Alabama. There is a report from the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society that indicates it as being collected at Lula Falls in Walker County, Georgia in 1888. That is probably 10 or 15 miles from where I photographed this plant in Cloudland Canyon State Park, in Dade County, Georgia.



Found in:

AL, GA, NC, TN

Buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus

(Introduced) Bulbous Buttercup Walker County, Ga 04/06/2009

Buttercup Ranunculus abortivus

(Native) Littleleaf Buttercup, Littleleaf Crowfoot I may not be putting too many Buttercup (genus Ranunculus) species here on USWildflowers.com. It's not that I don't run across them often; it's just that with the number of different species - the USDA lists 93 species in the United States - and with many species looking very similar to others in the genus, it takes a lot of effort and research to narrow it down to a specific species. This one, for example, I've been working on off and on for nearly a year. I originally thought it was the native Hooked Buttercup (Ranunculus recurvatus.) But then I noticed the achene beak on the plant I was researching was not nearly long enough to be Hooked Buttercup. My next choice was an introduced species, Smallflower Buttercup (Ranunculus parviflorus) which has a hooked beak on the achene, but much shorter than in R. recurvatus. However, R. parviflorus has a hispid (bristly-hairy) stem; the plant I was working on has a glabrous (hairless) stem. I finally settled on the native Buttercup Ranunculus abortivus - Littleleaf Buttercup. There may have been other, similar small-flowered Buttercups that I eliminated because they aren't found in northwest Georgia, so if you're trying to identify one outside that area, this might not be your species. But if you call it a Hooked Buttercup, who's going to argue with you?



Ranunculus abortivus is found in all but six states:

AK, AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Buttercup Ranunculus glaberrimus

(Native) Sagebrush Buttercup, Shiny-leaved Buttercup, Early Buttercup, Elliptical Buttercup

Ranunculus - Buttercup - is a large genus of over 300 species worldwide, and over 75 in North America. There are Ranunculus species in every state in the United States. The genus name comes from the Latin for little frog, since many species prefer wet environments, as do frogs. Indeed, some Ranunculus are aquatic.



Ranunculus glaberrimus is a plant of the western half of the United States and Canada. There are two varieties, var. glaberrimus, which has narrower distribution and grows in drier areas than var. ellipticus, which not only has a wider distribution, but may grow at higher elevations. The Nlakapamuk native Americans rubbed the flower and plant of Ranunculus glaberrimus on their arrows to poison the tips - like many Ranunculus species, this species is poisonous, particularly to livestock, although the poison is rendered harmless when the plant is dried or boiled. Ranunculus glaberrimus is among the earliest blooming wildflowers in its range.



Found in:

AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY

Butterfly Pea Centrosema virginianum

(Native) Spurred Butterfly Pea, Climbing Butterfly Pea, Wild Blue Vine, Virginia Centro, Butterflypea There are about 40 species of Centrosema worldwide; 3 are found in the continental United States. 2 of those are found only in Florida (a native species, C. arenicola, and an introduced species, C. sagittatum.) There are also 2 additional Centrosema species found in Puerto Rico; 1 of those is also in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Centrosema virginianum, Spurred Butterfly Pea, is found in 18 states, Puerto Rico, and the USVI.



It is primarily a plant of the southeastern U.S., but is found as far north as Illinois and New Jersey. It is Endangered in New Jersey. Since this is the only Centrosema species in most of its range, and it is similar to Clitoria mariana, is it most confused with that species. These plants share the trait of having the standard lower than the other petals; most legumes have the standard held above the other petals.



Found in:

AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA

Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis

(Native) Buttonbush, Common Buttonbush, Button Ball, Riverbush, Honey-bells, Button Willow While there are 17 species in the Cephalanthus genus worldwide, there are only two species of Buttonbush found in the United States. Mexican Buttonbush, Cephalanthus salicifolius is native to a couple of the southernmost counties in Texas, the only state in the U.S. in which it is found. The species presented here, Common Buttonbush - Cephalanthus occidentalis - is found throughout the eastern United States and Canada, as far west as Nebraska and Texas, and is also found in Arizona and California. (I find it curious that it makes the jump from Texas to Arizona, but is apparently not found in New Mexico, which lies between those two states.) Some authorities recognize two varieties, with the western variety known as California Buttonbush.



Common Buttonbush is a wetland shrub or small tree which can grow to nearly 10 feet tall along the banks of streams, ponds, lakes, marshes, and in other wetland areas. The bark contains a poison that will cause vomiting, paralysis, and convulsions if eaten.



Found in:

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV

Buttonweed Diodia virginiana

(Native) Virginia Buttonweed, Large Buttonweed, Poor Joe There are 8 species of Diodia - Buttonweed - found in the United States, although only four of these are found in the "states proper" - the other 4 species are found in the U.S. Territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Two species found on the mainland are native to the United States - Diodia teres (common names Rough Buttonweed and Poor Joe,) and this species – Virginia Buttonweed, Diodia virginiana.



While this plant is officially listed as Threatened or Endangered in Indiana and New Jersey, it also is considered a weed by some authorities, and I can attest to its weediness, with the example here photographed in an area it had taken over in a small garden patch we had. It is noteworthy, however, that it was subsequently pushed out by the much more aggressive non-native invasive Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea.) Virginia Buttonweed is a branching, sprawling plant with opposite leaves.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV

Buttonweed Diodia teres

(Native) Rough Buttonweed, Poor Joe Diodia teres is a wildflower many consider to be a weed. While it can be a creeping plant with reclining stems, in my experience it is more likely to be upright than its equally invasive cousin, Virginia Buttonweed (D. virginiana).



Found in:

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV

Calamint Clinopodium glabellum

(Native) Glade Savory, Glade Calamint, Glade Wild Basil, Ozark Calamint The genus Clinopodium is in flux; depending on whether you, as many authorities do, include various other genera in the Mint family such as Satureja (Satureja glabella var. glabella is a synonym for Clinopodium glabellum, as is Calamintha glabella), Acinos, Calamintha, and more, estimates of the number of species in the genus range from 20 to around 100. The genus has member species around the globe, and even narrowly circumscribed the several species found in the United States are spread across the nation, although most species individually have relatively narrow distribution.



Clinopodium glabellum (Glade Savory) is one of those narrowly distributed species, a small plant found in limestone glades in only three states - a couple of counties in Alabama, a several counties in central Tennessee, and a few counties in northern Kentucky. Although the USDA map to the right shows it in Virginia, most authoritative sources believe those reports are due to common confusion with the very similar and much more widely distributed Clinopodium arkansanum (Arkansas Calamint). That confusion probably also explains the common name shown in the USDA Plants database - Ozark Calamint, even though the (erroneous) range shown by the USDA doesn't include any part of the Ozarks. C. arkansanum has leafy stolons while C. glabellum does not. The stem leaves of C. arkansanum are smaller than those of C. glabellum, and perhaps the easiest diagnostic between the two are that the flowering stem leaves of C. arkansanum are entire (without teeth or lobes) while those of C. glabellum have a few teeth.



Found in:

AL, KY, TN

California Poppy Eschscholzia californica

(Native) California Poppy In spite of the beauty of its blossom, the California Poppy is considered to be a weed by many people. Native to North America, scattered wild populations of this plant are found in most states. However, since it was first collected on a Russian exploratory voyage to the west coast of North America in the early 19th century, it is likely that most of the eastern populations are the result of seeds and plants brought back from the west, rather than from native populations in those areas.



The California Poppy is the state flower of California.

Caltrop Tribulus cistoides

(Introduced) Jamaican Feverplant, Nohu, False Puncture Vine, Spiny-fruited Caltrop

Tribulus is a small genus of around 25 species of the tropics and subtropics, although the exact number is not determined with some authorities recognizing only 7 with up to 70 species and subspecies being under review. There is some dispute as to whether any Tribulus species are native to the Americas, and especially the United States, but the University of Hawaii lists Tribulus cistoides as indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands, and it seems likely that other species are native to the tropics of North America. No species are native to the continental United States, but one other species has also been introduced and survives in parts of the country. Tribulus terrestris is widely spread throughout the United States, especially in the drier western states, and may be the most widely distributed Tribulus species in the world. This may be partly due to its use as a dietary supplement reported to increase testosterone levels. It is a problem weed in parts of the country.



While Tribulus cistoides may be native to Hawaii, it is introduced and has relatively small distribution in the rest of the country, being found only in a few southeastern states, with the widest distribution in Florida - it is primarily a tropical species. According to the University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants Tribulus cistoides is used medicinally for headaches, nervous disorders, and constipation.



Found in:

AL, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, TX

Camas Camassia scilloides

(Native) Wild Hyacinth; Atlantic Camas Wild Hyacinth, also known as Atlantic Camas and Eastern Camas. Atlantic Camas is the "official" national name, according to the USDA Plants Database. It grows in rich, shady, moist coves. The blooming period lasts for several weeks in April and May.

Camas Camassia quamash

(Native) Small Camas, Quamash This plant blooms in early to mid-spring and grows in moist meadows and on grassy slopes. The ones photographed here were in a marshy area along a stream at an elevation of around 5300 feet. The bulbs of the plant are edible and were used as a significant food source for native Americans. However, the bulbs look similar to those of Death Camas - the name of that plant is indicative of its poisonous nature - so beware!



Camassia quamash is found in the Rocky Mountain and west coast states.



Found in:

CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY

Cat's Ear Hypochaeris radicata

(Introduced) Hairy Cat's Ear, False Dandelion Yellow aster with blooms at the end of smooth stem, rising from a floret of hairy dandelion-like basal leaves. Other common names are common cat's-ear, false dandelion, frogbit, gosmore, and spotted catsear.

Catchfly Silene virginica

(Native) Fire Pink, Scarlet Catchfly



Fire Pink has a strikingly beautiful scarlet red springtime blossom.



Silene virginica is listed as Endangered or Threatened in Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin.



There are two other Silene species with scarlet flowers and similar ranges - Silene rotundifolia (Roundleaf Catchfly) and Silene regia (Royal Catchfly.) S. rotundifolia has the smallest distribution - AL, GA, KY, OH, TN, WV, with S. regia being found in most those states plus AR, IL, IN, KS, MO (not in WV.) S. virginica has the widest distribution, being found in most of the eastern United States. Royal Catchfly does not have the deeply notched petals of the other two species, and is a taller plant. For the other two species, the stamens and styles are also more exserted in S. virginica than in S. rotundifolia. The veining in the calyx of S. virginica is more distinct. The shape of the flower petals are somewhat different as well, but the leaf shape may be the most obvious difference between the species. S. rotundifolia, as indicated by the species epithet, has much more rounded leaves than S. virginica.



Two more scarlet Silene species occur west and south of the eastern scarlet species: Silene plankii - endemic to central New Mexico, a small area of a single county in the tip of western Texas, and into the Sierra del Carmen in Coahuila, Mexico.

- endemic to central New Mexico, a small area of a single county in the tip of western Texas, and into the Sierra del Carmen in Coahuila, Mexico. Silene laciniata (Cardinal Catchfly, Mexican Pink), which is large-flowered with deeply lobed petals. Various subspecies occur from western Texas through New Mexico and Arizona on to the cliffs of Santa Cruz Island of California, as well as in Mexico.



Found in:

AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV

Catchfly Silene rotundifolia

(Native) Roundleaf Catchfly I originally identified this as Silene virginica - Fire Pink, but S. virginica has narrower petals, and doesn't have the pronounced 'second spike' along the outer edge of the petal. The USDA Plants Database doesn't have this listed near Polk County, TN, where I photographed this specimen, and I don't have photographs of the rest of the plant, but I have a reasonably high level of confidence in that identificaiton.

Catchfly Silene stellata

(Native) Starry Campion, Widow's Frill Starry Campion is listed as of Special Concern in Connecticut, Threatened in Michigan, apparently no longer occurs in Rhode Island based on its Historical classification.

Catchfly Silene regia

(Native) Royal Catchfly Royal Catchfly - Silene regia is a plant of rocky prairies, glades, and open woods with attractive scarlet red flowers. It appears similar to Fire Pink - Silene virginica - but Silene regia has a much smaller distribution - 12 states, and in 6 of those states it is protected due to its rarity, having Rare, Endangered, or Threatened status. It is possible that it has no longer survived in Knox County, the only county in Tennessee where it was found. The photographs on this page were taken at what may be the only remaining site for Royal Catchfly in the state of Georgia - thanks to Alan Cressler for the information on this location.



The flowers are also somewhat similar to those of both Silene rotundifolia and Silene virginica, but Silene regia is a taller plant and the petals are much more shallowly notched, or perhaps not notched at all.



Two more scarlet Silene species occur west and south of the eastern scarlet species: Silene plankii - endemic to central New Mexico, a small area of a single county in the tip of western Texas, and into the Sierra del Carmen in Coahuila, Mexico.

- endemic to central New Mexico, a small area of a single county in the tip of western Texas, and into the Sierra del Carmen in Coahuila, Mexico. Silene laciniata (Cardinal Catchfly, Mexican Pink), which is large-flowered with deeply lobed petals. Various subspecies occur from western Texas through New Mexico and Arizona on to the cliffs of Santa Cruz Island of California, as well as in Mexico.



Found in:

AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, OH, OK, TN

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Catchfly Silene latifolia

(Introduced) White Campion, White Cockle, Evening Lychnis Silene latifolia is part of the large Silene genus, which has about 700 species worldwide; 70 in North America. These numbers include plants that were previously classified in the genera Lychnis, Melandrium, and Viscaria. S. latifolia, White Campion, was Classified as Lychnis alba until fairly recently, and has also been classified as a Melandrium species in the past.



White Campion, which blooms in the summer and fall, was introduced into North America from its native Europe, and has spread across most of the United States except for a few southern states, and across Canada except for a few northern provinces since then. It is similar to Silene vulgaris - Bladder Campion - and some publications have apparently mistakenly applied the name Silene latifolia or Silene latifolia var. alba to Silene vulgaris.



Found in:

AL, AZ, AK, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY

Ceanothus Ceanothus americanus

(Native) New Jersey Tea, Wild Snowball, Mountain Sweet, Redroot There are around 55 to 65 species in Ceanothus, all in North America, but only 3 are found east of the Mississippi. Those three are the species presented on this page - New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) and Jersey Tea (Ceanothus herbaceus), both of which are fairly widespread on both sides of the Mississippi, and Littleleaf Buckbrush (Ceanothus microphyllus), which is found only in southern Alabama, southern Georgia, and in Florida. Most of the other Ceanothus species are endemic to California. Ceanothus americanus is a shrub found in every state east and nine states west of the Mississippi River. It is Threatened in Maine.



The leaves of the plant can be dried and used to make a tea which was a common substitute for Chinese tea during the American Revolutionary period when imported tea had such high tax rates.



Found in:

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV

Chicory Cichorium intybus

(Int