Dan Vining

Author's posts

Tip of the Spear

Curly Dock

Curly Dock [Rumex crispus] found off a path at Fletcher Park on 28 June 2014. It’s a member of the Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 404-405, states it blooms in late spring and summer and is a common “weed of fields and waste places.” In the guide, it’s listed as Curled Dock. USDA …

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Halo Effect

Common Wood Sorrel or Mountain Woodsorrel

Common Wood Sorrel or Mountain Woodsorrel [Oxalis montana] found near mile marker 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway on 15 June 2014. It’s a member of the Wood Sorrel (Oxalidaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 184-185, states that it’s found in cool woods in spring and early summer. USDA Plants Listing: Oxalis montana

Scarlet Indian Paintbrush

Scarlet Indian Paintbrush [Castilleja coccinea] found near mile marker 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway on 15 June 2014. It’s a member of the Figwort (Scrophulariaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 70-71, states that it grows in moist meadows in late spring and summer. The guide also refers to the flower as “Painted Cup.” USDA …

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Goldmoss Sedum

Goldmoss Sedum [Sedum acre] found growing on an embankment on White Pine on 2 June 2014.  It’s a cultivated flower and a member of the Stonecrop (Crassulaceae) family. Wikipedia states that it is a native of Europe, but has been naturalized in North America and New Zealand. USDA Plants Listing: Sedum acre

Dwarf Crested Iris

Dwarf Crested Iris [Iris cristata] found near the big pond at the entrance to Carl Sandburg Home on 4 May 2014. This wildflower is a member of the Iris (Iridaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 120-121, states it can be found in Spring in rich woods and slopes. USDA Plants Listing: Iris cristata

Wild or Virginia Strawberry

Wild or Virginia Strawberry [Fragaria virginiana] found at the Kellog Center on on the Rudnick Nature Trail on 3 May 2014. This wildflower is a member of the Rose (Rosaceae) family. Newcombs’s Wildflower Guide, pages 184-185, says its flowers bloom in fields in spring and early summer. USDA Plants Listing: Fragaria virginiana

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Jack-in-the-pulpit [Arisaema triphyllum] found in Gerton on 27 April 2014. It’s a member of the Arum (Araceae) family. Wildflowers of North Carolina, page 12, says it blooms March through April in low woods and bogs. USDA Plants Listing: Arisaema triphyllum

Striped Cream Violet

Striped Cream Violet [Viola striata] found on White Pine Drive on 16 April 2014. It’s a member of the Violet (Violaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 56-57, says it blooms in spring and grows in low woods and moist meadows. It’s also known as Pale or Cream Violet. USDA Plants Listing: Viola striata