Jul 25 2013

Green-Headed Coneflower or Cutleaf Coneflower

Green-Headed Coneflower or Cutleaf Coneflower[Rudbeckia laciniata] found near mile marker 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Glassy Mine Overlook, on 25 July 2013. It’s a member of the Aster (Asteraceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 376-377, says it blooms in summer and fall in swamps and moist thickets.

USDA Plants Listing: https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=RULA3

Green-Headed Coneflower on the Blue Ridge Parkway - 25 July 2013

Green-Headed Coneflower on the Blue Ridge Parkway – 25 July 2013

Green-Headed Coneflower (more) - 25 July 2013

Green-Headed Coneflower (more) – 25 July 2013

Jul 25 2013

Purple-Flowering Raspberry

Purple-Flowering Raspberry[Rubus odoratus] found near mile marker 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway on 25 July 2013. It’s a member of the Rose (Rosaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 308-309, says it blooms in summer in rocky woods and borders.

USDA Plants Listing: https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=RUOD

Purple-Flowering Raspberry on Blue Ridge Parkway - 25 July 2013

Purple-Flowering Raspberry on Blue Ridge Parkway – 25 July 2013

Jul 25 2013

Purple Foxglove

Purple Foxglove [Digitalis purpurea] found near milepost 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway on 25 July 2013. It’s a member of the Figwort (Scrophulariaceae) family.  According to the USDA link, it’s not been reported to be growing in North Carolina in the wild and it does not appear to be Purple False Foxglove either.

USDA Plants Listing: http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=DIPU

Purple Foxglove (from angle) - 25 July 2013

Purple Foxglove (from angle) – 25 July 2013

Purple Foxglove on Blue Ridge Parkway (close up) - 25 July 2013

Purple Foxglove on Blue Ridge Parkway (close up) – 25 July 2013

Purple Foxglove (side) - 25 July 2013

Purple Foxglove (side) – 25 July 2013

Jul 25 2013

Common Hedge Nettle or Smooth Hedgenettle

Common Hedge Nettle or Smooth Hedgenettle[Stachys tenuifolia] found near mile marker 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Glassy Mine Overlook, on 25 July 2013. It’s a member of the Mint (Lamiaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 88-89, says it blooms in summer and fall in swamps, low meadows, and on shores.

USDA Plants Listing: https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=STTE

Common Hedge Nettle on Blue Ridge Parkway - 25 July 2013

Common Hedge Nettle on Blue Ridge Parkway – 25 July 2013

Common Hedge Nettle (more) - 25 July 2013

Common Hedge Nettle (more) – 25 July 2013

Jul 25 2013

Whorled Yellow Loosestrife

Whorled Yellow Loosestrife[Lysimachia quadrifolia] found near mile marker 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway on 25 July 2013. It’s a member of the Primrose (Primulaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 266-267, says it blooms in summer in woods, thickets, and on shores.

USDA Plants Listing: Lysimachia quadrifolia

Whorled Yellow Loosestrife on Blue Ridge Parkway near mm 437 - 25 July 2013

Whorled Yellow Loosestrife on Blue Ridge Parkway near mm 437 – 25 July 2013

Whorled Yellow Loosestrife (wide) - 25 July 2013

Whorled Yellow Loosestrife (wide) – 25 July 2013

Jul 25 2013

Turk’s-Cap Lily

Turk’s-Cap Lily[Lilium superbum] found near mile marker 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway on 25 July 2013. It’s a member of the Lily (Liliaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 352-353, says it blooms in summer in damp meadows and borders of bogs. This resembles a Tiger Lily, but the leaf structure is a whorled pattern.

USDA Plants Listing: https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=LISU

Turk's-Cap Lily on Blue Ridge Parkway - 25 July 2013

Turk’s-Cap Lily on Blue Ridge Parkway – 25 July 2013

Turk's-Cap Lily (above) - 25 July 2013

Turk’s-Cap Lily (above) – 25 July 2013

Jul 25 2013

Glassy Mine Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Glassy Mine Overlook is found near milepost 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It was visited on the late morning/early afternoon of 25 July 2013, as suggested by an Asheville Citizen-Times article, “Wildflower Season Hits Peak” by George Ellison, 21 July 2013, page B7.  There were other wildflower seekers brought there by reading this piece and the weather cooperated with gorgeous sunshine and a comfortable 70° F.

BRP Milepost 437 Vista

BRP Milepost 437 Vista

Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 437

BRP Milepost 437 marker
BRP Milepost 437 marker
Blue Ridge Parkway road

Blue Ridge Parkway road

Blue Ridge Parkway MP 437 - 25 July 2013

Blue Ridge Parkway MP 437 – 25 July 2013

Jul 24 2013

Common Selfheal or Heal-all

Common Selfheal or Heal-all [Prunella vulgaris] found near Troy Hill Circle on 24 July 2013. It’s a member of the Mint (Lamiaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 78-79, says it blooms from late spring to fall and is a “very common weed of lawns, fields and roadsides.”

USDA Plants Listing: https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=PRVU

Common Selfheal - 24 July 2013

Common Selfheal – 24 July 2013

Common Selfheal (two flowers) - 24 July 2013

Common Selfheal (two flowers) – 24 July 2013

Jul 24 2013

Jewelweed or Spotted Touch-me-not

Jewelweed or Spotted Touch-me-not [Impatiens capensis] found near Troy Hill Circle on 24 July 2013. It’s a member of theTouch-me-not (Balsaminaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 54-55, says it blooms in summer and early fall and grows in limestone areas.

USDA Plants Listing: Impatiens capensis

Spotted Touch-Me-Not - 24 July 2013

Spotted Touch-Me-Not – 24 July 2013

Spotted Touch-Me-Not (side view) - 24 July 2013

Spotted Touch-Me-Not (side view) – 24 July 2013

Jul 20 2013

Basil Balm or White Bergamot

Basil Balm or White Bergamot [Monarda clinopodia] photos were taken at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, Pisgah Forest, NC on 20 July 2013. It’s the member of the Mint (Lamiaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 92-93, states it blooms in summer and fall and grows woods and thickets. Its distinguishing marks are the dark spots on the petals, as opposed to no spots on the Wild Bergamot.

USDA Plants Listing: https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=MOCL

Basil Balm at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education - 20 July 2013

Basil Balm at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education – 20 July 2013

Basil Balm (two flowers) - 20 July 2013

Basil Balm (two flowers) – 20 July 2013