Spring Flowers - Roadsides - Pink, Red, Maroon, Brown
Nodding Thistle; close-up; Carduus nutans*
Aster Family (INN) Rank 2 This flower is pretty, but the leaves are terribly prickly. Farmers HATE thistles, they ruin their livestocks' fields. It is actually against the law to have this plant on your property to have this plant on your property in some states! When we were in Alaska, we saw signs along the highways instructing people to report any thistles to the Agriculture Department. Thistles are composite flowers, they in the Aster family. Note the purple pollen on the anthers. Despite their nasty reputation, they do have their redeeming qualities --- they provide nectar for butterflies, bees, and other insects and the tiny seeds are favorites of small birds like goldfinches. Biennial Where seen: Everywhere! Great Smoky Mountains NP
Red Clover; Trifolium pratense*
Pea Family Height: 6" to 16" May 31, 2005 Look at the small individual pink flowers, note the yellow pollen-bearing anthers. Clovers, being in the Legume or Pea family, are nitrogen fixers. Bacteria found in nodules on the roots can take nitrogen from the air and store the compounds in the nodules. Farmers plant this clover to use as a natural fertilizer. Clovers are also a good nectar source for bees. "Trifolium" means "three leaves." These were blooming in Oak Ridge. This widespread, weedy clover blooms most of the warm months of the year. Perennial Where seen: Everywhere!
Meadow Cranesbill; Geranium pratense
Geranium Family This is a common yard weed (along with the dandelions, chickweed, blue field madder, corn salad, and speedwell in this picture!). It has interesting beak-shaped seed pods which throw their seeds when they ripen and split. I found this one blooming in Oak Ridge in late April. Close-up of flower follows. Annual Where seen: Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP, Widespread
It is interesting looking at the individual Milkweed flowers.
Pea Family (INN) Rank 2 Crown vetch is planted along roadsides to help control erosion, however it has the tendency to spread to other areas. It is in the Pea Family. I found these in Oak Ridge in late May. Crown Vetch contains a poison called nitroglycoside, it is dangerous for horses to eat large amounts of it. Perennial Where seen:Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains NP, along highways in East Tennessee
Clammy Locust; Robinia viscosa
Pea Family These small trees (or large shrubs) have large pink pea-type flowers. They have sticky hairs on the twigs which are visible in this picture, viscosa means "sticky". I found these blooming along Edgemoor Road in Oak Ridge in early May. In June I noticed that the highway department had sprayed these bushes with herbicide, they were wilted and brown. :( Perennial - Tree Where seen:Oak Ridge
(INN) /Aster Family Height: 1' to 7' May 26, 2005 Ooohhh, thistles AND kudzu! A bad combination of nasty non-natives! I found these growing on a hillside in Oak Ridge in May. The flower on the right is a bud.
Rabbit's-foot Clover; Trifolium arvense*
June 16, 2007 These flowers were blooming in a field at Rarity Ridge. It is a non-native clover, it has a very distinctive fuzzy flower.
close-up May 26, 2005
Phlox Family Height: To 12" May 1, 2005 These pretty magenta flowers brighten up the roadsides along the Cumberland Plateau. I saw them blooming in Rhea, Cumberland and Van Buren counties. Perennial Where seen: Cumberland Plateau
Pea Family (INN) Rank 2 This plant is in the Pea Family. Note how the tips of the leaves have thin tendrils that hold the vine onto other plants. I found these blooming in Oak Ridge along Edgemoor Road at the Haw Ridge parking area. Annual Where seen:Oak Ridge, Haw Ridge Greenway
Redbud trees like to grow in full sun, so they are often seen along roadsides. Look for a beautiful showing in early April. They are especially lovely blooming when they bloom with dogwoods.
- close-up May 14, 2005
Carolina Cranesbill; Geranium carolinianum
Geranium Family This is a common yard weed. It has interesting beak-shaped seed pods which throw their seeds when they ripen and split. I found this one blooming in Oak Ridge in late April. Annual Where seen: Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP, Widespread
Canada Garlic; Allium canadense
Lily Family I found this plant at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge in mid-May. It has very pale pink flowers. Perennial Where seen: University of Tennessee Arboretum, Haw Ridge Greenway, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warrior's Path SP
Showy Evening Primrose; Oenothera speciosa*
Evening Primrose Family May 14, 2005 These large, lovely pink flowers are oftenyseen growing along the sides of roads. The yellow nectar guides are easily visible in these flowers. I found this one blooming in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station in Oak Ridge in May. Perennial Where seen:Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountain NP, Warriors' Path SP, widespread
Pea Family (INN) Rank 2 April 22, 2005 Note the ant on the stem. These plants have small, round, black "cups" on the stems that attract ants. These glands (extrafloral nectaries) protect the flowers from being entered by nectar-robbing ants. The seeds of Vicia species contain the tongue-twisting toxin beta-cyano-L-alanine. Annual Where seen:Oak Ridge, Haw Ridge Greenway
Smooth Beardtongue; Penstemon calycosus
Snapdragon Family These were growing along the highway near the Smokies near Walland, TN in mid-May. Beardtongues are in the Snapdragon family. Perennial Where seen:Walland, Warriors' Path SP
Aster Family This plant is related to Rabbit Tobacco, but the leaves look a bit like Plaintain-leaved Pussytoes at a quick glance. The flowers are not very conspicuous or interesting. It is a common weed. I found these blooming in Oak Ridge in May. Close-up of flowers following. Annual Where seen: Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains NP
Storksbill; Erodium cicutarium
Geranium Family Like the Cranesbill, the Storksbill is a member of the Geranium family. The common name comes from the very long, sharp-pointed seed pod. Note the finely-cut, fern-like leaves which differ from the Cranesbill leaves. This plant was growing in Powell, TN in late April. Annual? Where seen:Oak Ridge, Powell, Tellico Plains, Great Smoky Mountains NP
Blunt-leaf Milkweed; Curly Milkweed; Asclepias amplexicaulis
Milkweed Family Height: to 3' May 2, 2005 I noticed this plant growing along a road that I have driven on to my outdoor science outreach programs for 17 years! So, that just proves you can never assume you've seen everything blooming in an area. It was the only plant of its kind I saw in the area. Milkweeds have "parachute" seeds that can travel for miles on a good stiff autumn breeze, so the parent plant may have been very far away. The leaves of this plant are not as curly as the specimen in my book. The flowers are on long stalks. This plant made my "spring wildflower goal", it was plant #600 for Tennessee wildflowers! Perennial Where seen:Oak Ridge
Sheep Sorrel; Rumex acetosella
Smartweed Family May 2, 2005 This is a common roadside weed. The flowers are very tiny, they would barely be noticible if they weren't a reddish color. Perennial Where seen:Oak Ridge, widespread
Redbud Tree; Cercis canadensis
Pea Family These bloom in early April. Redbud trees are members of the Pea Family. Look closely at the individual flowers to see the wings, standard, and keel. Bees are strongly attracted to these flowers. I found these in Oak Ridge. Perennial - Tree Where seen:Oak Ridge, Haw Ridge Greenway, Frozen Head SP, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Big South Fork NRRA, Cherokee National Forest, Norris Dam SP, Big Ridge SP, Piney Falls, Warriors' Path SP