Yellow Leaf-cup; Bearpaw; Polymnia uvedalia
Aster Family The huge size of the leaves give the plant the name "Bearpaw." The plants are very large, up to 10 feet tall! (See close-up of flower and seeds on next picture) These plants may also be found in woodlands. {Formerly known as Smallanthus uvedalia} Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge Greenways, House Mountain SNA, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP
Spanish Needles; Bidens bipinnata
Aster Family The seeds of this flower have two sharp, barbed points used for catching onto clothing or animals' fur. They can be annoying to get in your socks! Annual or Biennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, Cherokee National Forest, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP
Lance-leaf Gumweed; Grindelia lanceolata
July 21, 2007 This is a common yellow composite that blooms in the summer. I found this plant growing at Cedars of Lebanon State Park, but it can be found in east Tennessee too. Note the numerous flower bracts on the buds, that is a good way to identify this plant.
Black-eyed Susan; Rudbeckia hirta
Aster Family This is a very common summer wildflower. Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP widespread
Carolina desert-chicory; Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
Aster Family This flower looks like a tall dandelion. The seed head also looks like a huge dandelion. Look for these flowers before the sun is too far above the horizon, they bloom for just one day and close early. Biennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, Spring City
An interesting thing to notice about the Bearpaw flowers is that the seeds are produced by the ray flowers ("petals") instead of the central disk flowers. Note the remains of the pistils on the black seeds.
New England Groundsel; Senecio schweinitzianus
Rare Roan Mountain SP June 23, 2007 This plant was growing on the balds of Roan Mountain. It is more commonly found in the northeastern states. This was one of those times I was glad I got the leaves in the photo, they helped me make a positive identification. The flowers look a lot like Golden Ragwort which has heart-shaped leaves.
Hawkweed; King Devil; Hieracium caespitosum*
Aster Family This plant proves the far-reaching effects of alien flora, I found it in the highest elevations of the Smokies. The stems have little black hairs with glands on the tips. Perennial Where seen: Great Smoky Mountains NP, Stinging Fork SNA {Formerly known as Hieracium pratense}
Garden Coreopsis; Coreopsis tinctoria
Aster Family Garden Coreopsis is a pretty yellow flower with a reddish-brown center. It often grows in large patches along the roadsides. These were photographed in Oak Ridge in early June. Annual Where seen: Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains NP, widespread
Camphorweed; Heterotheca subaxillaris
Aster Family Summer is the season of the "DYCs" (darned yellow composites)! Many of these flowers can be difficult to identify. This plant is fairly easy to identify if you use your sense of touch and smell, it feels sticky and has a strong odor. Perennial
Aster Family This one was growing in a ditch, it was probably a "bird feeder escape". Annual Where seen: Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains NP
Spotted Cat's Ear; Hypochaeris radicata*
June 16, 2007 I found these flowers blooming at the new residental development near Oak Ridge called Rarity Ridge. They look a lot like tall Dandelions with branched stems. The leaves have short, stiff hairs.
Thin-leaf Coneflower; Three-lobed Black-eyed Susan; Rudbeckia triloba
Aster Family These flowers look like small Black-eyed Susans with dark stems. Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP
Aster Family This is a very common roadside weed. Sneezeweed is harmful to cattle, sheep, and goate if eaten. Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains NP, widespread
Aster Family These small flowers look like little dandelions. It is a common roadside weed. Annual or Biennial Where seen: Oak Ridge
Common St. Johnswort; Klamath Weed; Hypericum perforatum*
St. Johnswort Family Look closely at the leaves to identify St. Johnsworts! I photographed this flower in Oak Ridge in mid-June. Plants in the Hypericum species cause photosensitivity in animals that eat them. For instance, horses, sheep, and goats with white patches (unpigmented areas) on their skin can suffer severe sunburn, swelling, and redness in those areas. The lips, ears and eyelids are especially sensitive. The skin will slough off in severe cases. The toxin is hypericum. Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP
Ozark Tickseed Sunflower; Bidens polylepis
Aster Family This is a common late summer wildflower along roadsides. Annual or Biennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, Midway, Warriors' Path SP
Sweet Goldenrod; Solidago odora
Aster Family Corbin, KY August 1, 2008 Goldenrods can be notoriously difficult to identify, but this one can be quickly identified by crushing and sniffing a leaf. If a licorice-like aroma is detected, it is Sweet Goldenrod. I was very glad to learn that little trick!
Spotted Cat's Ear; Hypochaeris radicata*
June 16, 2007 The developers at Rarity Ridge have pretty much ravaged the land, cutting down all the trees and scraping (or maybe I should take the "sc" off that word and it would be more appropriate!) all the plants off the hillsides. The remaing soil is covered with all kinds of weeds.
Close-up of Ozark Tickseed
Bitterweed and Chicory - Roadside view
This was taken along I-75; it is possible to identify flowers at 70 mph!
Green-headed Coneflower; Cut-leaf Coneflower; Wild Golden-glow; Rudbeckia lanciniata
This composite flower has green disk flowers, giving it the common name Greenheaded Coneflower. Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, University of Tennessee Arboretum, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP
Purple-headed Sneezeweed; Helenium flexuosum
Aster Family The unusual flowers don't make people sneeze, the name comes from an old "demon-exorcising" practice! Long before people understood that germs cause illness, they thought sickness was caused by evil spirits. The leaves of this plant were dried and sniffed up the nose which caused sneezing fits. The evil spirits were "blown out" with each sneeze! (And probably passed on to the others nearby!) Don't try this at home! I found these flowers blooming in Frozen Head State Park in late August. Note the flat wings on the stems. Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, Frozen Head SP