Cashew Family Looks can be deceiving, this is NOT, I repeat, NOT: (a.)Poison Oak (b.)Poison Ivy (c.)Poison Sumac! In fact, it is not poisonous at all! It is related to all of the above, however it does not contain the poisonous oil, called urushiol, that causes the itchy rash in many people. Notice that the middle leaflet does not have the long, reddish petiole (stem) that Poison Ivy has. The flowers had already bloomed and were gone when I found this at Norris Dam State Park in mid-May. The hairy berries of Fragrant Sumac are bright red in the fall. Perennial - Shrub Where seen:Norris Dam SP, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP
Snapdragon Family Aquatic Rare - Endangered in TN As the name implies, this tiny-flowered, pale blue Speedwell lives on streambanks. This one was blooming in a drainage ditch along the Oak Ridge Turnpike. I have to take pictures in some strange places sometimes! Annual? Where seen:University of Tennessee Arboretum; Oak Ridge
Parsley Family Height: 1' May 23, 2005 This plant closely resembles its relative the Black Snakeroot. The flowers bloom on short stalks on this plant. The leaves are made up of 3 leaflets, thus the species name, trifoliata.
