UGA Cooperative Extension

Union County Extension Office:
Agriculture & Natural Resources

Native Plants Bloooming

Week of May 21, 2010

1. Lousewort, Pedicularis canadensis, is a colonial, upright, hairy perennial herb that is 6-16 inches tall. The leaves of the plants are basal and alternate on the stem. They are dark green and lance shaped, 2-6 inches long. They are deeply pinnately lobed. The leaves are deeply divided and fern like. The flowers of the plant are pale yellow to deep maroon. Sometimes the leaves are bi-colored. The plants are found in dry woods from southern Canada through the eastern United States. Folklore says that livestock which fed on the plant would soon recover from infestations of lice. This plant has a symbiotic relationship with a root fungus that helps it gather nutrients. Therefore, it should not be disturbed. 

2. Yellow Star Grass, Hypoxis hirsuta, is a perennial herb that is 4-18 inches tall. The plant is easily confused with grass when not in flower. The leaves of the plant are basal, hairy, grass-like and 4-20 inches long. The flowers are star-like, yellow and about ½ inch long. The plant can be found in open woods and meadows in the eastern United States. This photograph was taken at an elevation of 3500 feet.

3. Fourleaf Milkweed, Asclepias quadrifolia, is a slender, unbranched perennial herb with stems growing from 12-20 inches tall. The leaves of this plant are lance shaped, sessile and 2-6 inches long. The middle leaves are usually in whorls of 4. The flowers have light pink corolla lobes with white hoods. The plant is found in dry woods and forest edges from New Hampshire to Minnesota and South to Georgia and Alabama. Goldfinches use the seeds to line their nests. This photograph was taken at an elevation of 3300 feet.