BREC's Wildflower Park Guide
Ever wonder what the name of that beautiful flower on the trail is? Use this guide to help you decipher the blues from the purples and yellows from the golds. Spring and early Fall are the best seasons to go wildflowers exploring in BREC's Conservation Areas.
Sweetbay magnolia
Magnolia virginiana, most commonly known as sweetbay magnolia, or merely sweetbay (also swampbay, swamp magnolia, whitebay, or beaver tree), is a member of the magnolia family, Magnoliaceae. It was the first magnolia to be scientifically described under modern rules of botanical nomenclature, and is the type species of the genus Magnolia; as Magnolia ...more ↓
Yellow Waterlily
Nymphaea mexicana is a species of aquatic plant that is native to the Southern United States and Mexico as far south as Michoacán. Common names include Yellow Waterlily, Mexican Waterlily and Banana Waterlily. It is perhaps best known as a noxious weed in wetlands outside of its native range, such as California. It can easily invade similar aquatic ...more ↓
American White Waterlily
Nymphaea odorata, also known as the Fragrant Water Lily and Beaver Root, is an aquatic plant belonging to the genus Nymphaea. It can commonly be found in shallow lakes, ponds, and permanent slow moving waters throughout North America where it ranges from Central America to northern Canada.
Spatterdock
Nuphar advena (spatterdock or yellow pond-lily) is a species of Nuphar native throughout the eastern United States, and just into the extreme south of Canada. It is similar to the Eurasian species N. lutea, and is treated as a subspecies of it by some botanists, though differing significantly in genetics.
Watershield
Brasenia is a genus belonging to the family Cabombaceae, consisting of one extant species widely distributed in warm temperate and tropical regions of the world. Brasenia is an perennial aquatic plant with floating, peltate leaves and rhizomatous stems. It is identified by its bright green leaves, small purple flowers that bloom from June through September, and a thick mucilage ...more ↓
bird's-foot violet
Viola pedata (birdsfoot violet, bird's-foot violet) is an ornamental plant in the Violaceae family, is also known as the "mountain pansy" is endemic to eastern North America. It favors well drained, acidic soils in full to partial sun environments. It is difficult to cultivate in typical garden environments because of an intolerance to rich, organic garden soils as ...more ↓
woolly blue violet
Viola sororia, known commonly as the Common Blue Violet, is a stemless herbaceous perennial plant that is native to eastern North America. It is known by a number of common names including; Common Meadow Violet, Purple Violet, Woolly Blue Violet, Hooded Violet and Wood Violet.
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
Spurge nettle (Cnidoscolus stimulosus), also known as bull nettle,Tread-softly and Finger Rot, is a perennial herb covered with stinging hairs, native to southeastern North America. A member of the family Euphorbiaceae (spurge family), it is not a true nettle. It prefers sandy, well-drained soil and mostly exists in pine/blackjack oak forests on ...more ↓
Texas Bull Nettle
Cnidoscolus texanus, commonly known as Texas Bullnettle,Treadsoftly, and Mala Mujer, is a perennial herb covered with stinging hairs, native to the U.S. States of Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. It is also native to the northern Mexican state Tamaulipas. It is an herbaceous flowering plant that grows between 30–80 cm (11.8–31.5 in) tall and ...more ↓
little brown jug
Hexastylis arifolia, or the little brown jug is a perennial wildflower in the family Aristolochiaceae found in the southeastern United States. It is considered a threatened species in Florida.
lizard's tail
Saururus cernuus (lizard's tail, water-dragon, swamp root) is a medicinal and ornamental plant native to eastern North America. It grows in wet areas or shallow water, and can be up to about a meter tall. The native range covers much of the eastern United States, as far west as eastern Texas and Kansas, south to Florida, and north to Michigan and New York ...more ↓
American lotus
Nelumbo lutea is a species of flowering plant in the monotypic family Nelumbonaceae. Common names include American lotus, yellow lotus, water-chinquapin, and volée. It is native to North America. The Linnaean binomial Nelumbo lutea (Willd.) is the currently recognized name for this species, which has been classified under the former names ...more ↓
meadow holly
Ilex decidua (Meadow Holly, also called "possumhaw", "deciduous holly" or "swamp holly") is a species of holly native to the United States.
American Holly
Ilex opaca, the American Holly, is a species of holly, native to the eastern United States, from coastal Massachusetts south to central Florida, and west to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas.
Yaupon holly
Ilex vomitoria, commonly known as yaupon or yaupon holly, is a species of holly that is native to southeastern North America. The word yaupon was derived from its Catawban name, yopún, which is a diminutive form of the word yop, meaning "tree". Another common name, cassina, was borrowed from the Timucua language (despite this, it usually ...more ↓
anís estrella
Illicium floridanum (also known as purple anise, Florida anise, stink-bush, or star-anise) is an evergreen shrub native to the south-eastern United States especially Florida and Louisiana.
Watercress
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plant native to Europe and Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. It is a member of the family Brassicaceae, botanically related to garden cress, mustard and radish — all noteworthy for a peppery, tangy flavour.
Witchhazel
Hamamelis virginiana, known as common or American witch-hazel, is a species of witch-hazel native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, and south to central Florida to eastern Texas.
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia, known as Virginia creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of flowering plant in the vine family Vitaceae, native to eastern and central North America, in southeastern Canada, the eastern and central United States, eastern Mexico, and Guatemala, west as far as Manitoba, South Dakota, Utah and Texas.
White-topped Sedge
White Star Sedge (Rhynchospora colorata), also known as White-topped Sedge and Starrush Whitetop, is a perennial sedge with white bracts, giving it the appearance of white petals with long, green points. It is native to southeastern North America, from Virginia west to New Mexico in the United States, and south into the Caribbean islands.
Common Cattail
Typha latifolia (bulrush, common bulrush, broadleaf cattail, common cattail, great reedmace, cooper's reed, cumbungi) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Typha. It is found as a native plant species in North and South America, Europe, Eurasia, and Africa. In Canada, broadleaf cattail occurs in all provinces and the ...more ↓
Ball Moss
Tillandsia recurvata, commonly known as Ball Moss, is a flowering plant (not a true moss) that grows upon larger host plants. It grows well in areas with low light, little airflow, and high humidity, which is commonly provided by southern shade trees, often the Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana). It is not a parasite like mistletoe, but an epiphyte like its ...more ↓
Spanish Moss
Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is a flowering plant that grows upon larger trees, commonly the Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) or Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) in the southeastern United States.
ten-angled pipewort
Eriocaulon decangulare, commonly known as ten-angled pipewort, hat pin and bog button, is a monocotyledonous plant native to the eastern United States, Mexico and Nicaragua. The plant's distribution is quite irregular, with several disjunct populations and a discontinuous primary range. Most of its habitat in the United States runs along the Atlantic Coastal ...more ↓
Crane-Fly Orchid
The Crane-fly Orchid (Tipularia discolor) is a perennial terrestrial woodland orchid, a member of the Orchidaceae. It is the only species of the genus Tipularia found in North America. This orchid grows a single leaf in September that disappears in the spring. The leaf is green with dark purple spots. The orchid blooms in mid-July to late August. The roots are a ...more ↓
Lady's-slipper
Cypripedium calceolus is a lady's-slipper orchid, and the type species of the genus Cypripedium.
white-fringed orchid
Platanthera blephariglottis, commonly known as the White-fringed Orchid or White-fringed Orchis, is a species of orchid of the genus Platanthera. It is considered to be an endangered species in Connecticut and Ohio, a threatened species in Florida, Maryland and Rhode Island, exploitably vulnerable in New York, and susceptible to be threatened in Québec.
orange fringed orchid
Platanthera ciliaris, commonly known as the yellow fringed orchid yellow-fringed orchid, or orange-fringed orchid, is a large and showy species of orchid. It grows in "acid soil of hillside seepage bogs" in the longleaf pine landscapes of the Gulf Coast. Like many species in these habitats, including flatwoods, it is dependent upon recurring fire to create ...more ↓
southern rein orchid
Platanthera flava is a species of pale-flowered orchid. It has from 10-40 flowers in an inflorescence. In the north of its range, in Canada, this species is particularly associated with shorelines of lakes and rivers, in the seasonally flooded zone. In Nova Scotia, it occurs in wet meadows on seasonally flooded shorelines with rare shoreline species such as Plymouth Gentian. In ...more ↓
yellow fringeless orchid
Platanthera integra (yellow fringeless orchid) is a member of the orchid family with yellow flowers. It is native to the Southeastern United States.
Fall Coral-Root
Corallorhiza odontorhiza, common name Fall coral-root or small-flowered coral-root, is a species of orchid widespread across the eastern half of the United States, and reported also from Mexico, Central America, Quebec and Ontario. In North America, it occurs in forested areas up to an elevation of 2800 m (9300 feet).
Spring Coralroot
Spring coralroot (Corallorhiza wisteriana) — also called Arousing coralroot or Wister's Coralroot — is a species of coralroot orchid.
green adder's-mouth
Malaxis unifolia is a species of orchid occurring from eastern Canada, central and eastern US to Central America and the Caribbean.
Habenaria repens
Habenaria repens, commonly called the Waterspider bog orchid or the Floating orchid, is an orchid species in the genus Habenaria found on marshy shores in Southern United States (AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TX + Puerto Rico) and in Mexico.
Rose Pogonia
Pogonia ophioglossoides is a species of orchid occurring from central Canada to the east-central and eastern United States. It is the type species of the genus Pogonia. It is also known as the "Snake Mouth Orchid". It is pollinated by bees. This species occurs in wet habitats. In the north, the habitat is typically fens but sometimes also bogs. Further south, along the ...more ↓
Epidendrum magnoliae
Epidendrum magnoliae, synonymous with Epidendrum conopseum is a species of orchid in the genus Epidendrum. It is the most northern-growing Epidendrum in nature, being found wild as far north as North Carolina. The diploid chromosome number of E. magnoliae has been determined as 2n = 40, the haploid chromosome number as n = 20.
Southern twayblade
Neottia bifolia (syn. Listera australis), the southern twayblade, is a species of terrestrial orchid found in eastern North America.
many-flowered grasspink
The Many-flowered Grass-pink, Calopogon multiflorus, is a species of orchid. It is a perennial forb that requires recurring ground fires to maintain its habitat. It falls under the genus Calopogon, meaning "beautiful beard" in Greek, referring to the stamen-like bristles or beard on the lip.
tuberous grasspink
Calopogon tuberosus, the tuberous grasspink, is an orchid native to eastern North America. In the United States it occurs from as far southwest as Texas and Oklahoma and southeast to the Florida Everglades to as far northeast as Maine and as far northwest as Minnesota. In Canada it is found in the provinces of Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. It also is found in Cuba and ...more ↓
Crowpoison
Nothoscordum bivalve is a species of flowering plant in the Amaryllidaceae known by the common names crowpoison and false garlic. It is native to North America, where it can be found in the southcentral and southeastern United States.
Nemastylis
Nemastylis is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the iris family distributed in North America. The genus name is derived from the Greek words nema, meaning "thread", and stylos, meaning "pillar" or "rod".
Nemastylis geminiflora
Nemastylis geminiflora is a perennial herb also known as the Prairie Celestial and Prairie Pleatleaf. It is found on the black soil prairies in Texas. It has an inflorescence on stems 8-11 centimeters long, arising from a subterranean stem and bulb that is 2-3 cm in diameter.
giant blue iris
Iris giganticaerulea (giant blue iris or giant blue flag) is a species of iris native to Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi in the United States.
Yellow Flag
Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag, yellow iris, water flag) is a species in the genus Iris, of the family Iridaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. Its specific epithet, meaning "false acorus," refers to the similarity of its leaves to those of Acorus calamus, as they have a prominently veined mid-rib and sword-like shape.
Aloe Yucca
Yucca aloifolia L. is the type species for the genus Yucca. Common names include "Spanish bayonet," "dagger plant," etc. It grows in sandy soils, especially on sand dunes along the coast from North Carolina to Mexico, and on islands in the Caribbean. It can sometimes be found inland in sandy pine forests. It is also naturalized elsewhere.
Adam's needle
Yucca filamentosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceaenative to the southeastern United States as far west as Louisiana and as far north as Virginia. Its common names include Adam's needle, common yucca, Spanish bayonet,bear-grass, needle-palm, silk-grass, and spoon-leaf yucca.
Yucca louisianensis
Yucca arkansana is a plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. It generally grows in gravelly, sunlit locations such as rocky outcrops, prairies, etc.
Atlantic camas
Camassia scilloides is a perennial herb known commonly as Atlantic camas, wild hyacinth, and eastern camas. It is native to the eastern half of North America, including Ontario and the eastern United States.
Zephyranthes atamasco
Zephyranthes atamasco, commonly known as the Atamasco Lily or more generally a Rain Lily, is native to the southeastern United States. It grows in swampy forests and coastal prairies, preferring acid boggy soils rich with leaf mold. Following the appearance of broad, grassy leaves in early winter, they bloom in March or April. It has several narrow, linear basal ...more ↓
Zephyranthes candida
Zephyranthes candida, commonly known as the white rain lily, is a species of rain lily native to the Rio de la Plata region of South America including Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile.
