Smokies Most Wanted

Asclepias exaltata is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae known by the common names poke milkweed and tall milkweed. It is native to eastern North America. It blooms from late spring to early summer. The flowers are green and white. Poke milkweed is found in moist woodland habitats. It grows in moist soil and sunny or partly shaded places. It grows from 0.6 to 1.5 meters (2.0 to 4.9 ft) tall. less ↑

Celastrus scandens, commonly called American bittersweet or bittersweet, is a species of Celastrus that blooms mostly in June and is commonly found on rich, well-drained soils of woodlands. It is a sturdy perennial vine that may have twining, woody stems that are 30 feet (9.1 m) or longer and an inch or more thick at the base. The stems are yellowish-green to brown and wind around other vegetation, sometimes killing saplings by restricting further growth. It has less ↑

Elephant's foot is a native plant which occurs in low woods and along streams. Valued for its late summer to fall bloom and large, attractive lower leaves. Bloom consists of many small flower heads which are arranged in compound inflorescences. Each individual flower head rests upon leafy bracts and contains 2-5, tubular, pale lavender disc florets. When in full bloom, an entire inflorescence may be mistaken for a large, single bloom. Although a member of the composite family, the flowers of elephant's foot are not daisy-like in appearance because each flower head contains only disc flowers. Similar in appearance and closely related to the ironweeds (Vernonia). Large lower leaves provide the inspiration for the common name of Elephant's foot.
(Source: Missouri Botanical Garden) less ↑

Solidago bicolor, with several common names including white goldenrod, silverrod and (in Québec) verge d’or bicolore, is a plant species native to much of eastern North America. It is found in Canada (from Manitoba to Nova Scotia) and in the United States (every state completely east of the Mississippi except Florida). It prefers sandy and rocky soils, and can frequently be found along roadsides. less ↑

Smallanthus uvedalia is known as Hairy Leafcup, Bear's Foot, Yellow Leafcup, or Uvedalia. It is a tall leafy plant with very large leaves and yellow flowers with typical aster family structure - ray flowers and disk flowers. Leaves are opposing. The occasional branches seem to arise from the leaf axils. Uvedalia has been used for medicinal purposes, including treatment of rheumatism and hair loss.
(Source: Wildflowers of the United States) less ↑

Arnoglossum reniforme (great Indian plantain) is a North American species of plants in the sunflower family. It is native to the central and east-central United States primarily in the Appalachian Mountains, the Ohio/Tennessee Valley, and the Mississippi Valley. There are additional populations in the east (New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina) and farther west in Oklahoma. less ↑

This perennial has large, stalked leaves and flowers with 6-16 yellow petals radiating from (and drooping beneath) a greenish-yellow head. The plant grows 3-5 ft tall and flowers are 2.5-4 inches in diameter. Coneflower is extremely common along shady mountain streams in the park and blooms from July to October.

Source: Peter White, Tom Condon, Janet Rock, Carol Ann McCormick, Pat Beaty & Keith Langdon. 2003. Wildflowers of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Association, Gatlinburg, TN. p. 169. less ↑

Ailanthus altissima /eɪˈlænθəs ælˈtɪsɪmə/, commonly known as tree of heaven, ailanthus, or in Standard Chinese as chouchun (Chinese: 臭椿; pinyin: chòuchūn; literally: "foul smelling tree"), is a deciduous tree in the Simaroubaceae family. It is native to both northeast and central China, as well as Taiwan. Unlike other members of the genus Ailanthus, it is found in temperate climates rather than the tropics. The tree grows rapidly and is capa less ↑

Quercus muehlenbergii, the chinkapin oak (or chinquapin oak), is an oak in the white oak group (Quercus sect. Quercus). The species was often called Quercus acuminata in older literature. Quercus muehlenbergii, (its specific epithet often misspelt muhlenbergii) is native to eastern and central North America, ranging from Vermont west to Wisconsin and south to South Carolina, western Florida, New Mexico, and northeastern Mexico from Co less ↑

Campsis radicans (trumpet vine or trumpet creeper, also known in North America as cow itch vine or hummingbird vine), is a species of flowering plant of the family Bignoniaceae, native to the eastern United States and naturalized in parts of the western United States as well as in Ontario, parts of Europe, and scattered locations in Latin America. Growing to 10 m (33 ft), it is a vigorous, deciduous woody vine, notable for its showy trumpet-shaped flowers. less ↑

Liparis liliifolia, common name brown widelip orchid, is a species of orchids native to eastern Canada (Quebec and Ontario) and the eastern United States (the Appalachians, Ozarks, the Great Lakes Region and the Ohio and Upper Mississippi Valleys but not the southern coastal plains). Other common names include, lily-leaved twayblade, large twayblade and mauve sleekwort. less ↑

Triphora trianthophoros is a small, terrestrial, semi-saprophytic orchid. The showiest member of its genus, Leaves are small (~1 cm X 1.5 cm) and typically dark green to purple. The orchid blooms from July through September, but is infamous for its elusive nature, with ephemeral flowers lasting for only several hours on a few days of the year. It has further been reported that populations across a region synchronize blooming on specific days, making observation of flowering specimens even more difficult. Several forms of T. trianthophoros exist, including forma albidoflava (Keenan) with white flowers, forma caerulea (P.M. Brown) with blue flowers, and forma rossii (P.M. Brown) with multi-colored flowers. less ↑

Platanthera psycodes, commonly called lesser purple fringed orchid or small purple-fringed orchid, is a species of orchid, genus Platanthera, occurring from eastern Canada (from Manitoba to Newfoundland) to the east-central and northeastern United States (Great Lakes Region, Appalachian Mountains, and New England). It is imperiled in Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky. less ↑

Streptopus lanceolatus (rose twisted stalk, rosybells, rose mandarin, scootberry, liverberry, rose-bellwort), is an understory perennial plant native to the forests of North America, from Alaska to Labrador, south through the Great Lakes and Appalachian Mountain regions of the United States, as well as Montana, Washington State, Oregon, and St. Pierre & Miquelon. It grows primarily in mixed-wood forests, and throughout a wide range of soil and site conditions, preferring cool, acidic soils. less ↑

Chamaelirium is a genus of flowering plants containing the single species Chamaelirium luteum, commonly known as blazing-star, devil's bit, false unicorn, fairy wand, and helonias. It is a perennial herb native to the eastern United States. It can be found in a variety of habitats, including wet meadows and deciduous woodlands. less ↑

Trillium cuneatum, the little sweet Betsy, is a flowering perennial plant which is native to the southeastern United States, with a few scattered populations naturalized in the midwestern part of the country. It flowers in early March to mid April. It is also known as whip-poor-will flower, large toadshade, purple toadshade, and bloody butcher. less ↑

Smilax bona-nox, known by the common names saw greenbrier, zarzaparrilla, catbrier, bullbrier, chinabrier, and tramp's trouble, is a species of flowering plant in the Smilacaceae, or greenbrier family. The species is native to the southeastern United States from Delaware to Florida and as far west as Kansas and Texas, as well as Bermuda and much of Mexico. less ↑

Commelina communis, commonly known as the Asiatic dayflower, is an herbaceous annual plant in the dayflower family. It gets its name because the blooms last for only one day. It is native throughout much of East Asia and northern parts of Southeast Asia. In China, the plant is known as yazhicao (simplified Chinese: 鸭跖草; traditional Chinese: 鴨跖草; pinyin: yāzhīcǎo), roughly translating to "duckfoot herb", while in Japan it is known as tsuyukusa less ↑