Jul 29

Jul 29 Appalachian Wildflowers Identification Guide (Western North Carolina Wildflowers)

“What is this wildflower called?”

I’ve asked myself that question so many times since I’m a rather mindful & curious hiker. That’s why I created this blog post to catalog and help y’all identify wildflowers native to the Appalachian/Blue Ridge Mountains, especially Western North Carolina.

All images are original and are arranged by color: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white. Bookmark this page on your phone or browser for easy reference. Check back often as I’m adding more pictures and information as I discover them.

I recommend searching for these in Spring or Summer during a North Carolina hike or book a guided yoga hike with Namaste in Nature. Follow me on instagram and facebook and discover a new flower each week on #wildflowerwednesday.

Namaste & Have A Great Day!

-Miranda

Lilium superbum / American Tiger Lily

Lilium-superbum aka Turk’s cap lily, turban lily, swamp lily, America tiger lily

The Turk’s-cap Lily or Lilium superbum is the largest and most spectacular lily species native to Appalachia & the Eastern/Central regions of the US. Other names include turban lily, swamp lily, lily royal and American tiger lily. 🏵️

A plant typically has 3-7 blossoms but you can see up to 40 flowers per plant and the stems can grow up to 6 feet tall!

The name comes from the petals resembling a type of turban worn by early Turkish people and the Native tribes in the area used the bulbs for soup. The flowers also produce nectar for insects and hummingbirds.

Note: Lilies are extremely toxic to cats so try to avoid contact with your furry friends.

Rhododendron calendulaceum / flame azalea

Rhododendron calendulaceum aka flame azalea, azalea lutea

This gorgeous shrub blooms in late Spring/early Summer and the blossoms come in a variety of fiery orange hues.

Bidens aristosa / Tickseed Sunflower

Bidens aristosa aka bearded beggartick, western tickseed, long bracted beggartick, tickseed sunflower, swamp marigold, yankee lice

Bidens aristosa is in the sunflower family and has a bunch of more common names, none of which are very appealing.

These include: include bearded beggarticks, western tickseed, long-bracted beggarticks, tickseed sunflowers, swamp marigold, and Yankee lice.

Don't panic tho because you (most likely) won't encounter ticks on them. The name comes from the little seeds are vaguely tick shaped and latch onto your clothes and stuff because that’s how their seeds spread.

These are native to the Eastern/Central US and Canada.

Tradescantia / Spiderwort

Tradescantia aka Spiderwort, Indian paint

Tradescantia is a genus of 75 species of herbaceous perennial wildflowers native to North America from southern Canada to northern Argentina, including the West Indies. Members of the genus are known by the common names spiderwort or Indian paint.

They are commonly found individually or in clumps in wooded areas and open fields. Many species have flowers that unfold in the morning and close when the sun shines on the flowers in the afternoon but can remain open on cloudy days until evening.

Rhododendron catawbiense / Catawba rhododendron

Rhododendron catawbiense derives its name from the Greek rhódon, meaning rose and déndron meaning tree. It’s one of over 1,000 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae family which are native to the Appalachian mountains as well as the Pacific Northwest, California and Southeast Asia. It’s the state flower of both Washington and West Virginia and its white, pink or purple flowers blooms here May - July.

These grow most abundantly in Southern Appalachia and other names include Catawba rosebay, Catawba rhododendron, mountain rosebay, purple ivy, purple laurel, purple rhododendron, red laurel, rosebay & rosebay laurel. “Catawba” translates to “people of the river” and was/is a Native North American tribe.

See these in May/June/July on one a Relaxing Waterfall Yoga Hike or Beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway Yoga Hike.

Kalmia latifolia / Mountain Laurel

Kalmia latifolia aka mountain laurel, calico-bush, ivy bush, spoonwood,

Ok, so these little inside-out alien umbrella looking beauties are most commonly called Mountain Laurel. Latin: Kalmia latifolia. Also called: calico-bush, ivybush or spoonwood (Some Native Americans made spoons from this plant). The Cherokee consider the plant an analgesic, placing an infusion of leaves on scratches made over locations of pain.

These evergreen shrubs like to grow on rocky slopes and mountain forests throughout the Appalachians and bloom in May and June. But don’t go chewing on it because all parts of this plant are poisonous to humans, horses, goats, cattle, deer and more.

They also have an unusual form of pollination. The stamens are tense so that when an insect lands on them, the pollen is catapulted onto them. In scientific experiments, their pollen has been projected up to 15 cm (almost 6 inches).