Late summer wildflowers

I have to admit even though I am passionate about all wildflowers, I tend to spring forward rather than fall back and my expertise about the native plants blooming in the late summer and early fall is a little rusty.

I can easily tell the big ones, the knock you off your feet roadside flowers such as Joe-Pye weed, Ironweed and goldenrods but not so much when it comes to the smaller, more subtle wildflowers blooming in the late summer woods. So when Jack and I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail near Woody’s Gap last week, I came home full of joy and praise about the wildflowers I had seen but also full of questions and uncertainty. Snakeroot or boneset? Lychnis or Silene? Tickseed or Swamp sunflower? So many questions!

But after consulting both books and friends, I think I came up with satisfactory identification for most of what I saw, some of which was so beautiful it literally stopped me in my tracks. These are a few of the many species we saw. Enjoy!

It was a grand day of hiking and flower hunting, cool enough for a jacket, even in Georgia in August. But, as usual, Jack and I probably didn’t have as much fun on the trail as Sadie did. She was in her element and ready to go back any time. Me too!