Wildflowers in the Piedmont

I have such a nice book: A field guide to wildflowers of the Eastern United States by Tom Gold Knight. I think I bought it in the mountains somewhere, at one of the pretty gift stores they have at the national or state park rest stops.

But sadly, even though I’ve been looking hard, I haven’t found a lot of the flowers, even this spring and summer when quarantine gave extra time for just that. There’s so many flowers, and I would like to find them all. I think sometimes I come across a flower that’s in the book, either it’s actually not in the book at all, or I just can’t find it.

So when I actually identify something with surety, it’s exciting:

1. Whorled-leaf coreopsis. This one was very exciting. It’s a very new flower for me.

2. Wild quinine — another new flower, and very exciting. They are all along the roadside since the end of June.

3. A type of daisy called Daisy fleabane. This little patch is now faded (about a month after the picture). This daisy is not the ‘real’ daisy we all know of. This one has feathery, thin petals, but a lot of them.

4. Also, the more regular type of daisy — Ox-eye daisy. With the thick, fat petals. It’s nice to know the real name, but of course, every one knows what a daisy is.

5. Spotted knapweed — this was a nice find — on the roadside — it’s like purple fuzz — but I didn’t get a clear picture.

6. Queen Anne’s Lace and Black-eyes Susans — everyone knows these, too. They are all over the banks of one of the roads we drive on. And they are on some roadside slopes we can walk to.

7. Hop clovers — tiny tiny yellow flowers matted into the grass

8. Canada goldenrod — these have just started blooming now in July. They’re feathery and yellow. Also a new flower for me.

Well, this is not a lot of flowers at all. And I’ve gone tramping in the forest, and looking among thickets and everything. Where am I to find the dozens other flowers in my book?

I’ve found some unknowns:

Like this purple flower. It’s so nice. But since it’s not in my book, does that mean it’s something invasive?

A lot of the unknowns are purple. There’s this star-like flower: (update! I found out this is the Carolina horse nettle, and it’s native to this area)

And finally, this flower that looks like a purple Medusa’s head. I found something similar in my book called a Heal-All, but I’m not convinced that’s really it.

I also found this really pretty leaf. I thought it might be ginger. But then I didn’t see any ‘brown jugs’ under the leaf.