What native species are in your area?

[KD_Olive]

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Here in Alabama, we're blessed with some beautiful native species. Anyone have anything beautiful native to where you live? Anyone have pictures to share?? I spotted these gorgeous pink and white Mountain Laurels growing all along the lake where we live. Native species are my favorites.

 

[journey11]

My DD8 and I have been working on collecting 20 wildflower specimens for one of her 4-H projects. We've found several neat things and I've learned a lot more about many of them myself, their names, etc. We accidentally picked one that is considered endangered by the state DNR. They grow on my Dad's farm. Love that vivid red! You can spot them a mile away.

Fire Pinks...

 

[KD_Olive]

Those are beautiful!

 

[Nyboy]

Dogwood are suppose to be native here, I love them but gave up on planting them.

 

[digitS']

Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) It is not uniquely resident to here or even to what was once the Oregon Territory. It is, however, a useful and attractive shrub.

Blue elderberry (Sambucus cerulea) I like it's look but not many people make use of it in their yard. There are related species more commonly used for that purpose.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) They have just bloomed here. There is a Native American tribe in Oregon with a name used by others that translates "People of the Serviceberry."

Lewis mock-orange (Philadelphus lewisii) They will soon fill our air with their fragrance . I don't know if they are a common landscape plant elsewhere. It seems like they should be.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot Sunflower (Balsamorhiza sagittata) just about symbolizes my local environment for the last 50 years. I like to refer to it just that way "Arrowleaf Balsamroot Sunflower." If the botanists would include the stem - we would have the entire plant description as parts of its name . I doubt that very many people actively plant it in their yards.

Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata) I understand that it now is considered an invasive in Europe. For some reason, that makes me smile but I know that those situations are not ideal. I guess it kind of comes down to keeping species that require human involvement to maintain the environment or maintaining a wild, native landscape.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

We are blessed to have many of the wild species @digitS' mentioned growing on our property. Arrowleaf Balsamroot has come up this year next to my clothesline.
We have a lot of Serviceberry mixed in the woods, and Oregon grape, the creeping type, (Mahonia reptans) is all over the place. It turns a pretty russet color in the fall and makes a nice addition to an autumn bouquet.

Tiny Spring Beauty's are carpeting the ground in April, then we have Sticky geranium blooming and some kind of wild coral bells. And Woods Rose pops up around undisturbed areas.

I have pictures of a lot of these, but can't locate the files they're in quickly.
I really need to organize my photos better.

 

[KD_Olive]

Dogwood are suppose to be native here, I love them but gave up on planting them.

I have several native dogwoods in my yard. They're a small tree, slow growing and very common in the woods around here. Most people here won't cut them because of their beauty and the Cross of Christ represented on the blooms. We're also blessed with the gorgeous red bud trees and their fantastic purple blooms.

 

[Nyboy]

What about dogwood blooms and Cross of Christ ?

 

[KD_Olive]

Christ was supposedly crucified on a cross made from Dogwood....they are a religious symbol.

 

[KD_Olive]

We're lucky enough to have native huge Mulberry trees! We went picking yesterday...

Yuuuum!