Panic grass

This native grass has a great name: Beaked Panic grass.  (don't believe me? see here.)

 

Snake Master?

This interesting flower has some terrible names: Rattlesnake Master, Button Eryngo, Button Snakeroot, Beargrass.  It's eye catching among a garden of flowers.  Weirdly, it's in the carrot family.  (see here)

 

Weed?

I don't know how this flower got its name.  It's not the color of iron, and its not really a weed.  It's New York Ironweed.  (see here)

I guess any native plant could be called a weed?

I've tried to grow it but the rabbits love to chew off all the leaves.

 

Crossvine

A native vine, the crossvine, is food for hungry hummingbirds.

(See here)

 

Native?

 

It looks like a string of little bells hanging on the shrub.  I think it is a Mountain Andromeda (Pieris Floribunda) which is native.  (see here)  Or it could be a Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica)  which is certainly not native (see here).  They look identical to me.  But Raleigh city parks has committed to planting native species rather than introduced ones.  So, finding it in the park I will vote for the native.

Little Brown Jug

Deep in the leaf litter, the little brown jug flowers are hiding.  The plant is pollinated by ants.  (see here)

 

Hazelnut

The American Hazelnut shrubs are in full bloom.  

 

Red bud

The Redbuds are blooming!

 

Last of the flowers

Lady's Thumb in front, Goldenrod in the background.

Sweet Everlasting 

Climbing Hempweed.

Calico Aster.

 

Hearts-a-burstin

This native plant has two descriptive names: Strawberry bush and Hearts-a-burstin.  (see here)

 

False foxglove

The purple false foxglove was blooming in a tangle of plants.  (see here)

 

Jewel

The jewelweed flowers were hanging down like...you guessed it!  Little jewels.

 

pods

I think these are the seed pods of rose mallow.  The seeds are as showy as the flowers.

 

Smart?

The ducks in the pond were nibbling at this plant.  I think it's some sort of smartweed.  I don't think it was making them any smarter though.

 

Cardinal

One lone cardinal flower bloomed in the wetland.  Was it named after the bird?  It is the same color.

 

Pickerel weed

Just because it has the word "weed" in it's name, doesn't mean it's not beautiful.  This Pickerel weed grows in wetlands.  (see here)

 

Sleeping plant

It's a Partridge Pea, also known as a sensitive plant or a sleeping plant.  I think it gets it's nickname because it folds it's leaves when touched and at night. (see here)

 

Horsemint

This cutie was blooming all over the prairie at Horseshoe Farm  Nature Preserve.  It's Spotted Bee Balm.  (see here).  Also called Horsemint. It looked like something Dr. Seuss would think up.

 

Groundnut

I think this is American Groundnut. (see here)    The tubers were cultivated and eaten by Native Americans, and now is grown in part of Japan.  

 

Native but invasive?

Can a native plant be invasive?  The orange trumpet vine would qualify.  Wikipedia calls it's growth vigorous, and says ruthless pruning is recommended.  (See here)