Pittillo Family Preserve and Nodding Trillium Garden - April 11, 2019

What could be better than a day with Dan Pittillo - in his own garden!?

The garden is such a special place, first because of its environment.  Rich soils with high magnesium content and abundant water support a huge diversity of flora. And second, it’s full of plants collected by Dan over his many years of travels and research in these mountains.  These plants have spread over the years - with help from ants and birds and other creatures and their masses are breathtaking.  We were overwhelmed by the shear numbers of species; it was next to impossible to keep a list of plants as we saw them.  So Dan has shared two lists with us.  One is a list of all plants in the garden with comments about each and the other is a bloom calendar showing what is blooming mid February though Mid April.

The property has been conserved by Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and will be open to the public beginning April 17.

It is a memorial to Dan’s late wife, Jean, who loved the garden as he does.

It’s a lovely tribute and it’s wonderful to know we can go for a peaceful walk among the wildflowers there whenever we’re in the area.

David’s photos show the day - and some of the over 50 species of plants.

Trillium erectum white form

Carex fraseriana = Cymophylllus fraseri

Seersucker sedge Carex plantaginea (also plantain-leaf sedge, translated) 

Twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla

False or white Hellebore Veratrum virile

Meadow Parsnip; Thaspium trifoliatum var. trifoliatum

Virginia Bluebells; Mertensia virginica

Golden Bell or large-flowered Bellwort; uvular grandiflora

Trillium erectum? (There may be some variance in this one)

Yellow Toadshade or yellow sweet betsy Trillium Luteum

Catesby's Trillium; T. Catesbaei white to deep pink

Golden Seal; Hydrastis canadensis

Dwarf Larkspur; Delphinium tricorne

Camp Creek with Jess Riddle - April 6, 2019

We were fortunate to have new Executive Director of GA ForestWatch, Jess Riddle, lead us on the Water Gauge Trail along the Chattooga River to Camp Creek on April 6.  It was a beautiful day and we saw more than 25 species of spring wildflowers in this unusual area.  Moist climate in the ravines here support mountain species and the surrounding dry ridges support species common to the Piedmont.  The area also has some of the tallest trees in Georgia, including a 185+ ft white pine, Georgia’s tallest known tree.
Here’s a partial list of species by common name:  Walter’s Violet, Robin’s Plantain, Green & Gold, Sweet Betsy Trillium, Wood Bettany, Foam Flower, Jack in the Pulpit, Doll’s Eye, Pennywort, Dimpled Trout Lily, Rue Anemone, Appalachian Hill Cane, Yellow Root, Toothwort, Lobed Barren Strawberry (rare), Showy Orchis, Golden Ragwort, Blue Ridge Bitter Cress, Climbing Hydrangea.  
Karen’s and David’s photos say more about the day.

David share the following images:

admiring Wood Betony

Wood Betony

Jess Riddle

Sweet White violet

Phlox and Trillium leaf

Common Blue Violet

Toothwort

Karen at work

Showy Orchis

Jeff talking about Climbing Hydrangea

Red Bud Tree

Yellow Violet and Phlox

Sweet Betsy, Trillium cuneatum

And Karen Lawrence share more below:

Showy Orchis

Very old White Pine

David 

Chattooga River

Appalachian Hill Cane

Lobed Barren Strawberry, rare

Blue Ridge Bitter Cress

Camp Creek

Doll's Eye

Jess Riddle

Wood Betony

Lyre Leaved Sage

Pennywort

Perfoliate Bellwort

Rue Anemone

Sweet White Violet

Sweet Betsy Trillium

Toothwort

Walter's Violet