Wildflowers At 70 MPH: Leaving the Deep South

With the spirit of Jack Kerouac never far from the surface, my wife and I jumped all over the opportunity to return to California. Pulling away from the Gulf of Mexico on a sultry morning, we were giddy with glee. Not only were we heading for the much drier, wilder Sierra Nevadas, but we would be passing through a variety of environments, providing us opportunities to see new birds, butterflies and wildflowers.

Crossing new territory in October, I didn’t know what, if any wildflowers I would see. I wasn’t disappointed. Not by a long shot. I was frustrated however. Watching wildflowers race by at 70 MPH is like watching a kid who runs faster than you make off with your Easter basket.

Mississippi and southern Louisiana highways were lined with sunflowers, varieties of goldenrod, Mistflower, and asters of another sort (see my earlier article, “Asters of Another Sort”). The Mistflower, Flat-topped Goldenrod, and Stokes Aster were easy to pick out, but the rest? They would have to be part of the scenery.

Flat-topped Goldenrod (Solidago graminifolia), also known as Lance-leaved Goldenrod and Grass-leaved Goldenrod, is easy to recognize for its distinctive flat-topped inflorescence. Its species name refers to its narrow leaves; gramini “grass” and folium “leaf”.

It is very common, growing in damp places, along roadsides and stream banks, and in thickets, from Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland south. Its slender leaves have smooth edges and 3 to 5 (occasionally 7) parallel veins running their length. The orientation and number of veins are important field marks when identifying this and similar species. Slender Fragrant Goldenrod (S. tenuifolia) has a single vein running its length. Ohio Goldenrod (S. ohioensis) leaves have feathered veins.

The small 1/5” flower heads have 10 to 20 ray flowers, and 8 to 12 disk flowers. The leaves are up to 5” long, and the plant grows to 4’.

Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum) is another easily recognizable wildflower, this one because of its light blue to pale purple flowers, which resemble those of cultivated Ageratum. This similarity has given rise to its other common names, Wild Ageratum, or Hardy Ageratum. It is often grown in gardens, and is the only Eupatorium with blue flowers. (Other Eupatoriums include Joe-Pye Weeds, Bonesets and White Snakeroot.)

It grows in thickets and at the edges of woods, and can be found from Missouri to southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey south. Each flower head is about 1/4” wide, with 40 to 50 disk flowers and no ray flowers.

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