Panola Mountain - Urban Treasure

Panola Mountain is a rare treasure that happens to be located very close to a large metropolitan area.  Protected by a state park, it is one of just a few natural monadnocks available to the public. As on other outcrops of exposed granite rock, special plants live here.

On the outcrop at Panola Mountain

I wrote earlier about my trip to Heggie’s Rock near Augusta, GA and another (much smaller) outcrop that I had visited. Like Heggie’s Rock, Panola Mountain was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980. Unlike Heggie’s Rock, Panola is available to the general public for visiting during park hours. It even offers ranger-led guided tours of the outcrop for a small fee. That is a tour worth taking.

My visit to Panola was part of field trip held by the Georgia Native Plant Society. We were there to learn more about the plants that make the outcrop their home. Some plants were very special, others were able to live near the outcrop but live in other places as well.

Bignonia capreolata

It was enjoyable to see familiar plants mixed in with the ones that were new to us. On our way up to the top, we found blooming crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) and stopped to admire the showy flowers.

 

It was a drizzly day, so I apologize for water splotches on the lens. Of course the damp weather made some of the colors very vibrant, but it also made it difficult to photograph some things.

Our trip leader was very experienced in rock outcrop plant communities, otherwise I never could have told you that the name of this moss is Hedwigia ciliata. 

Hedwigia ciliata

It's presence and the presence of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), however, allowed us to find a very special plant indeed: Sedum pusillum, known as granite stonecrop. According to our leader, this rare and threatened annual sedum grows in communities that have these other two plants. 

Sedum pusillum

Indeed, in the several places we found it, the other two plants were there as well. It was past bloom time for this sedum but we found a few stray blooms.

The beautiful red-leaved Diamorpha smallii was there in abundance on the outcrop. It was also almost finished blooming, but the color of the leaves ensures that it creates a handsome vista regardless of blooms. Click on the link to my Heggie's Rock post to see blooming pictures of it.

Red fruits and new flower buds of
Opuntia humifusa

Other good plants that we saw included perennials like beargrass (Yucca filamentosa), Atamasco lily (Zephyranthes atamasca), hairy spiderwort (Tradescantia hirsuticaulis), eastern prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa), sandwort (Minuartia uniflora) and shrubs like painted buckeye (Aesculus sylvatica), sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum), and mock orange (Philadelphus inodorus).

Ptelea trifoliata

New to me were wafer ash (Ptelea trifoliata) and sunnybells (Schoenolirion croceum). Wafer ash, also known as hoptree, is not an ash at all. The compound leaves with 3 leaflets had a few of us looking at the young saplings cautiously as we walked among them. We found them in a wooded area as we wound our way back down the mountain.

Schoenolirion croceum

Sunnybells is a member of the Liliaceae family and was found on the outcrop itself. These pictures of dripping flowers do no justice to what I can see must be a spectacular plant. In some areas, they created large colonies of bright yellow happiness.


If you get a chance to explore Panola Mountain I hope that you will. As a State Park it is well maintained, informative, educational, friendly and beautiful. Be sure to check out their activities as posted on the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area webpage. Panola Mountain is part of this National Heritage Area, one of only 3 areas in Georgia.

Panola Mountain and the Arabia Mountain NHA are very accessible to metro Atlanta, a true treasure for all of us to explore and enjoy.

Special Plants, Special Places – Carolina bays

I wrote earlier about the Heggie’s Rock field trip that I attended as part of the Georgia Botanical Society’s 2013 Spring Pilgrimage. Another type of special environment that I went to was a Carolina bay. Carolina bays are isolated wetlands that are fed not by creeks or rivers but by rain and shallow groundwater. 

Craig's Pond

Their unique shape allows us to recognize them: an elliptical shape with generally a northwest to southeast orientation. They are shallow depressions and, as a result of their dependency on rainfall or groundwater, do not always contain water. According to a fact sheet provided by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), observations over 14 years found that Rainbow Bay (as an example) has had water for as few as 5 days in one year and as many as 280 days. Generally water is most plentiful in the spring and at lowest levels in the autumn.

Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)

I actually visited two Carolina bays during the Pilgrimage, both of them in South Carolina. The first one I visited was Craig’s Pond. It is located on the Savannah River Site and managed by the staff at SREL. You can see a picture here: http://www.srel.edu/set-asides/area17.html

It was fascinating to hear how important environments like this are to amphibian populations. Since no fish are present, frogs and salamanders have a safe place to lay eggs and to grow up. While there wasn’t much water in the bay, the view of the area was sufficient to give a sense of how it must look. The sweep of grass was a mixture of different species but a predominant one was maidencane (Panicum hemitomon). Mixed in with it were the dry seed heads of Carolina red root (Lachnanthes caroliniana), as pointed out to us by the trip leader.

No doubt how inkberry (Ilex glabra) got its name

The plants that live in and around Carolina bays comprise different communities based on their tolerance of saturation. I saw some of the best examples of inkberry (Ilex glabra) that I’ve ever seen. New to me was myrtle dahoon holly (Ilex myrtifolia). Several different pine species were there, but it was most special to see mature longleaf pines (Pinus palustris) up close. 

Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)

Other shrubs there were several species of blueberry (Vaccinium), evergreen fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) and what appeared to be a naturally dwarf form of wax myrtle (Morella cerifera). It was blooming at heights of less than 24 inches.  

Bog white violet (Viola lanceolata)

I saw bog white violet (Viola lanceolata) throughout the area, both in standing water and in dry areas.

Entwined here and there, truly the thread that tied it all together, was beautiful Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) - see the picture earlier in the post. I never got tired of seeing it. 

The second one I visited was Ditch Pond, and it is part of a 296-acre Heritage Preserve managed by SC-DNR. The bay comprises 25 acres of the site. This site is open to the public and has an excellent collection of trails.

At Ditch Pond we heard that it is home to all 3 "bay" trees: Magnolia virginiana (sweet bay), Persea borbonia (red bay) and Gordonia lasianthus (loblolly bay). I saw the first two but not the third. We walked some of the trails, including one that felt like it was crafted on a movie set.

That sandy area in the center is the path

Red bay (Persea borbonia)

While we certainly saw some of the same plants, a few others are worth noting. Here a few fruits of red bay (Persea borbonia) hang on while the Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) curls around it.

We also found the dried fruit capsules of swamp titi (Cyrilla racemiflora) as we got closer to the wet area. An evergreen smilax twined overhead, already sporting green fruits.

Carolina cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana)

Evergreen Carolina cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana) was blooming along the trails. I'm sure their abundant fruits are popular with birds. We also saw plenty of wild plum (Prunus sp.) and a lot of hawthorn (Crataegus sp.) blooming. What an area for wildlife!

This site had a more open canopy so while we also found longleaf pine here, we were able to see a lot of young ones in the "rocket" stage (growing straight with very few branches).

Lonicera sempervirens

The showiest plant of the trip was the native coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). The blooms were an eye-popping shade of hot pink and even the leaves were tinged with pink. Wow.

Although my field trips were in South Carolina, Georgia does have Carolina bays of its own. Recent efforts by GA-DNR resulted in the documentation of 528 Carolina bays, with Screven County having the most (156).

Aggressive Native Plants Have Their Place

Aggressive plants are generally not popular. Many a curse has been spoken against them as a gardener has attempted to rein them in. Others folks simply declare them to be a “WEED” and tackle them with weed forks, shovels and chemicals. I’m here to say that aggressive native plants have a role to play in their local environments. Understanding them is key to deciding how they might fit into your space.

Trumpet creeper, Campsis radicans

While it might seem like these plants move in and take over the average garden space, there are specific benefits that they offer which can be considered: soil retention, support for pollinators, and food for songbirds and many other critters.

Soil Retention and Erosion control

Many of the aggressive woody plants can be found streamside. Their purpose is to create an extensive root system, usually by suckering, in order to hold the banks of a stream in place.

Hazel alder (Alnus serrulata)

These plants include hazel alder (Alnus serrulata), elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis), Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima) plus many rushes (Juncus) and other perennials with thick roots. Invite any of these folks into a garden with rich soil and good moisture and you will have plenty to go around.

Many of the aggressive herbaceous plants (annuals, perennials, grasses) are early succession plants. Their purpose is to cover bare soil to hold it in place until woody seedlings can arrive.

Small's ragwort (Packera anonyma)

This is where you'll find many annuals like fleabane (Erigeron annuus) and ragweed (yes, it's native!), and aggressive perennials like asters (Symphyotrichum), yellow ragwort (Packera anonyma), violets (Viola), primrose (Oenothera), some goldenrod (Solidago), and grasses like broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus).

Weedy woody plants that move in later include pines (Pinus), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), maples (Acer rubrum for example), boxelder (Acer negundo), and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). These early colonizers can handle poor soil and, in some cases, such as the locust, even help to improve the soil.

Beautiful and fragrant Robinia pseudoacacia

Support for Pollinators

Doesn't that look like a feast?
Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides

Pollinators need a lot of flowers to get what they need. From the tubular flowers that support hummingbirds (Coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, and Trumpet creeper, Campsis radicans) to the nectar-rich flowers that support bees, wasps, beetles and flies, our landscapes are not what they were 300 years ago. So much land has been reshaped to be subdivisions, businesses, roads, paved surfaces, and millions of acres of non-native grass (lawns).

Fleabane (Erigeron annuus)

 The roadsides, on the other hand, are full of the flowers these pollinators need - ragwort and fleabane are both blooming now. Later in the year the rambunctious Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) and the asters (Symphyotrichum) will be there while virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana) scrambles over every shrub and fence. Their numerous and dense flowers provide much food.

Food for Songbirds and others

Numerous flowers often make for numerous fruits/seeds, a trait that is relished by many small creatures such as songbirds. Seed heads on plants like dog fennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), asters, maples, sweetgum, pines, sedges and grasses help determine how many birds can live in a certain area. I've seen birds peck at the dried legume pods on redbud (Cercis canadensis), a prodigious producer of pods in some years.

A spring flowering sedge (Carex)
is making seeds now

Tiny, numerous fruits on plants like black cherry (Prunus serotina) and elderberry might seem excessive to us, but they help support the birds we love long after their flowers supported pollinators.

Fruits that fall to the ground are gathered by small mammals like field mice - which then become food for hawks and owls.

Different plants have fruits/seeds throughout the year, allowing the birds and small mammals to find food as they need it. Nature takes care of the scheduling!

In the last few years people have become more aware of how native plant foliage supports birds by way of the insects that develop on the leaves. Most of the birds you don't see at your feeders are looking for insects to eat. They often find them as caterpillars on plant leaves. The black cherry that so many people criticize as a weed tree supports over 450 different species of Lepidoptera as a host plant. How many insects there are available to birds contributes to how many birds can live in an area.

Plant Virginia creeper for the birds
and enjoy the fall color too.

As you can see, many plants support birds two ways - by way of their fruits and also by the insects that feed on their leaves. Five-leaved Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), often mistaken for poison ivy, has flowers for pollinators, tasty berries for birds and supports caterpillars of the sphinx moth (several species).

You can minimize plant aggressiveness using traditional gardening techniques. For aggressive seeders, deadhead some of the flowers before they go to seed. Mulch the areas around them to reduce the number of seeds that sprout. Pull up seedlings early when they are easier to dislodge.

For plants that sucker, site the plant appropriately either by only planting it where it can be allowed to sucker or by doing what you can to avoid root disturbance (some plants sucker more aggressively when their roots are disturbed by digging around them).

So if aggressive plants invade your space, think about what they can do for you before you tackle them. They might be just the ticket ....

Heggie's Rock - Natural Pools of Wonder

Several months ago I wrote about some of the plants found at a small rock outcrop area. Earlier this month I had a chance to visit a very large granite outcrop in Georgia and explore some of the special plants there - in the company of a knowledgeable trip leader and fellow members of the Georgia Botanical Society.

Heggie’s Rock is a 130 acre outcrop in Columbia County, about 20 miles from Augusta, GA. The Nature Conservancy has created a Preserve that encompasses about 101 acres of that outcrop. Heggie’s Rock was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980, one of only 10 such designations in Georgia.

The foreground shows the red leaves of Diamorpha smallii;
what a beautiful and totally natural scene.

According to the TNC website:  “The preserve is near Little Kiokee Creek which joins the Savannah River about eight miles downstream from the preserve. While the preserve includes a perimeter forest of oaks, pines and hickories, it is the granite outcrop, Heggie’s Rock, which dominates. It is here you see exposed granite, lichen and moss covered rock, soil islands and the beautiful vernal pools, or dish gardens, which support rare and unusual plants, and capture the imagination.”

With so many flowers and leaves in the picture it was hard to
get good focus, but here you can see the tiny white flowers
that top those bright red leaves (Diamorpha smallii).

Heggie’s Rock is named for Archibald Heggie, a Scot who acquired the property around 1808 through his wife, Martha Ramsey, whose grandfather built a grist mill on nearby Little Kiokee Creek. In 1983 The Nature Conservancy purchased it from Robert Pollard, a lumber company executive who had bought the land in 1981 to protect it from quarrying. It had been owned by two quarry companies since the 1950’s but thankfully never quarried.

As I said in my earlier post, special environments like these contain populations of very special plants, some of which don't grow in any other environment. It was early in the year when I wrote that other post, so now I can share some pictures of those same plants in

Tradescantia hirsuticaulis

bloom.

This is hairy spiderwort (Tradescantia hirsuticaulis), a much better behaved relative of the usual garden thug, the smooth spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis). But then maybe growing on a rock would be limiting factor!

Diamorpha smallii

Elf orpine (Diamorpha smallii) is a showy plant but it is an annual plant - it grows anew from seed every year. 

Piedmont sandwort (Minuartia uniflora) with Diamorpha

Another annual plant is Piedmont sandwort (Minuartia uniflora). We found it mixed in with still other annual plants such as bluets (Houstonia sp.), dwarf dandelion (Krigia virginica), and, as shown here, with the Diamorpha. With the thin soil pockets on outcrops, it's not hard to imagine that shallow-rooted annual plants might be very well suited indeed.

The vistas were incredible. It's hard to represent what it looked like - how incredibly talented Mother Nature is when it comes to her own designs.

Here a variety of mosses, lichens, and grasses swirl and mingle with the red Diamorpha

Moss, lichens and Diamorpha with a natural stream

You might think a granite outcrop presents a harsh environment for plants. We were given a list of plants found on the preserve that was over 20 pages long! There are two pages of lichens alone. Of course only a few of those plants live ON the rock, but there was obviously plenty of places for more deep-rooted ones.

It was fun to find some of the plants we are very familiar with, somehow making it work in pockets of favorable growing conditions here and there. As we finished up our loop trail back to the entrance, we spied this blooming plum (Prunus sp.).

All in all it was a great trip to help us learn about and appreciate one of the many different natural environments in Georgia.


If you’d like to visit Heggie’s Rock, The Nature Conservancy does offer scheduled tours. Please click here to see the scheduled trips.