My Amazing Morning Stroll
BY JENNIFER CORDIER, PLANT RESCUE PROJECT

Mountain Mint.

This morning, with digital camera in hand, I walked down my lane to take a picture of a small sourwood tree in bloom. The lane winds through our meadow, crosses the creek and continues up the hill to the sight where I had spotted the tree. My walk was to take only twenty minutes, at the most, but as I crossed the creek I noticed a beautiful Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) showing off its' bright red berries and begging to have its' picture made! I remembered that a "sun tea" could be made from the tart berries of the sumac yielding a drink equivalent to lemonade. Because the sun was hot, I plucked a ripe berry, chewed it up and immediately my thirst was quenched. I took several shots and continued up the hill to the sourwood tree.

While climbing the hill, I noticed a gorgeous white morning glory growing on a vine with beautiful heart shaped leaves. This native morning glory is called Man-Root, Man of the Earth or Wild Potato Vine (Ipomoea pandurata) and is found on open, often dry roadsides, in old fields and along fencerows. The Cherokee used the root of this plant for medicine and for food. I've read that the large starchy root can weigh as much as 9 to 25 pounds. I decided not to dig the root, but I did take a picture of the lovely flowers.

Rose Pink.

As I continued my climb, I gazed across the open meadow and wildflowers seemed to spring up before my eyes. There was bright orange Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) - gotta take a shot of that! Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris) with its tiny purple flowers, each looking like a little orchid - snap, snap! Queen Ann's Lace (Daucus carota) with its elegant, lacy flower head - snap, snap! And bright yellow Hawkweed (Hieracium pretense) swaying in the summer breeze at the foot of the sourwood tree - snap, snap!

Thinking that I had finally arrived at my destination, I photographed the drooping panicles of the Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum). The small flowers of the panicles are white urns, resembling Lily-of-the-Valley flowers and having a similar sweet fragrance. This lovely native tree has been a friend of man for many years. The Cherokee used its leaves, twigs and bark for medicine, fiber and food. Today we honor the Sourwood for the famous sourwood honey that its flowers yield. As an ornamental, we enjoy its flowering beauty in the summer and its brilliant red leaves in the fall.

Smooth Sumac.

I tucked my camera in my pocket and prepared to return to the house. However, on my return trip, I noticed a bright pink patch of flowers along the lane and realized that they were Rose Pinks (Sabatia angularis). These flowers are in the Gentian family and are generally rare, but fairly common in a few scattered open areas having a sandy soil at elevations from 1,000 to 3,000 feet. I always feel privileged to see them and, of course, I had to take a pic- ture!

Growing next to the Rose Pinks I spotted two beautiful specimens of Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum) in full bloom. This plant is easy to identify by its white flower and frosty looking leaves. Some of the mountain mints are called "Snow on the Mountain" because of the frosty effect of the leaves. I had to get a shot of this mountain beauty!

The abundance of Wild plants is all around, if you look.

My twenty minute walk had turned into an hour long adventure. I can't think of a better way to spend a summer morning in the mountains. Our mountains are a source of ongoing beauty and constant wonder. Because they so freely enrich our lives, it behooves us to be good stewards of the earth so that we might pass on this beauty and wonder to future generations. For more information about the Plant Rescue Project, contact Jennifer Cordier (706-745- 9 3 1 7 ; ivylog@ alltel.net), Glen Henderson (706-745-1840; abletinker@aol.com) or Joyce Hall (706-781-9816; joycehall113@ hotmail.com).

Wild Potato vine.