NATIVE GARDENS

NATIVE PLANT WALKING TOUR

“Adapt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We invite you to enjoy this self-guided tour through the beauty and grace of the woodlands which are so much a part of Cedar Hill. As you explore the various trees and plants that are native to this region, our hope is you will understand the importance of appreciating, protecting and preserving these precious wild plants as they slowly lose their natural habitats.

It is almost impossible to identify all the plants in the woodlands and more
will be added as we continue working with the Georgia Native Plant Society’s
rescue efforts. Let the plants reveal themselves to you as you walk the path -
whether it is the playful Trout lily dancing along the paths in the spring, the
graceful beauty of the elusive Pink ladyslipper or the quiet strength of
the large trees that have stood tall for many years.

Organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation, Georgia Wildlife
Federation and the Georgia Native Plant Society are instrumental in
continually educating the public, making all of us aware of the delicate
balance between humans and nature. So many of our native plants are
becoming rare, endangered or threatened, some perilously close to becoming
extinct...once a species is extinct we cannot bring it back.

Please be aware that the ground is uneven in places on the path and if
you choose to explore plants you see off the path, there is poison ivy
(“leaves of three, leave them be!”).

Almost all native plants are important to native animals. Native animals
are important to the plants because they aid in fertilization and distribution
of seed, they divide roots when they dig up bulbs to eat or churn up muddy
soil with their hooves. Generally, the most common plants are the ones used
by the greatest number of species, or by species that are present in very
large numbers. Because songbirds, hummingbirds and butterflies are declining
in numbers, it is important to build habitats and gardens to attract them.

Native Plants found at Cedar Hill Enrichment Center

	Red Chokeberry - Part of the rose family, this midsized shrub often forms dense colonies with masses of dense, white flower clusters and red fruits. Choke berry holds its fruits until the birds have eaten everything else. It is free of insect predators and disease. The glossy leaves turn a rainbow of bright shades from salmon to brilliant scarlet in fall.
	Piedmont Azalea - Native azaleas are more subdued than Asian azaleas in that they are deciduous and their colors are not as garish. The blooms in early spring are fragrant and used by swallowtails, gulf fritillaries, monarchs, hairstreaks, skipper, hummingbirds and bees. Flowers in February through May., usually appearing before the thin, velvety, elliptic leaves. This is the most common native azalea in the Southeast.
	Water Oak – The leaves are variably shaped but usually show three indistinct lobes. The acorn is small, usually ½ inch or less in length, and almost black. It is fast growing and provides shade.
	Cat Briar – native, wonderful for wildlife, black berries in fall.
	Sweet Gum Tree is a large, open-crowned tree, growing up to 130 feet tall in the wild. Fall foliage is purple and red and will become colorful even without cold temperatures. It grows rapidly and is long-lived, adapting to a variety of sites. Seed balls attract several bird species.
	Black Tupelo (Black gum) – This is slow-growing deciduous tree is known as a bee tree, its flowers are a source of nectar. Wood duck, bluebird, purple finch, woodpeckers, opossum, gray squirrel and white-tailed deer eat the fruits. The leaves turn brilliant red in early fall, unfortunately, this tree does not age gracefully. Old timers would brush their teeth with the bark.
	Solomon’s Seal - Native, flowers are pendant and bell-shaped, blooms in April-May, a welcome accent in a shady woodland garden. The roots are eaten by mammals and the fruits seen in late summer are occasionally eaten by birds.
	Low Bush Blueberry is a low, straggling shrub, usually 6 inches to 2 feet tall and wide with multiple stems and twiggy branches. Glossy foliage turns from red-green in spring to dark blue-green in summer to maroon-purple in fall. Small, white, pink-tinged, bell-shaped flowers are followed by edible blue fruit. Berries are relished by most birds and mammals.
	Virginia Pine – This slow-growing tree can reach a height of up to 100 feet and bears small 2-inch cones that cling tightly for years. The seeds are eaten by towhee, pine siskin, red-bellied woodpecker and it also provides nesting and cover for many birds and mammals.
	American Beauty Berry (photo below) Grown more for berries than for flowers, the fruit appears in October through the winter. Mockingbird, purple finch, bobwhite, catbird, robin, brown thrasher, towhee, raccoon and white-tailed deer eat the brilliant purple berries.
	Oak Leaf Hydrangea – native pure white flower, fading lavender-pink with deeply lobed leaves. It becomes very grand with two kinds of flowers in the same cluster. The limbs are crooked with brownish parchment like texture bark that peels off in pale papery curls.
	Fothergilla Gardenii - Flower is elongated with numerous white stamens, looks like a bottlebrush, fragrant, appearing in spring. A multi-stemmed, suckering, thicket-forming shrub, 3 to 5 feet tall.
	Leucothoe - White bell-shaped flowers (1/4 inch long). Sprawling, small shrub with arching stems, 2 to 4 feet tall.
	Devil’s Walking Stick – Also known as Hercules club, this stand out plant can reach a height of 15-20 feet. It blooms in midsummer with white flowers in 3-4 foot clusters. It also bears clusters of blue-black fruit which are eaten by cardinal and many other birds and mammals. The flowers are visits by bees, wasps, tiger swallowtail and the foliage feeds white-tail deer. A member of the ginseng family, it is aptly named for the thorny trunk that resembles a cane to beware of.
	Shasta Viburnum - Spread 6–8'. Horizontal growth; flowers bloom late spring; red fruits become black; dark maroon color in the fall; sun to partial shade.
	Yaupon Holly – This multi-trunked evergreen bears red or orange, translucent fruit on females in late fall to spring. Cedar waxwing, mockingbird and other songbirds eat seeds after several freeze-thaw cycles. It also hosts Henry’s elfin butterfly larval.
	Red Buckeye - These rescued plants are very popular in native plant gardens, although its branches might be bare of leaves from August to April. The fruit is tan husks filled with one or two buckeyes in early fall which are eaten and spread by squirrels. Hummingbirds and bees use the flowers in early spring.
	Star Grass – The long, narrow leaves are longer than flowering stems which hold six bright yellow pointed petals that form small, star-like flowers in clusters.
	American Holly – This is one of the South’s most versatile evergreens, growing in just about every habitat. The female plant has the red berries, but be sure to include a male plant to assure a good berry crop. Birds such as bluebird, robin, catbird, flicker, thrush, cedar waxwing, mockingbird, brown thrasher and woodpecker are particularly attracted to the red berries. The tree also acts as a larval plant for Henry’s elfin butterfly.
	Sassafras - This rescued plant joins one already established in the woodlands and it is found usually growing in a thicket. Notice the leaves are one-or two thumbed mittens or plainly shaped and very aromatic. The leaves are eaten by larvae of swallowtails and by humans as file’ in gumbo and the bark of roots is used in tea. Fruits, which appear only on female trees, are eaten by robin, eastern phoebe, catbird, brown thrasher, sapsucker, thrushes, pileated woodpecker and crested flycatcher. Sassafras is allelopathic and can discourage the growth of certain other plants within its root zone.
	Hickory - The sweet nutmeat of the bitternut hickory is enjoyed by a wide variety of wildlife. This tree is probably the most abundant of the hickories and found throughout the eastern United States .
	Flowering Dogwood – Perennial shrub that can reach a height of 25 feet. The flat clusters of small blooms appear before leaves emerge. Clusters of fleshing red berry-like fruit appear after flowering. The fruit is eaten by bluebirds, brown thrasher, cardinals, catbirds, cedar waxwing, kingbird, purple finch, robin, towhee, vireo, woodpecker, and 75 other species of birds. This is considered a year-round delight.
	Black Cherry – The leaf edges are finely-toothed with incurving teeth. The white flowers bloom when the leaves are about half grown. The cherries are dark red when they are fully developed, turning black with dark purple flesh as they ripen. They are food for wild animals and birds. Black cherry is the larges of the native cherries of the United States and the only one of commercial value. The bark on young trees is thin, satiny, reddish brown and with horizontal markings while bark on older trees is in small scaly plates with edges slightly upraised.
	Eastern Hemlock – This beautiful conifer has a pyramidal form and graceful, drooping branches which have pale yellow male flowers, pale green female flowers in early spring. Fruit is eaten by pine siskin and chickadee.
	Muscadine - The vine is vigorous, high–climbing or prostrate, sometimes reaching lengths of up to 90 feet. The leaves a re large, round and shinny with broad, blunt teeth. Shiny purple-black to bronze berries ripen in September and October and fall promptly. Many birds consume the fruit and it also makes good jelly.
	Eastern Red Cedar – Evergreen, aromatic tree, the most widely distributed eastern conifer, native to 37 states, Eastern Red cedar is resistant to extremes of heat, drought and cold. The aromatic wood is used for fence posts, cedar chests and carvings. It was first observed at Roanoke , Virginia in 1564 and was valued by the colonists for building furniture and rail fences, as well as log cabins. The heartwood was once almost exclusively used as a source for pencils. The juicy “berries” are consumed by many kinds of wildlife, including the cedar waxwing, named for this tree. Red Cedar can be injurious to apple orchards.
	Red Maple – The fruit of this tree is paired and winged, reddish and ripens in late spring or early summer. The tree may reach 120 feet in height, although it commonly grows to 75-90 feet. The buds and samaras are a primary foot source for gray squirrels in late winter and early spring. Sprouts are a favorite deer browse.
	Tulip Tree (flower) – This tree, also known as Tulip poplar, can occasionally reach a height of 200 feet. The bloom is a yellow-green “tulip” with orange center that appears in late spring or early summer and is often missed because they are up 50 feet or higher in the tops of the trees. The flowers draw hummingbirds and butterflies, seeds are eaten by cardinal, purple finch and squirrel. The leaves, which are waxy and smooth, are host to tiger and spicebush swallowtail butterfly larvae. This is a favorite nesting tree for birds.
	Pawpaw – If you are a Southerner, you’ll remember singing “Pickin’ up pawpaws and puttin’ ‘em in a basket.” The foot-long leaves give it a tropical look and it serves as a larval plant for zebra swallowtail. The fruits, which ripen in early fall, are food for raccoons and other mammals.
	Mayapple - This perennial resembles an umbrella and reaches a height of 12-18 in. A single, large, waxy white flower appears below the two leaves in April-June. The ripe fruit is a yellow apple.
	Wood Trillium - easy to identify, all parts are in threes or multiples of 3. Trillium is derived from Latin “tri” meaning three. The Wood trillium has lemon-yellow stemless spring flowers which are fragrant. Appears in March.
	St. John’s Wort is a very small, mound-shaped deciduous shrub that grows up to 3 feet tall with dense, upright branches and exfoliating, red to purple bark. Large, yellow flowers occur singly or in few-flowered clusters June through August. A dry, dehiscent, three-valued capsule persists all winter.
	Pink Ladyslipper - also called Moccasin flower, this threatened species is considered unusually showy and worthy of protection. A member of the orchid family, the plant’s name is derived from the unusual pouch shape of the lower petal that resembles a lady’s slipper or moccasin. The rescued lady’s slippers were added to the colony already established naturally in the woods. If they choose to bloom, they do so in April – May.
	Ebony Spleenwort – growing all through the woodlands, this dark green fern is a perennial that only reaches a height of 1 foot. It’s been described as well mannered.
	Striped Pipsissewa or Spotted wintergreen – Native perennial with white flower and dark green mottled leaves. Some farmers would boil the roots of this evergreen and give put it in the chickens’ water to keep out worms.
	Trout Lily – native, very prolific, also known as Adder’s tongue or Fawn lily. Trout lilies grow all winter and flower in spring; in the summer they go dormant.
	Climbing Hydrangea – This high-climbing vine encircles a tree trunk evenly in an airy fringe of greenery and flowers 1 to 2 feet out from the trunk. If left on the ground, it will not bloom.
	New York Fern – The bright yellow-green color makes this a welcome groundcover which provides shelter for garden toads.
	Viburnum nNdum (Possumhaw viburnum) – the ornamental fruit makes this a favorite with many gardeners. The berries start out in the summer with as an eye-catching chartreuse, turning white, then pink and finally a dark blue as the season progresses. The fruit is enjoyed by fox, chipmunk, bluebird, cardinal, cedar waxwing, mockingbird, robin and some game birds. It also serves nesting sites.
	Galax – Evergreen ground cover, native to Georgia , which is becoming rare. It makes a solid groundcover with white, 2-5 inch spikes as flowers in late spring or early summer. Deer are enticed by the glossy leaves in the winter.
	Carolina Allspice - also known as Sweet shrub, this perennial shrub blooms in April – June with a deep maroon flower which is very aromatic. It’s said that Southern ladies placed the shrubs beside the entrance to houses so that they could tuck a sweet flower into the front of their dress or blouse when going out. The fruits of sweet shrubs resemble insect cocoons and are attacked by birds that peck out holes allowing seeds to drop.
	Rue Anemone - is a delicate woodland perennial rising up to 9 inches. At the top of the stalk is a lacy whorl of 3-parted, dark-green leaves above which rises delicate, reddish-brown stems bearing pink or white blossoms. Flowers March – April.
	Partridge Berry or Twinberry - a trailing ground cover that blooms in June-July with funnel-shaped, 4 fringed petals, white with pinkish tinge. Fruit is scarlet berry that is fragrant. Makes flat patches. Ruffled grouse, bobwhite, wild turkey, skunk and white-footed mouse eat its fruits.
	Elderberry – wildlife
	Turk’s Cap Lily - Native to GA – has orange spotted purple-brown flower.
	Uvalaria Perfoliata - also called Woods merrybells, a perennial with drooping, pale yellow solitary flower, very graceful – blooms April – June.
	Solomons’ Plume - A member of the lily family with showy fruits (red to maroon) and flowers (tiny, white in 1- 4 inch cluster), this shade loving plant feeds several varieties of birds, as well as deer.
	Hearts-a-Bustin’ - Also known as Strawberry bush, this perennial shrub can reach a height of 2-8 feet and blooms in April-May with very tiny, inconspicuous early flowers. The seed pod enlarges throughout the summer and bursts open in fall revealing 4-6 bright, glossy orange-red seeds. The seeds are eaten by wild turkey, as well as deer and rabbits.
	Bracken Fern is a smaller fern that is dark green, triangular shaped and coarse with 3 almost equal sections, it dies back after first frost. It provides shelter for many small animals. Known to go dormant if there is no rain in the summer, it has been reported that its roots will go as deep as 10 feet in search of water.
	Cinnamon Fern - This beautiful fern bears a spiked stalk in midsummer with brown spore cases and the wooly.
	Southern Lady Fern – Grows in circular clusters with lime-green fiddleheads in spring. This deciduous fern has scattered dark scales on its stalk. It is delicate-looking and easy to grow while providing shelter for woodhouse toads.
	Christmas Fern – This fern tends to grow in colonies, sterile leaves stay evergreen during the winter. Individual leaflet looks like a Christmas stocking when turned vertically or like a sleigh when turned horizontally.
	Rattlesnake Plaintain (or Rattlesnake Orchid) is a small, perennial with conspicuous checkered left pattern (white veins and cross veins on a dark blue-green background) leaves, evergreen. Flowers are small, white or tinged with green. It blooms in June and July.
	Fly Poison – A member of lily family, native plant. The fruit is small, bright orange appearing in late summer to early fall, after which the leaves go dormant. Really is poisonous to flies.
	Mountain Laurel - Also known as Mountain Ivy or Calico Bush, this perennial shrub blooms in May-June with pink to white flowers which are cup-shaped. The evergreen, smooth and glossy leaves are eaten by deer but are poisonous to livestock.
	Jack In The Pulpit (also called Indian Turnip) is an intriguing perennial in that the blossom occurs on a separate stalk at the same height as its leaves. It is a large, cylindrical hooded flower, green in color with brown stripes. In late summer, a cluster of bright red berries appears.
	Ironweed – This perennial is a member of the sunflower family, it is truly an iron plant that needs to have its roots divided with an axe or chainsaw. The flowers are a deep purple, appearing in August – September, and the plant can reach a height of up to 8 feet.
	Wild Ginger - Leaves differ from Heart leaf in that they are darker. Calyx with a cup and 3 pointed lobes (jug-like) which grow under the leaves and at ground level. A flower without petals.
	Doghobble (Coastal leucothoe) – The white or flushed pink flowers in early spring (April-May) on this native are used by bees and deer browse on them as well. It is a multi-stemmed, broadleaf evergreen shrub, 2-4 feet tall, with a fountain-like arching habit. Flowers are white, waxy bells clustered in drooping spikes.
	Yellowroot - This low-growing deciduous shrub can grow up to 36 inches. The leaves are usually divided into 3 to 5 leaflets, on long stalks. The flowers are small, brownish purple. The flowers have 5 petals, 2-lobed with gland like organs on a short claw. The fall leaf color is yellow, bronze, and orange. Rich, damp woods along stream banks. Yellowroot is most frequently found in streamside environments, where it thrives in the moist, cool soil and spreads quickly, forming dense thickets.
	Southern Wood Violets – Prevalent along the paths, by the creek and in the woodlands, this native perennial has a deep violet flower which blooms March – May. There are more than 100 species in the United States and approximately 3/4 are blue or aster.
	Willow Oak – A fast-growing tree that is popular with landscape architects and city planners for its ability to survive street-planting sites, this tree serves as food for wood duck, wild turkey, woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sapsucker, brown thrasher, bluejay and small mammals with its small acorns in the fall.
	Maple – The tree may reach 120 feet in height and 5 feet in diameter under ideal conditions, which judging from the size of this tree are just right. On old trunks, the bark is thick, dark gray and separated by vertical ridges into large plate-like scales.
	Virginia Creeper – The five leaflets on this vine clearly differentiates its from poison ivy. It is green all spring and summer, brilliant red in fall and covered with black berries for songbirds during fall and winter. Chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, mockingbird, catbird, finch, scarlet tanager, tree swallow, vireo, downy woodpecker and robin eat the fruits.
	Ground Cedar – (Lycopodium or Running pine) – This member of the fern family creeps along making a soft green groundcover. This plant has been on Earth since the days of the dinosaurs and faced wide destruction with use as Christmas decorations. Legend is that Ground cedar grows where the Cherokee have walked. It does to bear seeds but reproduces by spores.
	Grape Fern - erect perennial from short, soft rhizomes and cluster of fleshy roots; stems single, leaves single, stalkless blade near middle of stem, thin, broadly triangular, 3 main lobes,
	Lyreleaf Sage – A hearty evergreen ground cover with pale blue to white flowers in early spring being a favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies.
	Bloodroot - Although shortlived, the large, pure white flower on the bloodroot is one of the most exciting early spring wildflowers. This is found in all parts of Georgia except for coastal area. Native Americans used the brilliant red sap found in the stem as face paint. Blooms March-May.
	Dwarf Cinquefoil or Five Fingers blooms from March through June. This perennial has a solitary yellow flower with 5 petals, 5 sepal-like bracts, numerous pistils and spreads by slender runners. The leaves are compound, plamate, stemmed, usually 5 oblong leaflets each 1 1/2 in. long with silvery downy stems.
	Signal Trees – Native Americans forced trees to grow certain shapes to serve as signal trees for marking hunting grounds, tribal territory.
	Downy Yellow Violet - delicate yellow flower, heart-shaped leaves
	Heart Leaf Ginger – Large heart-shaped leaves that are evergreen – be sure to look carefully under the leaves for the little brown jugs – the flask or jug-shaped flowers – a flower without petals.
	Crane-Fly Orchid come out late in the summer, but the leaves can only be found in the winter and spring. These plants manage to grow leaves while retaining the previous fall's seed pods and flower stalk. Lleaves are green on top, purple underneath.
	American Beech – This large tree with rounded crown of many long, spreading and horizontal branches, were recognized by the early colonists since they are closely related to the European Beech. It is a handsome shade tree and its edible beechnuts are consumed in quantities by wildlife, especially squirrels, raccoons, bears, other mammals and game birds. Unlike most trees, beeches retain smooth bark as they age.
	Solomon’s Plume - The leaves of Solomon's-plume resemble those of Solomon's-seal, but the flowers are quite different. Flowering time: May to July. Height: 1-3 feet.
	Hawthorn
	Cross Vine - evergreen leaves with reddish yellow outside/yellow-orange within trumpet flowers, climbs by tendrils that emerge from leaf axils. It’s versatile enough to be a high climber or groundcover. The flowers attract hummingbirds and the foliage is eaten by deer in winter.

Recommended publications: Nature’s Melody, Betty L. Benson for The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.

We would like to thank the following individuals for their continued assistance and support in the creation of this Walking Tour:

Kathryn Gable
Ann Grindle
Vicki Seastrom
James Smith

For more information concerning native plants, gardening for wildlife and wildlife habitats, we suggest you contact the following organizations:

Your local master gardeners, garden clubs and nurseries specializing in native plants are also excellent resources for additional information and materials.

Cedar Hill Enrichment Center
770.887.0051
or
info@cedarhillenrichment.org