Native North Carolina Wildflowers

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Monocots | Dicots-1 | Dicots-2


Poaceae

Cane (Arundinaria gigantia) Cane (Arundinaria gigantea)

Widespread, but nowhere near ubiquitous, in moist areas in NC, Cane is the caterpillar host plant for a number of interesting butterfly species.

Sea Oats (Uniola paniculata)
Dare Co., NC
6 Nov 2005

Common in sand dunes along the immediate coast, Sea Oats are incredibly salt tolerant and critical to stabilizing dunes.

Sea Oats (Uniola paniculata)
Dare Co., NC
6 Nov 2005

Araceae

Golden Club (Orontium aquaticum)
Moore Co., NC 10 Apr 04

Essentially statewide in wet areas, but more common in the coastal plain, this species blooms in the Spring.
same as above

Liliaceae

Pine Lily (Lilium catesbaei) Pine Lily (Lilium catesbaei)
Craven Co., NC 28 Aug 2005

Uncommon in NC; grows in pine flat woods, savannahs, bogs

Wake Robin (Trillium erectum)
Graham Co., NC 1 May 2004

Spring to summer bloomer in the NC mountains
Wake Robin (Trillium erectum) Wake Robin (Trillium erectum)
Graham Co., NC 1 May 2004
Wake Robin (Trillium erectum var. album) Wake Robin, white variety (Trillium erectum var. album)
Haywood Co., NC
15 Apr 2006
Wake Robin (Trillium erectum var. album) Wake Robin, white variety (Trillium erectum var. album)
Haywood Co., NC
15 Apr 2006
Wake Robin (Trillium erectum var. album) Wake Robin, white variety (Trillium erectum var. album)
Haywood Co., NC
15 Apr 2006
Bashful Wakerobin (Trillium catesbaei) Catesby's Trillium, aka Bashful Wakerobin (Trillium catesbaei)
Durham Co., NC 1 May 2005

Locally common in the NC piedmont; uncommon in the NC mountains. Found in fairly rich coves, wooded slopes, etc.

Bashful Wakerobin (Trillium catesbaei) Catesby's Trillium, aka Bashful Wakerobin (Trillium catesbaei)
Durham Co., NC 1 May 2005
Showy Trillium, aka Snow Trillium, aka Large White Trillium
(Trillium grandiflorum)
Clay Co., NC 14 May 2005

Spring to summer bloomer in rich woodlands in the NC mountains & upper piedmont
Showy Trillium, aka Snow Trillium, aka Large White Trillium
(Trillium grandiflorum)
Graham Co., NC 1 May 2004

Fresh flowers are white, then they turn pinkish as they age.

Yellow Trillium (Trillium luteum)
Graham Co., NC 1 May 2004

Spring to summer bloomer in the NC mountains
Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum)
Graham Co., NC 1 May 2004

Spring to summer bloomer in the NC mountains
Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum)
Graham Co., NC 1 May 2004
Southern Cloudywing on Colic-root (Aletris farinosa)
Alamance Co., NC 6 June 2004

Spring to Summer blooming and statewide in NC, Colic-root is a good nectar source for butterflies.
Trout Lily (Erythronium umbilicatum) Trout Lily (Erythronium umbilicatum)
Durham Co., NC 2 Apr 2006

Common in moist woods in the piedmont & mountains of NC

Trout Lily (Erythronium umbilicatum) Trout Lily (Erythronium umbilicatum)
Durham Co., NC 2 Apr 2006
Bellwort (Uvularia sp.) Bellwort (Uvularia sp.)
Durham Co., NC 1 May 2005
Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum)
Orange Co., NC
20 Apr 2006

Also known as Sleepydick, this pretty little flower is native to Eurasia and can be found naturalized in lawns and alluvial woods in the NC piedmont.

Allium Allium
Pender Co., NC 23 Apr 2006
Allium Allium
Pender Co., NC 23 Apr 2006
Yucca (Yucca filamentosa) Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)
Pender Co., NC 23 Apr 2006

Caterpillar host plant for Yucca Giant-Skippers, this uncommon plant, commonly called Bear Grass, Yucca or Adam's Needles, occurs in dry, open woodlands across NC.

Amaryllidaceae

Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco) Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
Durham Co.,NC 1 May 2005

Fairly common in central NC in moist woods & meadows.

Iridaceae

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp.) Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp.)
Orange Co., NC 21 Apr 2006

Five species of Blue-eyed Grass are found in NC.

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp.) Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp.)
Orange Co., NC 21 Apr 2006
Dwarf Iris (Iris verna verna) Dwarf Iris (Iris verna verna)
Scotland Co., NC 10 Apr 04

In NC, found mostly in the piedmont, sandhills, and coastal plain in nutrient poor soils.
Dwarf Iris (Iris verna verna) Dwarf Iris (Iris verna verna)
Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata) Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata)
Haywood Co., NC 15 Apr 2006

Common in rich woods in the NC mountains & piedmont

Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata) Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata)
Haywood Co., NC 15 Apr 2006
Iris prismatica
Harnett Co., NC
29 May 2005
same as above

Orchidaceae

Showy Orchis (Orchis spectabilis)
Graham Co., NC
1 May 2004

Uncommon in rich woodlands in the mountains and NC piedmont
Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides)
Johnston Co., NC 29 May 2005

Uncommon in the NC coastal plain (rare in the piedmont and mountains), this orchid is generally found in bog, seepage, or wet savannah habitats.

Bearded Grasspink (Calopogon barbatus) Bearded Grasspink (Calopogon barbatus)
Pender Co., NC 23 Apr 2006

An uncommon to rare plant of pine savannahs & meadows of the southeast coastal plain in NC.

Bearded Grasspink (Calopogon barbatus) Bearded Grasspink (Calopogon barbatus)
Pender Co., NC 23 Apr 2006
Brown Widelip Orchid, aka Lily-leaved Twayblade (Liparis lilifolia)
Orange Co., NC 27 May 2005

Uncommon but widespread in NC with more records from the mountains than from the coast.

Yellow Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris)
Craven Co., NC 28 Aug 2005

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Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... April 3, 2005 | Updated ... Feb 19, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com