Collinsonia anisata - altho that name is disputed, the leaves smell of anise
Last Saturday was a volunteer workday at Angus K. Gholson, Jr. Nature Park. The local folks call it Chattahoochee Nature Park with the trails named after Angus. A century ago it was his playground and, given all the uncommon plants, an excellent place for a young naturalist to learn. And he did, becoming a renowned botanist with his collections now stored at University of Florida Herbarium.
In 1989 Angus K. Gholson, Jr. donated his entire herbarium (15000 specimens), library and related equipment and supplies. This is an excellent collection especially rich in its representation of the flora of the Florida Panhandle. It is the most noteworthy single contribution made in our recent history.
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The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns spinning around us.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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The first photo I took was right down from the parking lot, Clematis of some sort. Nearby is a huge Parsley Hawthorn that was probably a sprig when Angus first wandered.
Seeds on a Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens. Diana and I have been watching this since early spring — flowers to green seeds to finally ripening. From the botanical name one can guess that the plant is always green…. Coral may refer to flowers or seeds….
Morning sun on Morning Glory as I entered the ridge trail going downhill.
From a recently created website, still in development
This 126 acre gem of a park is located on the Apalachicola River bluffs below Jim Woodruff Dam and Lake Seminole. Spring fed streams emerge at the bottom of ravines, trickling from below ground. Slope forests host alluring wildflowers, some very rare. Every season has special gifts to be discovered by the appreciative nature enthusiast.
One of the Ruellia or Wild Petunias
Mixed in among the prolific Bidens alba, Beggarticks, was the viny Tragia with the appropriate common name of Noseburn. It will sting you!
Near the bottom of the trail where it runs into the stream trail is this Tipularia discolor or Cranefly orchid. There were 2 of them, both early as more will arise. During the winter they have a single green leaf, purplish underneath and look like a similar Smilax. You’d see us often flipping leaves to look, hoping...
Going up the stream trail, it was heavily shaded and mostly understory greenery. A few sunny spots were unbearably hot n’ humid and I was wearing out at this point having trimmed branches and pulled weedy plants along the narrow trails.
Back up top, this is one of the Milkpeas, Galactia..
And near the Milkpea was a gorgeous stand of head-high Helianthus hirsutus, Woodland Sunflower. Farther up the hill along the drive is H. microcephalus that we always laugh about — who’s got a small head, you?
That was it, always something blooming at the park. It’s good that we work thru the summer now as the slopes got overrun with invasive plants after Hurricane Michael. Bonus is the wildflowers that favor summer. One more quote to close this bucket… See ya in the comments.
There are continual needs for resource and visitor management. Invasive, non-native species threaten the plants and animals that occurre here naturally. Hurricane Michael in 2018 tore out many mature canopy trees, making trails impassible and opening up areas for invading species to spread.
Volunteers with the Florida Native Plant Society have helped manage the park since 2007. Our primary project is manual removal of invasive exotic plants. We also help clear and maintain trails and improve signage.
