Virginia Wildlife: Flora


poison Ivy

Toxicodendron radicans, or commonly known as poison ivy.

Poison ivy always has three leaves, one on each side and one in the center. They're shiny with smooth or slightly notched edges. DO NOT TOUCH. You can get an itchy, inflammation of the skin as a reaction to urushiol, a plant oil, which is found in poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac.

Atlantic Poison Oak

Toxicodendron pubescens, commonly named Atlantic poison oak.

Atlantic poison oak is a small shrub, less than 1 meter (3 feet) in height. The leaves characteristically have three lobed leaflets and are usually hairy; they are variable in shape but commonly resemble those of white oak, which is why it is called poison oak, even though it is not an oak at all.

White Oak

Quercus alba, commonly called the white oak.

It's called white oak because newly-cut wood appears light in color and is nearly white. The bark is nearly always a very light color and the distinctive deeply lobed leaves are easy to spot. They can live for a couple of centuries, and can reach great heights of 80-100 feet! Talk about one persistent plant.

White Ash

Fraxinus americana, commonly known as white ash, or American ash

The White Ash's flowers can grow in pretty small bunches or are longer and a bit more spread out, depending on the flower's sex.

Dogwood

Cornus florida, also known as the American Dogwood

The Dogwood is the state tree of Virginia. They can have beautiful white flowers, as shown in this picture, but also come in various shades of pink. Virginia is the only state to have the same state tree and state flower.

Red Oak

Quercus rubra, more commomly known as the northern red oak.

Red Oaks get two feet taller every year for the first ten years of their lives!

Virginia pine

Pinus virginiana, commonly know as the Virginia pine.

It tends to grow in pure stands (it grows around other trees of its kind) rather than mixed groups, and it grows well even in eroded and dry soil. Virginia pine's pinecones (a double pine :)) stick like glue to these trees, even after they release seeds.


Moss

Bryophyta, the entire group of moss.

Moss grows on damp areas or areas with shade, so if you aren't near one, you should possibly try a different spot for your search.

Fungi

Some cheeses contain mold, a type of fungi. Not all mold on cheese is safe to eat, but mold that is used to create specific types of cheese, such as blue cheese, for example, is safe as long as the mold veins or spots are blue or look blue-green. Now if you see green mold on blue cheese, you might have an issue and should look to see if the mold looks safe to you.

American Elm

Ulmus americana, generally known as the American elm or, less commonly, as the white elm or water elm.

The branches on the American Elm are spread out like water sprouting out of a fountain. Don't you agree?