Plant Species of the Back Woods
We are constantly updating the list of species as we continue the rehabilitaion of the Back Woods. If you happen upon something in the Back Woods that is not on the list please feel free to contact me and we will verify the find. Please feel free to email me with any errors or updates to nomenclature that need to be addressed. :-)
PTERIDOPHYTES
BLECHNACEAE
Woodwardia virginiana (L.) Sm (Virginia chain fern)
DENNSTAEDTIACEAE
Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn (bracken fern)
NEPHROLEPIDACEAE
Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C. Presl (tuberous sword fern) *
OSMUNDACEAE
Osmunda cinnamomea L. (cinnamon fern)
Osmunda regalis L. var. spectabilis (Willd.) A. Gray (royal fern)
POLYPODIACEAE
Pleopeltis polypodioides (L.) E.G. Andrews & Windham var. michauxiana (Weath.) E.G. Andrews & Windham (resurrection fern)
SCHIZAEACEAE
Lygodium japonicum (Thunb.) Sw. (Japanese climbing fern) *
GYMNOSPERMS
PINACEAE
Pinus clausa (Chapm. Ex Engelm.) Vasey ex Sarg. (sand pine)
Pinus elliottii Engelm. (slash pine)
Pinus palustris Mill. (longleaf pine)
MONOCOTS
AGAVACEAE
Yucca aloifolia L. (Spanish bayonet)
ARECACEAE
Serenoa repens (W. Bartram) Small (saw palmetto)
BROMELIACEAE
Tillandsia recurvata (L.) L. (ballmoss)
Tillandsia usneoides (L.) L. ) (Spanish-moss)
CHRYSOBALANACEAE
Licania michauxxii Prance (gopher apple)
COMMELINACEAE
Tradescantia ohiensis Raf. (Ohio spiderwort)
CYPERACEAE
Eleocharis vivapara Link (viviparous spikerush)
DIOSCOREACEAE
Diosocorea bulbifera L. (air potato) *
IRIDACEAE
Iris hexagona Walter (prairie iris)
JUNCACEAE
Juncus effusus L. var. solutus (Fernald & Wiegand) Hämet-Ahti (soft rush)
ORCHIDACEAE
Habenaria floribunda Lindl. (toothpetal false reinorchid)
Pteroglossaspis ecristata (Fernald) Rolfle (giant orchid)
POACEAE
Aristida stricta Michx. var. beyrichiana (Trin. & Rupr.)D.B.Ward (wiregrass)
Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.)Willd. ex Asch. & Schweinf. (durban crowfootgrass) *
Eragrostis elliottii S.Watson (Elliott's lovegrass)
Imperata cylindrica (L.)P.Beauv. (cogon grass) *
PONTEDERIACEAE
Pontederia cordata L. (pickerelweed)
SMILACACEAE
Smilax auriculata Walter (earleaf greenbrier)
Smilax bona-nox L. (saw greenbrier)
TYPHACEAE
Typha latifolia L. (broadleaf cattail)
XYRIDACEAE
Xyris sp. (yelloweyed grass)
DICOTS
ACERACEAE
Acer rubrum L. var. trilobum K. Koch (southern red maple)
AMARANTHACEAE
Froelichia floridana (Nutt.) Moq. (cottonweed)
ANACARDIACEAE
Rhus copallinum L. (winged sumac)
Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze (eastern poison-ivy)
ANNONACEAE
Asimina pygmaea (W. Bartram) Dunal (dwarf pawpaw)
Asimina reticulata Shuttlew. ex Chapm. (netted pawpaw)
APIACEAE
Hydrocotyle umbellata L. (manyflower marshpennywort)
AQUIFOLIACEAE
Ilex opaca Aiton (American holly)
Ilex glabra (L.) A. Gray (gallberry)
ASCLEPIDACEAE
Asclepias humistrata Walter (pinewoods milkweed)
ASTERACEAE
Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (common ragweed)
Baccharis halimifolia L. (groundsel tree)
Bidens alba (L.) DC. var. radiata (Sch.-Bip.) R.E. Ballard ex Melchert (beggarticks)
Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist (Canadian horseweed)
Elephantopus elatus Bertol. (tall elephantsfoot)
Erigeron quercifolius Lam. (oakleaf fleabane)
Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small (dogfennel)
Helianthus angustifolius L. (narrowleaf sunflower)
Heterotheca subaxillaris (Lam.) Britton & Rusby (camphorweed)
Mikania scandens (L.f.) Willd (climbing hemp)
Palafoxia integrifolia (Nutt.)Torr. & A.Gray (coastalplain palafox)
Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Nutt. (narrowleaf silkgrass)
Pyrrhopappus carolinianus (Walter) DC . (Carolina desertchicory)
Solidago fistulosa Mill. (pinebarren goldenrod)
CACTACEAE
Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf. (pricklypear)
CAPRIFOLIACEAE
Sambucus canadensis L. (American elderberry)
CLUSIACEAE
Hypericum tetrapetalum Lam. (fourpetal St. John's-wort)
Hypericum mutilum L. (dwarf St. John's-wort)
CONVOLVULACEAE
Ipomoea cairica (L.) Sweet (mile-a-minute vine) *
Merremia dissecta (Jacq.) Hallier f. (noyau vine) *
CORNACEAE
Cornus foemina Mill. (swamp dogwood)
Nyssa sylvatica Marshall var. biflora (Walter)Sarg. (swamp tupelo)
CUCURBITACEAE
Melothria pendula L. (creeping cucumber)
EBENACEAE
Diospyros virginiana L. (common persimmon)
ERICACEAE
Lyonia fruticosa (Michx.) G.S. Torr. (coastalplain staggerbush)
Lyonia lucida (Lam.) K. Koch (fetterbush)
Vaccinium myrsinites Lam. (shinny blueberry) (shinny blueberry)
Vaccinium arboreum Marshall sparkleberry
EUPHORBIACEAE
Acalypha gracilens A. Gray (slender threeseed mercury)
Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp. (pillpod sandmat)
Chamaesyce hyssopifolia (L.) Small (hyssopleaf sandmat)
Cnidoscolus stimulosus (Michx.) Engelm. & A. Gray (tread softly)
Phyllanthus urinaria L. (chamber bitter)
Sapium sebiferum (L.)Roxb. (Chinese tallow tree
FABACEAE
Apios americana Medik. (groundnut)
Baptisia lecontei Torr. & A. Gray (pineland wild indigo)
Chamaecrista fasciculata (Michx.) Greene (partridge pea)
Crotalaria pallida Aiton (smooth rattlebox)
Crotalaria rotundifolia J. F. Gmel. (rabbitbells)
Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong (earpod tree) *
Galactia volubilis (L.) Britton (downy milkpea)
Lupinus diffusus Nutt. (skyblue lupine)
Sesbania vesicaria (Jacq.) Elliott (bladderpod) *
FAGACEAE
Quercus geminata Small (sand live oak
Quercus incana W. Bartram (bluejack oak)
Quercus laevis Walter (turkey oak)
Quercus laurifolia Michx. (laurel oak)
Quercus nigra L. (water oak)
Quercus shumardii Buckley (Shumard's oak)
LAURACEAE
Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl (camphortree) *
Persea palustris (Raf.) Sarg. (swamp bay)
MAGNOLIACEAE
Magnolia virginiana L. (sweet bay)
Magnolia grandiflora L. (southern magnolia)
MALVACEAE
Hibiscus coccineus Walter (scarlet rosemallow)
MELASTOMATACEAE
Rhexia mariana L. (pale meadowbeauty)
MELIACEAE
Melia azadarach L. (chinaberry) *
MORACEAE
Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent. (paper mulberry)
MYRICACEAE
Myrica cerifera L. (wax myrtle)
OLEACEAE
Fraxinus caroliniana Mill.
ONAGRACEAE
Gaura angustifolia Michx. (southern beeblossom)
Ludwigia maritima R.M. Harper (seaside primrosewillow)
Ludwigia peruviana (L.) H. Hara (Peruvian primrosewillow)
Oenothera lacinata Hill (cutleaf eveningprimrose)
PHYTOLACCACEAE
Phytolacca americana L. (American pokeweed)
POLYGALACEAE
Polygala grandiflora Walter (showy milkwort)
POLYGONACEAE
Polygonum punctatum Elliott (dotted smartweed)
ROSACEAE
Prunus caroliniana (Mill.) Aiton (Carolina laurelcherry)
Prunus serotina Ehrh. (black cherry)
Rubus argutus Link (sawtooth blackberry)
SALICACEAE
Salix caroliniana Michx. (Carolina willow)
RUBIACEAE
Cephalanthus occidentalis L. (buttonbush)
Hamelia patens Jacq. (firebush)
Paederia foetida L. (skunkvine) *
Richardia brasiliensis Gomes (rough Mexican clover)
SCROPHULARIACEAE
Lindernia crustacea (L.) F. Muell. (Malaysian false pimpernel) *
Micranthemum umbrosum (J.F. Gmel.) S.F. Blake (shade mudflower)
THEACEAE
Gordonia lasianthus (L.) Ellis (loblolly bay)
ULMACEAE
Ulmus alata Michx. (winged elm)
Ulmus americana L. (American elm)
VERBENACEAE
Callicarpa americana L. (American beautyberry)
Lantana camara L. (shrubverbena) *
Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene (turkey tangle fogfruit)
VITACEAE
Ampelopsis arborea (L.) Koehne (peppervine)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. (Virginia creeper)
Vitis rotundifolia Michx. (muscadine)
* non native
