Plant ID

scientific name common name picture description

Cane (switchcane)

Arundinaria gigantea

Native. Forms dense thickets. Found commonly in wetlands, floodplains, swamps, streams. Good for understory cover. Rabbit habitat. Bamboo-like. Slender joined stem that can grow several feet tall and long, narrow, lance shaped leaves.

Paw Paw

Asimina triloba

Native. tree/shrub. Large, Simple leaves that are smooth and pointed tip. Distinct smell when crushed. Large round fruits. Butterflies use for larvae. Mammals eat fruits.

American Beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native. woody fern or shrub. Branching. Long, Simple leaves that are oval shaped with serrated margins and pointed tip. Songbirds will eat berries. Distinct smell. Used as bug spray.

Common Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana

Native. Tree. Simple, Alternate Leaves smooth and pointed tip. Orange Fruits. Food source for deer and birds.

Bicolor Lespedeza

Lespedeza Bicolor

Nonnative. Shrub. Trifoliate Leaves that are small, alternate, oval shaped. Pink/Purple flowers. Commonly found in old fields, forest edge, roadsides. Good cover for animals, erosion control, food for wildlife like bobwhite quail, but spreads aggressively.

Sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua

Native. Tree. Star shaped leaves with 5 lobes. Spiky round fruits. Corky Wings on Twigs. Provides cover and nesting habitat, seeds eaten by birds/small mammals.

Red Mulberry

Morus rubra

Native. Some leaves look like mitten, others are round/heart shaped, others have three lobes. Simple, Alternate, serrated margin leaves. Tree. Fruits eaten by many wildlife including birds, squirrels.

winged elm

Ulmus alata

Native. Tree. Simple Alternate Oval Leaves. Serrated Margin. Corky Winged Ridges on twigs branches main indicator. Samaras fruits. Tree provides nesting and cover, fruits provide food source birds/small mammals.

Muscadine Grape

Vitis rotundifolia

native. woody vine. simple round/oval serrated leaves. Fruit eaten by deer, turkey, birds ect.

Winged Sumac

Rhus coppalina

native. tree/shrub. Pinn. Compound leaves. Smooth leaf margin. Broad wing like extensions between the leaflets. fruits eaten by birds and squirrels and base eaten by squirrels.

Catbriar

Smilax glauca

Woody Vine. WTD forage. The underleaf is whiter/lighter than the top. prickles on stem. Berries eaten by birds. Simple, Alternate leaves.

Sawbriar

Smilax bona-nox

Woody Vine. WTD forage. Spikes on margin. prickles on stem. Berries eaten by birds. Simple, Alternate leaves.

Greenbrier

Smilax rotundifolia

Woody Vine. WTD forage. smooth margin. prickles on stem. Berries eaten by birds. Simple, Alternate leaves.

Sericea lespedeza

Lespedeza cuneata

Forb and Legume. non-native. Alternate trifoliate leaves. White flowers with little purple markings. More branchy. Good cover, seeds food source.

Slender lespedeza

Lespedeza virginica

Forb and Legume. Native. Alternate trifoliate leaves. Silvery gray hairs underneath. Pink/Purple flowers. Slender. Good cover, seeds food source.

Slender woodoats

Chasmanthium laxum

Native. Grass. Long, narrow, flat, alternate leaves. Upright growth. Flattened seed heads. Seeds are good for small mammals and bird.

Longleaf uniola, woodoats

Chasmanthium sessiliflorum

Native. Fuzzy at bottom. Long, narrow, flat, alternate leaves. Upright growth. Flattened seed heads. Seeds are good for small mammals and bird.

Broadleaf uniola, Indian woodoats

Chasmanthium latifolium

Native. NOT fuzzy at bottom. Broader, Wider Leaves. Large drooping seed heads. Seeds are good for small mammals and bird.

Partridgeberry

Mitchella repens

Native. Vine. On the ground low growing. Can have tiny white flowers and red berries. Opposite leaves with brighter midvein. Birds will eat berries, small mammals and WTD will forage.

Japanese stiltgrass

Microstegium vimineum

Non-native. Leaves are lance shaped with silver stripe in center. Very Low wildlife value.

Showy Partridge Pea

Chamaecrista fasciculata

Forb. Legume. Native. Compound leaves with paired leaflets. Bright Yellow Flowers. They remain ‘showy’ if you touch the flowers. Good Pollinators and seeds can be eaten by birds.

beaked panicgrass

Panicum anceps

Native. Grass. Good cover and forage for wildlife. Panicle seed head with ‘beaked’ or pointed tip appearance.

Yellow nutsedge

Cyperus esculentus

Sedge. Native. Triangular Stem. Yellowish flowers at top. Long narrow leaves with noticeable midrib.

panic grass

Dichanthelium spp.

Native. Grass. Panicle Seed Head. Long narrow leaves. Good cover and foliage for wildlife and seeds eaten by songbirds.

Sweet/fragrant goldenrod

Solidago odora

Native. Ford. Small but long, narrow, alternate, smooth Leaves. Fragrant when crushed. Tiny yellow flowers in plume like clusters at top. Seeds for birds and good pollinators.

Common boneset, whorled lancolate

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Native. Forb. Opposite Lance Shaped Leaves. Leaves appear fused through the stem. White Flower Clusters. Found in wet areas. Good Pollinators.

Roundleaf thoroughwort

Eupatorium rotundifolia

Native. Forb. Opposite round serrated leaves. Appear hairy. White Flower Clusters at the top. Common in dryer areas and fields. Good pollinators.

Boneset, lateflowering thoroughwort

Eupatorium serotinum

Native. Forb. Opposite Lance shapes branching leaves. White Flower Clusters. Very Common, found in fields and by roadsides. Good Pollinators.

Panicledleaf Ticktrefoil

Desmodium paniculatum

Native. Legume/Forb. More bushy. Narrow leaves. usually smaller. compound 3 leaflets. Forage for WTD, seeds eaten by small mammals. the base of stem and leaflets has two hairs. Leaves are bigger and sticky texture. Small pink/purple flowers.

Velvetleaf Ticktrefoil (tall, robust Desmodium)

Desmodium viridiflorum

Native. Legume/Forb. Tall upright coarse looking plant. 3 leaflets with velvety/hairy texture. Hairy stems. Forage for WTD, seeds eaten by small mammals. the base of stem and leaflets has two hairs. Leaves are bigger and sticky texture.

Sawtooth blackberry, higbush blackberry

Rubus argutus

Native. Shrub. Compound 3-5 leaflets. Serrated ‘Sawtooth’. white flowers sometimes. Black/red fruits eaten by many different wildlife. Thorny stems.