08. Plants of the Forest

Cove forests provide an environment in which many different types of plant organisms can thrive; these include trees, herbs, and shrubs. Click on the links below to see some of the various types of flora that make their home here.

Resource Type
Large-Flowered Heartleaf | The Cove Forest

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Large-Flowered Heartleaf | The Cove Forest
This low-growing plant has evergreen heart-shaped leaves. The large jug-shaped flowers occur on the soil surface, often under decomposing leaves. This species, like many woodland herbs, has ant...
Yellow Lady Slipper | The Cove Forest

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Yellow Lady Slipper | The Cove Forest
(Cypripedium calceolus var. pubescens) This native orchid is a joy to see in its native habitat. The large yellow flowers with a conspicuous pouch depend on deception for pollination as it offer no...
Wood Nettle | The Cove Forest

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Wood Nettle | The Cove Forest
(Laportea canadensis) This is a plant that you may not want to touch as stinging hairs cover its stems and leaves. Why does it sting? One hypothesis is that its hairs deter some animals from feeding...
Oconee Bells | The Cove Forest

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Oconee Bells | The Cove Forest
(Shortia galacifolia) A small evergreen species related to galax with white flowers produced in March. It was discovered ty the French botanist Andre Michaux in 1787 growing at the confluence of the...
Mayapple | The Cove Forest

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Mayapple | The Cove Forest
(Podophyllum peltatum) This widespread herb forms dense carpets on the forest floor in early spring. Single large white flowers with yellow centers hang down beneath the large umbrella-like leaves...
Large-Flowered Trillium | The Cove Forest

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Large-Flowered Trillium | The Cove Forest
Trilliums are easily recognized by having a single whorl of three leaves and one conspicuous flower. The large white flowers of this species are initially white but change to pink as the flower ages...
Jack in the Pulpit | The Cove Forest

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Jack in the Pulpit | The Cove Forest
This unusual plant produces one or two leaves, each of which is divided into three leaflets. A cluster of tiny flowers is produced at the base of the striped tubular structure (called a spathe) that...
Christmas Fern | The Cove Forest

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Christmas Fern | The Cove Forest
(Polystichum acrostichoides) This evergreen fern commonly occurs in moist sites including ravines and rocky slopes. Only the leaves emerge above ground - the stem is underground. Like all ferns, it...
Canada Violet | The Cove Forest

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Canada Violet | The Cove Forest
(Viola canadensis) This relatively tall violet with heart-shaped leaves is frequently encountered in cove forests. It produces many white flowers that fade to purple with age. Often found in clumps...
Bloodroot | The Cove Forest

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Bloodroot | The Cove Forest
(Sanguinaria Canadensis) Bloodroot is one of the first plants to bloom in spring. Only one flower and one leaf is produced per plant. The large white flower opens in the day and closes at night. The...
Dutchman's Pipe | The Cove Forest

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Dutchman's Pipe | The Cove Forest
Although it might sometimes look like a tangled shrub, the woody wine has large heart-shaped leaves and small flowers that look like an old-time smoking pipe, hence the common name. Toxins in the...
Maple Leaf Viburnum | The Cove Forest

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Maple Leaf Viburnum | The Cove Forest
(Viburnum acerifolium) This small clump-forming shrub that has three-lobed leaves that resemble maple leaves, hence the common name. Maple-leaf viburnum has showy clusters of white flowers that give...
Spice Bush | The Cove Forest

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Spice Bush | The Cove Forest
(Lindera benzoin) This upright deciduous shrub occurs along streams and in rich moist woods. It produces dense clusters of small yellow flowers in early spring and bright red berry-like fruits in the...
Doghobble| | The Cove Forest

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Doghobble| | The Cove Forest
This evergreen shrubs forms dense thickets in ravines and along streams. The leaves are thick and leathery and the urn-shaped fragrant flowers bloom in early spring.
Snowy Hydrangea | The Cove Forest

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Snowy Hydrangea | The Cove Forest
(Hydrangea radiata) This deciduous shrub with peeling bark on its stems occurs in open woods as well as along streams and in moist roadside areas. The flowers form dense clusters with showy white...
Rosebay | The Cove Forest

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Rosebay | The Cove Forest
(Rhododendron maxiumum) This evergreen shrub or small tree forms dense thickets in cool, moist, partially shaded sites such as stream banks, ravines and mountain slopes. It has thick leathery leaves...
Trout Lily | The Cove Forest

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Trout Lily | The Cove Forest
Trout lily has a very short growing season. Plants emerge in late winter-early spring as soil temperatures rise. A few weeks later, when the canopy trees leaf out, and the florest floor is in deep...
Sweet Shrub | The Cove Forest

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Sweet Shrub | The Cove Forest
The common name of this deciduous shrub refers to its fragrant leaves, twigs, and flowers. It has distinctive maroon or brownish flowers that develop into large brown pods. White-footed mice often...
Tulip Poplar | The Cove Forest

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Tulip Poplar | The Cove Forest
This large tree which can be found in forests, roadsides and fields has a straight trunk and large leaves with four sharp-tipped lobes. The greenish-yellow, cup-shaped flowers provide an important...
Red Oak | The Cove Forest

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Red Oak | The Cove Forest
(Quercus rubra) Several species of oak can be found growing in the cove forest, and Red Oak is perhaps most frequently encountered. This tree has leaves with sharp lobes and bristles at the tips and...
Fraser's Magnolia | The Cove Forest

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Fraser's Magnolia | The Cove Forest
(Magnolia fraseri) This fast-growing tree with multiple stems, large deciduous leaves, and sweet-scented flowers, occurs in moist slopes and along streams. It is only found in the southern Appalachian...
Ironwood | The Cove Forest

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Ironwood | The Cove Forest
(Carpinus caroliniana) This slow-growing understory tree occurs along streams and in moist bottomland forests. Its wood is extremely hard and was used in the past for golf club heads, mallets and tool...
Canada Hemlock | The Cove Forest

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Canada Hemlock | The Cove Forest
Almost all trees in cove forests are deciduous - that is, they drop their leaves in the fall and produce new ones in spring. The Canada hemlock, in contrast, is an evergreen - it retains its needle...
Basswood | The Cove Forest

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Basswood | The Cove Forest
(Tilia americana) A medium to large tree that frequently occurs in the understory but may also reach the canopy. The large heart-shaped leaves are finely toothed and have an asymmetrical base. The...