ture Stu
a d
N
y
The field notes of botanists
Dr. Ivy Thorne & Dr. Rose Thorne
Welcome to the Ambleside 2022-2023 term 3 Nature study!
My sister and I have studied throughout the United States and
found some very interesting specimens to present for you. We have
compiled our notes in order to give you a start on learning about
some of the fascinating wildflowers and plants around us. Some of
these plants have amazing healing properties and others can be
harmful so remember to leave nature where you found it!
Remember that these sheets are just a jumping off point for you to
investigate nature, now go outside and watch nature!
Dr. Ivy Thorne Dr. Rose Thorne
Dr. Ivy Thorne Dr. Rose Thorne
American Wild Ginseng
Overview
American ginseng is a long-lived perennial plant that
grows in woodlands throughout the mountain areas of the
Eastern U.S. and Canada. Plants come up in early
spring, produce small greenish-yellow flowers and green
American Ginsing
fruit in mid-summer, which mature to bright red. Plants
die back in the fall. American ginseng roots have been
SCIENTIFIC
traded continuously in international commerce since the
NAME
beginning of the 18th century. The biggest market has
Panax quinquefolius always been in Asian countries, which buy more than 30
tons of wild American ginseng every year.
SIZE
12-14 inches tall after 4
years old
The rever
ed root o
contains f this fore
DESCRIPTION potent im st herb
mune boo
healing p sting and
roperties
One or more leaf stalks sprout
from a central stem. The 3-5
toothed “leaves” at the base of
each stalk are actually leaflets.
These leaflets and their stalk
make up one leaf or prong.
WHERE TO FIND
Shady forest areas throughout
North America
Jewelweed a.k.a "Spotted
Touch-Me-Not"
Overview
Jewelweed Flower Jewelweed contains a compound called lawsone in its
leaves proven to have anti-histamine and anti-
SCIENTIFIC inflammatory properties.
NAME Juice from the stem before flowering also used
topically on poison ivy rash.
Impatiens capensis
SIZE
3-5 feet tall
DESCRIPTION
Oval, toothed leaves. Lower
leaves are opposite, upper are
alternate. Flowers are
pendant-like, yellow-to-orange
with red spots. Flowers June
f rom
s
through September. Fruits
d pod "pop"
grow in long green pods that
e see can far
t ur n ts as
pop when touched, dispersing
Ma pla eeds
seeds
the
s e
ch s w ay!
a
d laun feet
an 10
WHERE TO FIND as
Usually grows in dense stands
in moist, shady soils along
streams. Ranges across the
United States, from the Pacific
Northwest to the East coast,
south through Georgia and
Florida.
Common Chicory
Overview
Chicory The roots of Common Chicory have been roasted to create
a coffee-substitute; they are also used as an
SCIENTIFIC ingredient in some herbal teas. The flowerheads are
NAME very beautiful, but short-lived. This species is easy
to identify because of the appearance of these
Cichorium intybus
flowerheads – they are a lovely light blue, whereas
similar plants in the Aster family usually have yellow
SIZE
flowerheads. However, some Lactuca spp. (Wild Lettuce)
1 1/2 to 3 feet tall have light blue flowerheads that are smaller in size.
These latter species produce achenes with tufts of
hair, whereas the achenes of Common Chicory have only
DESCRIPTION small scales.
Somewhat woody, perennial
herbaceous plant of the family th
a tive to Nor
Asteraceae, usually with bright n d
cor y is not co nsidere
Chi e
can b
blue flowers, rarely white or
a n d ula r with
ca o p
Ameri p
pink. Native to the Old World,
ut it is very
eb tors.
invasiv pollina
WHERE TO FIND
Full sun and a heavy soil that
contains clay or gravel
frequently found along
roadsides and in sidewalk
cracks.
Poison Ivy
Overview
Poison Ivy in fall color There are two varieties of Poison Ivy in North America
and are well known for causing urushiol-induced contact
SCIENTIFIC dermatitis, an itchy, irritating, and sometimes painful
NAME rash in most people who touch it. The rash is caused by
urushiol, a clear liquid compound in the plant's sap.
Toxicodendron
They are variable in appearance and habit, and despite
radicans
its common name, it is not a "true" ivy (Hedera), but
Toxicodendron
rydbergii
rather a member of the cashew and pistachio family
(Anacardiaceae). T. radicans is commonly eaten by many
SIZE
animals, and the seeds are consumed by birds, but
about 1 foot tall unless it poison ivy is most often thought of as an unwelcome
is the vine form
weed.
DESCRIPTION av es o f three let
L e
ue to the
Poison ivies can grow as small them be! D e
ure of th
plants, shrubs, or climbing varied nat
oth leaf,
vines. They are commonly
plant (smo
characterized by clusters of
e d le a f , vine, shrub)
tooth
leaves, each containing three
b e st to leave the
its es
three leav
leaflets.
pla n ts w ith
alone!
WHERE TO FIND
Forests throughout North
America
Queen Anne's Lace "Wild Carrot"
Overview
There are many explanations for the origin of this
common name, including the flower’s resemblance to the
Queen Anne's Lace
lace that was fashionable around the time of the British
SCIENTIFIC monarch, wife of King James I; because people thought it
NAME resembled Queen Anne’s lace headdress.
The plant produces a firm, yellowish, spindly taproot.
Daucus carota
Although the root is edible when young (but not tasty
like its cultivated relatives the carrots), the leaves
can cause skin irritation in some people, especially
those sensitive to celery or chrysanthemums.
SIZE
1-4 feet tall
DESCRIPTION
h er ladies-
ed
ne c h alleng s e e who
The Queen Anne’s lace A n es t to
Queen g to a cont f lace a
s
“flower” is actually a
a it in iec e o
in-w u ce a p n e could
compound flower with
p ro d bu t n o
thousands of tiny white could e flower, .
th efforts
eauti ful as o w n
flowers in lacy, flat-topped
b er
clusters (umbels) with a dark, rival h
purplish center.
WHERE TO FIND
Dry fields, roadside ditches
and open areas throughout
North America. Native to
Europe.
Brown-Eyed Susan
Overview
Brown-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba is an herbaceous biennial or short-lived
perennial with many common names including branched coneflower,
SCIENTIFIC thin-leaved coneflower, three lobed coneflower and brown-eyed
NAME Susan. It is native to the prairies of the eastern and Midwestern
US (New York to Florida, west to Minnesota, Utah and Texas), and
Rudbeckia triloba
is naturalized in open woods and old fields, and on rocky slopes.
These are very hardy plants and are called "pioneer
plants" because they are among the first to regrow after
a fire or other natural disaster.
SIZE
2-5 feet tall
DESCRIPTION In the languag
e of
flowers, the
dark green, somewhat hairy Brown-Eyed
basal leaves that are divided Susan repres
ents
into three oval parts. Flowers encourageme
are yellow and daisy-like with
nt.
brown centers.
WHERE TO FIND
Sandy loamy fields in full sun
or part shade.
Purple Coneflower
Overview
Purple Coneflower These flowers are found only in eastern and central
North America, where they grow in moist to dry prairies
SCIENTIFIC and open wooded areas. They have large, showy heads of
NAME composite flowers, blooming in summer. The generic name
Echinacea purpurea is derived from the Greek word ἐχῖνος (ekhinos), meaning
"sea urchin", due to the spiny central disk.
The flowers of Echinacea species are used to make an
extremely popular herbal tea, purported to help
SIZE strengthen the immune system.
2-5 feet tall
DESCRIPTION The Coneflower is po
pular with both
butterflies and bird
Rough, scattered leaves that s.
become small toward the top
of the stem. Flowers occur
singly atop the stems and have
domed, purplish-brown, spiny
centers and drooping, lavender
rays.
WHERE TO FIND
Well-drained limestone, sand,
clay, loam. Rocky, open woods;
thickets; prairies
Swamp Rose-Mallow
Overview
Swamp Rose-mallow Rose-mallows are very good plants for attracting a wide
range of pollinators, and act as the larval host for
SCIENTIFIC many different butterflies and moths, a notable one
NAME being the Io Moth.
Hibiscus grandiflorus It is found in wetlands and along the river systems of
the eastern United States from Texas to the Atlantic
states, its territory extending northward to southern
Ontario. o
n ative t
SIZE allow ia wa
s
The m d A s
pe an lly fo
r
6 feet tall
Euro icin a
med heal
used d t o
hs an s late
r
DESCRIPTION coug d w a
ou nds an c a n dies
w r
t o flavo M arsh
This plant has five pink petals
use d m e "
flowers each have a red to
c e the na
hen "
purple center, are 4-6 in. long, mallow
and surround many stamens
and occur singly. Velvety,
alternate leaves are heart-
shaped, three-lobed, and
toothed. Seed pods are also
velvety. This is a shrub-like,
herbaceous to somewhat
woody plant.
WHERE TO FIND
Marshes and ditches and other
wet open areas.
Common Milkweed
Overview
Common milkweed is a member of the Asclepiadaceae
(milkweed) family. It is one of about 115 species that
Common Milkweed
occur in the Americas. Most species are tropical or arid
land species. The genus name, Asclepias, commemorates
SCIENTIFIC Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine. Some of the
NAME milkweed species have a history of medicinal use
including common milkweed (wart removal and lung
Asclepias syriaca
diseases.) The specific epithet, syriaca, means ‘of
Syria’ in reference to Linnaeus's mistaken belief it was
from Syria. It is a widespread and somewhat weedy
species known from most of the eastern United States and
SIZE the eastern most prairie states as well as southern
5 feet Canada from New Brunswick to Saskatchewan.
DESCRIPTION
a s up er food
is
on M ilkweed se cts are
Large leaves extend from a Co m m 45 0 i n
in se cts. Over o f the plant!
single stem. Leaves range from
for rt
6-8 inches long and are to e a t some pa
somewhat thick and lightly
known
fuzzy on the underside.
Flowers are tiny and occur in
clusters at the top of the plant
usually a pink color.
WHERE TO FIND
Fence rows, on roadsides, in
fields, and in prairies and
pastures
Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid
Overview
The showy lady's slipper occurs from the northeastern
Showy Lady's Slipper seaboard west to Minnesota, south to Arkansas in widely
scattered colonies. Throughout its entire range, it is
SCIENTIFIC listed as threatened or endangered in almost every state
NAME where it still exists.
Cypripedium reginae
SIZE
low growing foliage with
flower stems that can s L ady's
r ie
centu ies have
extend up to almost 3 feet
For c
lip p e r spe t er an
d
DESCRIPTION S a f
e n sought n ly fo
r
be o t o
The flower is mostly white with
o lle c ted n a uty b
ut
c b e
a rosy lip and white petals and
he ir unique medicinal
t
sepals. Plants can have 3-5
o f or the legal t
o
als w il
leaves per stem.
is no in
tra d e. It
is f lower
th
pick .
dig o r
A m erica
North
WHERE TO FIND
Hilly, damp deciduous forests
and on rocky outcrops with
rich organic soil that is well
drained
Great White Trillium
Overview
The great white trillium is an herbaceous, long-lived,
Great White Trillum
woodland, perennial wildflower with a broad distribution
SCIENTIFIC in eastern North America. This trillium occurs on well-
NAME drained, rich, mesic soils in deciduous or mixed
deciduous/coniferous forests. Great white trillium
Trillium grandiflorum
occurs from southern Quebec and Ontario and then Maine
west to northeastern Minnesota; through the central
hardwoods to the Appalachian Mountains and then south on
SIZE the southern Appalachian Mountains to Georgia.
about 18 inches tall Great white trillium generally occurs in spectacular
drifts of dozens, to hundreds, and to thousands of
individuals. In the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern
Virginia along the Appalachian Trail there is a
DESCRIPTION
spectacular display of great white trilliums estimated
3 oval leaves around a white 3 at near ten million individuals.
petal flower.
d
ite of white taile
r
ium are a favo f d eer can
Trill u p o
d a gro illium.
deer an io n of tr
ate a populat
decim
WHERE TO FIND
Deciduous forests of Eastern
North America usually under
trees.
Tall Goldenrod
Overview
Tall goldenrod is a member of the Asteraceae, the
Tall Goldenrod
Sunflower family. In older manuals and guides, this
SCIENTIFIC family is called the Compositae because the 'flowers'
NAME are a composite of many flowers, often of different
types.
Solidago altissima
This flower is a strong competitor to other plants in
part due to the alleleopathic compounds (chemicals that
SIZE suppress the growth of other plants) it produces and in
1.6–6.6 feet the garden and grasslands, it can become weedy.
Introduced to Europe and Asia, it has become a serious
DESCRIPTION
weed in those locales. Bees, wasps, butterflies, and
The stem is rigid and generally beetles, especially flower (soldier) beetles (genus
smooth. Leaves are alternate Chauliognathus) are strongly attracted to the flowers.
with the underside of the leaf
covered in thin stiff hairs.
Heads are generally borne
individually or in clusters of
of
two or three, and are found at spe cies in
the top of the plant. Each head Cert
ain
v es conta
a
generally has five ray flowers ldenrod le r.
Go rubbe
that are very small, and
numerous disk flowers. Both
the ray and disk flowers are
yellow.
WHERE TO FIND
Open prairie and grasslands
Details Observation Sheet
NAME
Observations/Physical Description
DATE
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SIZE
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Location/Habitat
POLLINATORS _________________________________________
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Sketch
