Vegetation

     As I stated on my home page the original property was a beautiful mature stand of cypress swamp and live oak/ palmetto mounds and some bottom land hardwood stands and about twenty acres of freshwater marsh that connected to Weeks Canal. Weeks Canal has been leveed and straitened to improve drainage along its route but was once a curvy natural bayou that no doubt flooded properties regularly. Nowadays most properties along the canal are cut off from tidal flux due to the levee, but a gap in the levee approximately 30 feet wide has been cut to allow the ebb and flow of waters into and out of 2/3 of the property and on storm tides it pretty much creeps in and across all of the property.  The salinity is next to nil most of the year but if you follow the canal south only a few miles the salinity level starts to rise slightly into a more brackish regime. Still blue crabs and redfish are caught even north of my land regularly, I have spotted catfish and gar from my levee (and blue crabs) but have yet to throw a cast net or wet a line to see what I might find.
     The entire site has a gentle slope from north to south so the northern third stays drier and in fact that portion was not deemed wetlands by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The southern end is nearly always inundated, and I have never really explored most of it....maybe this winter. The middle third has some higher areas where hardwoods are trying to grow amongst the tallows and I will be targeting this area the most this winter planting more hardwoods and poisoning some tallow.  I decided to leave all the piles of earth and large trees from the original site clearing for wildlife to use in whatever fashion (seen on aerials) they deem useful. My hopes were that some of the piles would be suitable for black bear den sites. I have taken photos of bear on the property (see "The Mammals" page) but so far mostly birds, coyotes, and bobcat have been sighted in the piles. I recleared the upper twenty with my ol 52 ford 8N and since have planted several areas with about 3000 cypress and hardwoods (all natives), and other areas I bushhog on a two-to-three-year interval to allow for a varied level of succession. These areas are dominated by grasses but by the third-year woody species (especially) saltbush Baccharis halimifolia really start to take over. The birds, rabbits, and field rodents (I have not begun to catalog the rodents) seem to love these early successional grass stands. Because these grass areas seem to be so popular by the critters I have enrolled a portion of the land in a US Fish and Wildlife prairie restoration program that will help me re-introduce a multitude of native tall grass and forb species that were once common along the gulf coastal plain. Andy Dolan with USFWS has really helped me through the process and although there will be a lot of labor on my part their program helps with funding for invasive control, prairie seed cost, and site prep that I could not otherwise afford on my own.
     Of course, I will forever battle the invasives on the land but it is already getting easier and more manageable as I work my way north to south across the land. And to be honest I don't know if I want to kill them all off completely just keep them in lower numbers. If you look at most of my bird photo's closely you will see a high percentage of those birds are in tallow trees and although I have not posted any yet the majority of the time those birds are feeding in those tallow trees...take that for what it's worth.

Native Persimmon trees planted seven years ago are fruiting this year for first time! 6/10/17

PassionVine flowering abundantly around the property August 2015

Passion Fruit, August 2015

American Beauty Berry, there was none to be found on the property when I purchased it, but I have been collecting seeds and throwing them around the place the last two years. Now there are several patches popping up in different drier areas.  (September 2014)

Most of the successional grass areas look like this on the second year, lots of brushy broomgrass and  golden rod, and wild vervain but if you look close you'll see the saltbush sneaking in.

White-top sedge seems to be more abundant in the wet grass areas each year.



For weeks I watched this growing in potholes  and flooded areas and thought for sure it was a submerged aquatic...but then all at once these leafy stalks shot up out of the water and as the weeks passed it was apparent that it was all duck potato biding its time waiting to emerge above the waterline.

A lot of the wet grass areas are now carpeted with umbrella grass and white-top sedge.

Vines (18)
Campsis radicans	Trumpet-Creeper
Toxicodendron radicans	Eastern Poison-Ivy
Ipomoea cordatotriloba	Tievine
Jacquemontia tamnifolia	Hairy Clustervine
Lonicera japonica	Japanese Honeysuckle
Smilax bona-nox	Saw Green Briar
Smilax hispida	Bristly Green Briar
Ampelopsis arborea	Pepper Vine
Ampelopsis cordata	Raccoon Grape
Vitis aestivalis	Summer Grape
Vitis rotundifolia	Muscadine
Passiflora incarnata	Passion Vine
Passiflora lutea	Yellow Passion Flower
Cardiospermum halicacabum	Balloon Vine
Rhynchosia minima	Least Snoutbean
Matelea gonocarpos	Angularfruit Milkvine
Ipomoea quamoclit	Cypress-Vine
Rosa bracteata	Macartney Rose

Grass, Herbaceous (140)
Acmella repens/ opposotifolia	Opposite Leaf Spotflower
Agrostis perennans	Marsh Bentgrass
Agrotis hyemalis	Ticklegrass
Allium canadense	Wild Onion
Alopecurus carolinianus	Carolina Foxtail Grass
Andropogon glomeratus	Bushy Bluestem
Andropogon virginicus	Broomsedge
Bacopa monnieri	Bacopa
Bidens aristosa	Bearded Beggarticks
Boltonia caroliniana	Carolina False Aster
Carex albolutescens	Sedge
Carex annectens	Golden Foxtail Sedge
Carex cephalophora	One-headed Sedge
Carex cherokeensis	Cherokee Sedge
Carex frankii	Frank’s Sedge
Carex oxylepis	Nodding Sedge
Carex vulpinoidea	Green Foxtail Sedge
Centaurium pulchellum	Beautiful Centaury
Chloris virgata	Feather Fingergrass
Cladium mariscus	Sawgrass
Conoclinium coelestinum	Blue Mistflower
Coreopsis grandiflora	Large Flower Tickseed
Cyperus esculentus	Yellow Nutsedge
Cyperus iria	Rice Field Sedge
Cyperus odoratus	Fragrant Flatsedge
Cyperus pseudovegetus	Cyperus pseudovegetus
Cyperus virens	Green Flatsedge
Dactyloctenium aegyptium	Egypt Grass
Dichanthelium scoparium	Sticky Rosette-grass
Eleocharis baldwinii	Road grass
Eleocharis erythropoda	Bald Spikerush (redbase)
Eleocharis macrostachya	Great Spikerush
Eleocharis obtusa	Blunt Spikerush
Eleocharis ovata	Pointed-tipped Spikerush
Eleocharis tenuis	Slender Spikerush(Whitebase)
Eleocharis tuberculosa	Cone-cup Spikerush
Eleusine indica	Indian Goosegrass
Elymus Virginicus	Virginia Wildrye
Equisetum hyemale	Scouring rush/ Horsetail
Erigeron philadelphicus	Daisy Fleabane
Erythrina herbacea	Coral Bean
Eupatorium capillifolium	Dog Fennel
Eupatorium serotinum	Late Boneset
Geranium carolinianum	Carolina Crane’s-bill
Gnaphalium obtusifolium	Cudweed
Helianthus angustifolius	Swamp Sunflower
Hibiscus lasiocarpos	Woolly Rose Mallow
Hibiscus mosheutos	Marsh Mallow
Hypericum hypericoides	St. Andrews Cross
Iris virginica	Virginia Iris
Iva annua	Annual Marsh Elder
Juncus debilis	Slender Rush
Juncus dichotomus	Rush
Juncus effusus	Soft Rush/Common Rush
Juncus interior	Inland Rush
Juncus polycarpus	Many-headed Rush
Kosteletzkya virginica	Saltmarsh Mallow
Krigia cespitosa	Dwarf False Dandelion
Leersia oryzoides	Rice Cutgrass
Leersia virginica	White Grass
Leptochloa panicea	Red Sprangletop
Leptochloa panicoides	Tall Sprangletop
Lespedeza capitata	Round-head Bush Clover
Liatris pycnostachya	Blazing Star
Linaria canadensis	Toadflax
Lindernia anagallidea	False Pimpernel
Lolium perenne	Perennial Rye Grass
Ludwigia palustris	Marsh Purslane
Lythrum alatum	Winged Loosestrife
Malva rotundifolia	Cheeseweed
Myotis macrosperma	Large-seeded Forget-me-not
Oenothera laciniata	Cut-leaved Evening Primrose
Oxalis dillenii	Smooth Wood Sorrel
Packera glabella	Butterweed
Panicum rigidulum	Redtop Panicum
Paspalum urvillei	Vasy Grass
Phalaris angusta	Narrowleaf Canary Grass
Phyla lanceolata	Lanceleaf Fogfruit
Phytolacca americana	Pokeweed
Plantago pusilla	Small Plantain
Plantago virginica	Virginia Plantain
Pluchea camphorate	Camphor Weed
Poa chapmaniana	Chapman’s Bluegrass
Polygonum hydropiperoides	Swamp Smartweed
Polygonum pensylvanicum L.	Pennsylvania Smartweed
Pontederia cordata	Pickerelweed
Potamogeton pusillus	Small Pondweed
Ptilimnium capillaceum	Mock Bishop’s-weed
Ptilimnium costatum	Mock Bishop’s-weed
Pyrrhopappus carolinianus	Pale False Dandelion
Ranunculus pusillus	Dwarf Buttercup
Ranunculus sceleratus	Cursed Crowfoot
Ranunculus septentrionalis	Marsh Buttercup
Rhynchospora colorata	Narrow-Leaf Whitetop
Rhynchospora corniculata	Shortbristle Horned Beaksedge
Rhynchospora inexpansa	Beaked Rush
Rosa laevigata	Cherokee Rose
Rottboellia cochinchinensis	Itchgrass
Rubus argutus	Common Blackberry
Rubus argutus	Louisiana Blackberry
Rubus louisianicus	Common Blackberry
Rubus trivialis	Southern Dewberry
Rumex conglomeratus	Congested Dock
Rumex crispus	Curly Dock
Rumex obtusifolius	Bitter Dock
Saccharum giganteum	Giant Plume Grass
Sagittaria lancifolia	Duck Potatoe
Sagittaria latifolia	Common Arrowhead
Samolus parviflorus	Brookweed
Saururus cernuus	Lizards Tail
Schizachyrium scoparium	Little Bluestem
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Soft stem Bulrush
Scirpus cyperinus	Wool Grass
Sesbania exaltata	Sicklepod
Setaria parviflora	Marsh Bristlegrass
Setaria pumila	Yellow Foxtail
Sisyrinchium exile	Yellow Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium minus	Small Blue-eyed Grass
Solanum americanum	Deadly Nightshade
Solanum carolinense	Horse Nettle
Solidago altissima	Tall Goldenrod (Toothed leaf)
Solidago canadensis	Canada Goldenrod
Solidago sempervirens	Seaside Goldenrod
Sonchus asper	Spiny Sow Thistle
Sonchus oleraceus	Common Sow Thistle
Sorghum halepense	Johnson Grass
Specularia biflora	Venus’ Looking-glass
Sphenoclea zeylanica	Chicken Spike
Sphenopholis obtusata	Prairie Wedge Grass
Symphyotrichum ontarionis	Bottomland Aster
Symphyotrichum tenuifolium	Perennial Salt Marsh Aster
Typha domingensis	Southern Cattail
Valerianella radiata	Corn Salad
Verbena litoralis	Brasilian Vervain
Vernonia gigantea	Giant Ironweed
Veronica peregrina	White Speedwell
Vicia hirsute	Hairy Vetch
Vicia sativa	Garden Vetch
Zizania aquatica	Annual Wild Rice
Zizaniopsis miliacea	Giant Cut Crass

Shrub (14)
Morella cerifera	Wax Myrtle
Baccharis halimifolia	SaltBush
Iva frutescens	Jesuit's-Bark
Sabal minor	Dwarf Palmetto
Callicarpa americana	American Beautyberry
Sambucus canadensis	Elderberry
Ligustrum sinense	Chinese Privet
Ilex vomitoria	Yaupon
Cephalanthus occidentalis	Buttonbush
Ilex vomitoria	Yaupon
Ligustrum sinense	Chinese Privet
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii	Turks Cap
Lantana camara	Lantana
Lantana horrida	Texas Lantana

Trees (36)
Acer rubrum	Red Maple
Celtis laevigata	Sugar Berry
Liquidambar styraciflua	Sweet-Gum
Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Green Ash
Taxodium distichum	Southern Bald-Cypress
Quercus laurifolia	Laurel Oak
Quercus michauxii	Swamp Chestnut Oak
Quercus nigra	Water Oak
Quercus phellos	Willow Oak
Quercus texana	Nuttall's Oak
Quercus virginiana	Live Oak
Salix nigra	Black Willow
Gleditsia triacanthos	Honey-Locust
Melia azedarach	Chinaberry Tree
Triadica sebifera	Chinese Tallowtree
Ulmus americana	American Elm
Acacia farnesiana	Sweet Acacia
Carya illinoinensis	Pecan
Carya aquatica	Water Hickory
Cornus drummondii	Rough-Leaf Dogwood
Persea palustris	Swamp Bay
Maclura pomifera	Osage Orange
Cinnamomum camphora	Camphor Tree
Juniperus virginiana	Eastern Red Cedar
Morus rubra	Red Mulberry
Platanus occidentalis	American Sycamore
Castanea mollissima	Chinese Chestnut
Malus angustifolia	Southern Crab Apple
Rhus copallinum	Winged Sumac
Ilex decidua	Deciduous holly
Gleditsia aquatica	Water Locust
Zanthoxylum clava-herculis	Toothache Tree
Diospyros virginiana	Common Persimmon
Aesculus glabra	American Red Buckeye
Diospyros virginiana	Common Persimmon
Crataegus Aestivales	Mayhaw