Plant Hunt
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Most of the following plants are labeled and are in order starting at the
Grand Corridor and ending at Fairyland Caverns.
1. This shrub is named after John Fothergill, an English physician. It is in the same family as Sweet Gum Tree and Witch Hazel shrub. It blooms in March to April with white, fragrant bottlebrush looking blooms. Hint – don’t take too many steps. Can you name this shrub?
2. The original seedling was found growing at Forest Nursery, McMinnville, TN. The new foliage starts out as red-purple. Then it changes to green
as the season gets warmer. The flowers are purple to pink, blooming in March to April. This small tree’s parents are native to the eastern
United States. Can you name this tree?
3. A slow-growing evergreen tree that has red berries. These berries mature in October and are used as Christmas greenery. It is native to
the southeast and mid-west United States. Can you name this tree?
4. How many different labeled ferns can you count in the Grand Corridor? What are the names of all these ferns? Hint – be sure to look up.
5. The fall leaf color is usually red to purple on this tree. The bark looks like an alligator hide. This tree is referred to as our “million Dollar Tree”. Hint - it starts in the Grand Corridor but you can’t see the top until you cross over the trail at Gnome’s Overpass. Can you name this
tree?
6. This shrub seems to grow out of rocks after Needle’s Eye. Its bark is exfoliating or peeling off. The flowers are white, appearing in June,
unless we have had a very cold winter. Hint – the foliage looks like a red
oak leaf. Can you name this shrub?
7. This shrub has about 150 different species and more cultivars. The flowers are fragrant and open from pink buds to white blooms in late April. Hint – this shrub is native to Korea. Can you name this shrub?
8. This shrub grows smaller than most of its family members and stays compact. The white flowers are slightly fragrant. A U.S. National
Arboretum introduction named it after the Eskimos. Can you name this shrub?
9. I am a large tree with warts growing on my trunk. I produce thousands of small black fruit in September and October. The birds love my fruit. Hint – I am a common tree. Can you name this tree?
10. This small tree has definite horizontal branching with stems purple in color. The flowers bloom May – June and are yellow to white in color.
Native to northeast down to southeast United States. Hint – related to the flowering dogwood. Can you name this tree?
11. This shrub can grow 15’ tall and 15’ wide. It flowers in October – November with a fragrant smell. It has thorns, which are quite sharp,
and the leaves are dark green above and silvery underneath. Can you
name this shrub?
12. This large tree likes its feet to be wet but can stand dry sites as well. It looks like an evergreen tree in full leaf. The foliage turns brown in
winter and falls off. Hint – you can see the fruit hanging from large trees just about year round. Can you name this tree?
13. This tree in its youth develops corky wings along the young stems and trunks. The older trees lose these corky wings and develop fruits that are prickly to pick up. They are like walking on marbles when they drop.
Hint – you can see the fruit hanging from large trees just about year round. Can you name this tree?
14. This shrub is a coarse textured evergreen plant. The flowers appear March – April and are yellow and fragrant. The fruit, which is bluish in
color, matures in July – August and can be damaged by temperatures around 10 degrees. The birds eat the seeds and spread them
everywhere. Hint – each leaf has between 5 to 7 prominent thorns. Can
you name this shrub?
15. This small tree is a member of the rose family and has over 600 types. The range in flower color is from white to red and appears from April to
May. The fruit ranges in color from red, yellow and green in the fall. Hint – if you have bitten into the fruit, you know what bitter means. Can you name this small tree?
16. This shrub has over 900 species, is evergreen and the most abundant plant we have at Rock City Gardens. A poll of gardeners asked what their
favorite shrub is – this plant came in number one. It blooms from April –June all colors. Hint – you can see this plant just about anywhere in the gardens. Can you name this shrub?
17. This large tree likes to grow on rocky places and poor soil. Many forms of wildlife eat the large acorns. The bark has more tannin than any other
trees in the family. Hint – what do you roast over an open fire at Christmas time? Can you name this tree?
18. This fast growing tree can grow 8’ during one season. The leaves on seedlings often reach 2’ long. The older tree leaves reach a normal size
of 5” to 10” long. Cold weather can kill the flower buds. The flower buds
persist through winter, looking like grape clusters. One large tree can produce 20 million seeds. The wood is prized by the Japanese for pots, bowls, spoons, furniture and coffins. The flowers appear in May with a violet to pale blue color. This tree is often found along highway cuts. It is also used to reclaim strip-mined land. Hint – you can find one near the bird viewing deck. Can you name this tree?
19. This shrub grows quickly but can also die quickly during a cold winter. It is fragrant and will flower from June through September if the spent
blooms are cut. Hint – the butterflies love this shrub. Can you name it?
20. This shrub looks like it belongs in a southwest desert. It blooms on a 3’ stalk and is white from May – June. Look above Shelter Rock and you can
see a colony of these plants. Hint – sometimes referred to as the sword
plant. Can you name this plant?
21. This plant is considered a small tree or large shrub and is one of the first flowering trees in the woods. It likes to grow on rocky soil and its flowers are white in March – April. The black fruit is liked by birds and other wildlife. Hint – it is also called a Sarvis tree. Can you name this tree?
22. The history of this tree makes a good story. In 1770, John Bartram found this small tree along the banks of the Altamaha River in Georgia and collected a few for his garden. He sent some to Ben Franklin in Philadelphia. The tree has not been seen in the wild since 1790. So if you have one of these trees, you have one that came from Bartram’s original collection. The tree has a beautiful 3-3 1/2” white flower that appears in July – August. Hint – Bartram was a great admirer of Ben Franklin. Can
you name this tree?
23. This small tree or large shrub blooms red after the leaves have come out. The flowers bloom in May and are about 4”-8” long. Hint – the Ohio
State football team is called what? Can you name this plant?
24. This shrub is a graft, but the root stock has taken over from the graft. The original plant was named Arnold Promise. This plant flowers in
February. Hint – a witch would like this shrub. Can you name this shrub?
25. This is a large evergreen tree with needles about 1/4 - 1/2” long. It can grow in shade or also sun if water is supplied. Its native range is from
Nova Scotia south to the mountains of Georgia. Hint – what country is
Nova Scotia in? Can you name this evergreen tree?
26. This large tree loses its leaves in the winter. Its flower is red in March before the leaves appear. It is one of the first trees to color in fall.
The colors vary from tree to tree ranging from yellow to orange to red. Hint – this tree and its cousin, the Sugar Maple, are the brightest leaf
colors in the fall. Can you name this tree?
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