Plants, Fungi and creatures found on the beautiful grounds and forests of

Union County, Georgia

Jack in the Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Jack in the Pulpit is also known as Indian Turnip.

Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perennial which can reach 65cm in height (25inches).
Leaves: This plant has basal leaves only. Usually two but sometimes one. Each leaf is divided into three almost equal parts.
Flowers: The flowers are irregular in shape and are up to 8cm long (3 inches). They are green with purple or brown stripes sometimes brownish. Blooms first appear in mid spring and continue into late spring. The spathe (pulpit) is most often green streaked with purplish. The spadix (jack) is covered with tiny male and female flowers.
Fruit: A cluster of bright red shiny berries.
Habitat: Rich moist woods

Golden Seal - Hydrastis canadensis

Habitat: Rich shady woods and moist areas on woodland edges.

The North American plant Golden Seal produces a drug which is considered of great value in modern medicine. The generic name of the plant, Hydrastis, is derived from two Greek words, signifying water and to accomplish, probably given it from its effect on the mucous membrane.

Black Cohosh Actaea racemosa

A perennial shrub that grows to 8 feet in height.

Flowering Period
June to August

Uses
The roots and rhizomes are considered valuable in treating chronic rheumatism. The plant is also used as an expectorant, astrigent, emmenagogue, and bitter tonic. A tea made from the root is used to treat sore throat. It is also becoming very popular in treating menopausal symptoms.

Monotropsis odorata

Sweet pinesap is a inconspicuous perennial saprophytic plant approximately 2.5 inches in height, nodding during early flowering and erect when mature.

Sweet pinesap is a monotypic endemic species centered in the Appalachian Mountains. The species is found more frequently in North Carolina and Virginia and becomes more rare as it reaches the limits of its range, which is from Maryland and West Virginia south to Alabama, Georgia and possibly Florida. The species has a limited distribution and is rare throughout its range. Habitat destruction is a threat to this species' survival .

Pink Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule)
Pink Lady's Slipper is also known as Moccasin Flower.

Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perenniel.
Leaves: This plant has basal leaves only. There are two and each is entire. This is the only Lady's Slipper with basal leaves only.
Flowers: The flowers are irregular in shape . They are pink. Blooms first appear in mid spring and continue into late spring.
Habitat: Forrest with acidic soil

Pokeberry Phytolacca

One of our favorites at Birds Nest Retreat

Many of our friends and relatives use the dried berries to dissolve bone spurs, to reduce pain and swelling of arthritis and even for a natural dye. Do not eat roots or leaves they have toxic side effects. Old timers eat double boiled leaves in early spring as a tonic.

May Apple Mandrake

A single waxy white nodding flower erupts from the 'v' formed by the twin leaves of this early spring plant. The pair of roughly circular leaves have 3 - 7 sharp lobes and are about 6 - 8 inches wide when fully extended.

FLOWERS:
March to April (Fruit May to June)

HABITAT:
Prefers acidy soil. Grows in woodland borders, in high tundra-like areas, upland bogs and barrens, and thickets.

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perennial which can reach 30cm in height (12inches).
Leaves: This plant has basal leaves only. Leaves can be as wide as 15 cm (6inches). The two heart shaped leaves are entire, have a shinny surface and the leaf stem is hairy at the base.
Flowers: The flowers have 3 Regular Parts and are up to 4cm wide (1.5 inches). They are brown or dark purple. Blooms first appear in early spring and continue into late spring. The flowers are at the base of the plant hidden by the leaves and their color blends in with the leaf litter. Sometimes the flowers are redish sometimes greenish.
Habitat: Rich woods.

Yellowroot

The Xanthorhiza simplicissima Marsh more commonly known as yellowroot The growth habit of the yellowroot is found growing as a Subshrub , Shrub. This plant is considered Native to the United States of America. The yellowroot is a Perennial plant which means it lives or continues more than two years, whether it retains its leaves in winter or not.

The yellowroot can currently be found within only 8 states in the United States,

Eupatorium perfoliatum True Boneset

A little grown Eastern Native that has amazing leaves -- the opposite leaves are joined at the base (connate) and the stem appears to pierce the leaves! White flower clusters, similar to yarrow, attract butterflies and are good as cut flowers or dried.

At Birds Nest Retreat, we collect this wonderful plant every fall . We dry the leaves and flowers which we use to induce sweat and to overcome symptoms of the flue and colds.

Eupatorium purpureum
Compositae

"Joe Pye, or gravel root,
has the same properties
as boneset and has been used
in fevers and gravel
(kidney and bladder stones."
It's definitely not a Weed -- that's for sure! What it is, is a fabulous native that goes head to head with any plant on the planet for attracting Butterflies.

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, also called "Touch-me-not" because its pods will fling out seeds at the slightest contact, is a succulent plant often found in the wild with Poison Ivy, Rhus radicans. It's a curious relationship, enhanced because Jewelweed tea is sometimes used to treat ivy dermatitis

With its brilliant red blossoms, Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis, is aptly named. It grows best in moist--even wet--soil in full or partial sun and will thrive along the margin of a garden pool. Once established, it usually will re-seed itself--assuring future nectar for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

Great Blue Heron fishes in both night and day, with most of its activity around dawn and dusk. The heron uses its long legs to wade in shallow water and its sharp "spearlike" bill to catch its food. The great blue heron's diet consists of fish, frogs, salamanders, lizards, snakes, shrimps, crabs, crayfish, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and many aquatic insects.

The first time we spotted this magnificent bird feeding from our pond was a stunning moment. The bird is almost the size of Shabari. Weighing only eight pounds, it's hollow bones allows for it to perch on the highest tree brances.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Description: The male ruby-throated hummingbird has a throat patch or gorget that flashes ruby-red, although in some lighting conditions the gorget may appear black. The female lacks a throat patch. Both sexes have metallic green backs and white undersides, and are 3½ inches long.

Belted Kingfisher
(Ceryle alcyon): Belted Kingfishers are one of a few species of North American birds whose females are more colorful than males. Females have a chestnut band across the belly that is absent in males. Belted Kingfishers, as their name suggests, subsist mostly on fish. However, they occasionally consume other prey, including crayfish, shellfish, squid, and terrestrial prey such as small birds, mammals, lizards, and insects. They have even been reported to eat berries when other food is unavailable. We sight them daily feeding from our pond,

Pileated woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus

Length: 15 inches
Very large (crow-sized) black and whi

Identification Tips:

te woodpecker
Prominent red crest at rear of head
White throat
Entirely black body plumage at rest except a white line that extends from bill down sides of neck to upper flanks
In flight shows pale bases to primaries on upperwing and entirely white underwing covert

Adult male:

Red forehead
Red malar area

Adult female:

Black forehead
Black malar stripe

Similar species:

No other living woodpecker could be confused with the Pileated.

Lake Nottley is home to many Bald Eagles and occasionally they visit Birds Nest Retreat and fish.

An eagle's wings are long and broad, making them effective for soaring. To help reduce turbulence as air passes over the end of the wing, the tips of the feathers at the end of the wings are tapered so that when the eagle fully extends its wings, the tips are widely separated.
To help them soar, eagles use thermals, which are rising currents of warm air and updrafts generated by terrain, such as valley edges or mountain slopes. Soaring is accomplished with very little wing-flapping, enabling them to conserve energy. Long-distance migration flights are accomplished by climbing high in a thermal, then gliding downward to catch the next thermal, where the process is repeated. Several eagles soaring in a thermal together is described as a "kettle of eagles".
Bald eagles can fly to an altitude of 10,000 feet. During level flight, a bald eagle can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph.

Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii

One of the many birds which nest at Birds Nest Retreat. To our chagrin this bird hunts our beautiful songbirds. Our entire flock of doves has fallen prey to this creature.

In hunting this hawk flies to an inconspicuous perch and carefully looks about for prey. If it sees a chipmunk or red squirrel it will wait until it is sufficiently far from cover and looking the other way, then leave its perch and with a sudden burst of speed usually seize the victim before it is alarmed. If, when flying, the hawk sees birds, for example starlings or robins feeding on the ground near cover, it does not approach directly, but circles around taking advantage of trees and bushes and alights where it can size up the situation. At the proper moment it leaves the perch and flies low, taking advantage of every bush and dip in the ground. If the birds see it and flee it flies a little higher to increase its chances of catching one

Red Tail Hawk

Hawk identification tips: Adult red-tailed hawks have a brick red tail. Juvenile red-tailed hawks have a grayish brown banded tail and a squarish patch or "wing window" toward the end of the wing. Red-tailed hawks at all ages have dark patagial marks (the patagium is between the body and wrist on the wing) on the underside of the wings. Red-tailed hawks have quite a number of different coloration's or "morphs".
Red-tailed hawks frequently hunt by "kiting" (also called stilling) in an area where there is prey. They will barely move a wing feather or tail feather to maintain their position. They will occasionally hover for short periods of time

Chicken of the woods, chicken mushroom, sulphur shelf
(Laetiporus sulphureus or Polyporus sulphureus)
The chicken mushroom is a spectacular wild bracket fungus that grows on tree stumps, often on sweet chestnut, oak, and beech. It grows into fleshy, knobbly clusters with shell or feather-like curves. The largest ever found weighed 100 pounds. This suede two-toned mass is unmistakable with its orange top and a sulphur-yellow underneath. When the mushroom is young, its thick flesh is solid and smoothly uniform, breaking into fiberless golden chunks. However, only the edges of new growth are tender enough to eat, having a tasty hint of lemony chicken.

Shabari Bird of Birds Nest Retreat is famous for her dishes made with this delicacy.

Want to walk the trails and learn and pick with us? Have a meal of Chanterelles in wine sauce with freshly made whole wheat gnocchi.

Phone Birds Nest Retreat Shabari. 706-745-8202 to reserve a room or attend a class or workshop.

Golden Chanterelles
The Queen of the Forest

While the Morel mushroom is probably the most widely known of the wild mushrooms, it is the Chanterelle mushrooms which many of the world's great chefs prize above all others.

They are known to the Italians as Girolle and in German they are called Pfifferling. Wherever they are harvested they are prized for their superb flavor. When dried they smell of butter.

Chanterelles are only found in the wild. So far, efforts to cultivate Chanterelles have never proved successful. At Birds Nest Retreat we have an abundance of Chanterelles from June through August. We often walk the National Forest land hunting mushrooms for our meals and drying.

Tough mild, Chanterelles have that slight spicy edge which is characteristic of things that grow on their own in the forests and fields - something that comes from competing in a natural environment.

The basket of Chanterelles above is a portion of our August 2005 wild crafted crop. We dry them and mail them as Christmas presents.

Coral Mushrooms grown abundantly on the grounds of Birds Nest Retreat. We sauté them with fresh veggies. Very Delicious.

Sparassis crispa: The Cauliflower Mushroom

This large, unmistakable fungus can be found growing from the bases or roots of trees in summer and fall--or in winter, in warmer climes. It is a popular edible, and it is exceptionally delicious. There is no poisonous look alike.

PUFFBALL MUSHROOMS

The family Lycoperdaceae, the True Puffballs, contains many edible species. From a culinary perspective, these puffballs can be divided into two groups based on texture: firm and spongy (marshmallow-like). Firm puffballs include the Purple-pored (Bovista pila), Giant (Calvatia gigantea) and Western Giant (Calvatia booniana). Examples of spongy edible puffballs include the Gem-studded (Lycoperdon perlatum) and Pear-shaped (Lycoperdon pyriforme). All edible puffballs must be collected while still very young, before the spores have begun to develop - the interior flesh should be completely white, if you find one with black interior, please discard. You must also be certain that the specimen is not an Amanita in its early button stage.

To prepare firm puffballs:

Slice or chop puffballs

Saute in butter or olive oil. For added flavor, saute mushrooms with one minced shallot or one minced garlic clove. Puffballs may be successfully frozen at this point. Serve sauteed mushrooms as a sidedish with poultry or meat, mix with other vegetables or pearl onions, use as a stuffing for a savory pie or chicken.

Birds Nest Retreat Pond is home to many amphibians which are an endless source of sound and delight. We spend many evenings with our flashlights watching for the green eyes of our favorite bullfrogs: Gastone, Pierre, Mimi and the elusive Raul. Bullfrogs live 7-9 years in the same territory. You can listen to any of the sounds by clicking the sound symbol.

Mountain Chorus Frog

Green Frog

Spring Peeper Frog