A New Flower Today

And of course I can't find it in either one of my Tennessee wildflower books. Let me know if you know the name of it. It is growing in many places along the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. (Thanks to Jill for identifying it for me!)

Hollow Joe-Pye Weed

Eastern Box Turtle

Eastern Box Turtle
On Shelby Bottoms Greenway

Saw this little guy slowly trying to cross the paved path Monday. I stopped, made this photo, then picked him up and put him across the path before he got hit by a fast-moving bike.

Keep your eyes open! There is always another adventure around the next corner. 

Wild Potato Vine

I am still riding my bike on the greenways three days a week, just not posting many photos. I was calling this flower a wild morning glory and it is in the morning glory family, but most commonly called Wild Potato Vine and sometimes Man Root or Wild Rhubarb. It has a giant root that can weigh up to 30 pounds and be up to 4 feet long! Amazing! The technical name is ipmoea pandurata. Cool! There is always something new in nature and on both these greenways!

Wild Potato Vine
ipomoea pandurata

I've been seeing a lot of these for the last week or two. Nice!