The Flora & Fauna of Georgia

Haley Bryan

Purple Giant Hyssop

Perennial herb up to 6 feet (2 meters) tall, often forming clumps, with erect,

purple-tinged, 4-sided stems that have hairs only on the angles. Leaves up to 5 inches (13 cm) long with leaf

stalk up to 2 inches (5 cm) long, opposite, oval or heart-shaped, with

rounded base, pointed tip, and toothed edges; underside of the leaf is hairy mainly on the veins; leaves have a strong anise-like odor when

crushed. Flower spikes up to 6 inches long (15 cm), erect at tips of stems,

tightly packed with flowers and small, pinkish bracts. Flowers lavender or

purple

Whereas Live Oak

• Whereas - the live-oak, being a tree indigenous to the soil of our State and especially flourishing along the Coastal plains and islands thereof where the first settlers and founders of this State resided, and which tree is so closely associated with our early history, and particularly with the lives of many famous Georgians such as General James Edward Oglethorpe, John Wesley, and Sidney Lanier.

Mountain Spleenwort• Fronds are numerous, drooping,

delicate, bluish-green and evergreen. There are four to seven pairs of pinnae on short stalks. They are pinnate at the base of the rachis, and pinnatifid at the top of the rachis. The rachis is broad, green, flat and winged at the apex. The rhizome is short-creeping, dark and wiry, often obscured by old stipe bases. The stipe is ¾-inch to 2 inches long, brown below and green above.

Coyote

• Among the non-native wildlife found throughout the southeast, coyotes are unique in their ability to rapidly acclimate to a variety of habitats. With the extirpation of the red wolf in the last century across Georgia, the coyote (Canis latrans) has been able to fill a once occupied void and now can be found statewide.

Eastern Indigo Snake

• The eastern indigo snake reaches a maximum total length of 2.63 m (about 8½ feet), making it the longest snake in North America. The head of this stout snake is only slightly distinct from the neck. Coloration is iridescent blue-black throughout, except on the chin, throat, and cheeks, which are usually reddish or occasionally cream-colored. No pattern is present on the body. The scales are large, shiny, and for the most part smooth, though scales on several middorsal rows of mature males are partially keeled. The anal plate is undivided.

Bald Eagle

• Adult bald eagles are easily recognized by their familiar dark brown body and

contrasting white head and tail. The bill, eyes, legs, and feet are yellow. Immature

birds vary slightly in appearance depending on their age. They are

generally dark brown with varying light patches, and the eyes and bill are dark. Full adult plumage is not attained until sexual maturity at about 5 years of age.

The total length ranges from 30-43 in)the average size of both sexes increases with

latitude such that birds nesting in the northern states and Canada are

significantly larger than birds nesting in southern states. Although there appears to be a continuous size gradient and no

real genetic differences nor distinct breeding ranges, southern eagles, like the

ones here in Georgia are considered to be of the subspecies H. l. leucocephalus and northern eagles of the subspecies H.

l. alascensis.

Sea Life

Natural Resources

• Georgia, the largest state east of the Mississippi river, has almost eight million acres of farmland classified as "prime“ which maybe defined as available land that is best suited for producing food or fiber. That is, Georgia has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply necessary to produce sustained yields of crops such as cotton and peaches.

Chattahoochee River• The Chattahoochee River begins as a spring in the fittingly name "Chattahoochee

Gap," little more than a trickle of water at 3200 feet. Over the first 100 miles the river falls almost 2400 feet, forms a major Southeast lake (Lanier) and provides water for millions of Georgians. The river has played a key role in the history of the state of Georgia. Archaic and Woodland Indians are known to have called the Chattahoochee home. Mound builders navigated it as far north as present-day Helen, Georgia. The Cherokee and the Creek Nation used the river as a border, first between their Nations, then between themselves and early settlers.