About Flora Pittsburghensis


Using these pictures: This site is a public service, if it may be dignified with that title. All the pictures here are released into the public domain with a Creative Commons CC0 Universal Public-Domain Dedication. You can use them for any purpose without asking permission. Credit to “Flora Pittsburghensis” is nice but not required.


The city of Pittsburgh and its surrounding suburbs are full of wild flowers, and somebody needs to take their pictures. The main purpose of this collection is simply to enjoy the beauty of the natural world.

Nevertheless, our enjoyment of the natural world is deeper the more we know about it, which is the reason for the commentary and the attempt at a correct botanical classification of each subject.

The entries are categorized by their families. When a plant is commonly found in more than one family in different classification schemes, or where there is more than one name for the same family, the plant is assigned to multiple categories. Thus, for example, snapdragons were formerly classified in the family Scrophulariaceae, but (with modern genetic study) have recently been moved to the family Plantaginaceae; they appear here under both families.

Quotations from Gray’s Manual are from the posthumous seventh edition (1908), heavily edited and updated by Benjamin Lincoln Robinson and Merritt Lyndon Fernald.  Where Gray’s classification differs from that used by current botanists, the difference is noted.

Some plants that have recently been reclassified are so familiar under their old botanical names that they are listed here primarily under those older names, with the up-to-date name noted in the text. Asters are a good example, most of whose North American species have been removed to the genus Symphyotrichum. The reason for listing them under the old name is simply practical: a bit of traffic monitoring finds that many people search the Internet for Aster puniceus (for example) and find this site, but so far not a single visitor has been searching for Symphyotrichum puniceum.

Doubtless there are many errors here, including incorrect identifications. Corrections left as comments are welcomed with open arms and a grateful heart.

22 responses to “About Flora Pittsburghensis”

  1. What a cool idea! This is a beautiful site – I can only imagine the time and effort that has gone into it.

  2. Hello.

    I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and moved recently to Manhattan, where I work as an angler, artist, and author. I have briefly mentioned several wildflower species in my first two collections of essays, but for the third, I am concentrating on the “Wildflowers of the West Village” . . . a project similar to the one you have going for The Burgh. I invite you to take a look at: http://www.wildflowersofthewestvillage.com

    Regards.

  3. Hello Chris, I just came across your site when searching for images of Pokeroot on google. Was looking for good photos to help with identification – and found one! Just wanted to say great work and great photos.
    I also wander about taking photos of wild herbs in the city where I live. I’m sure folk wonder what I’m doing kneeling in the dirt taking close-ups of ‘weeds’ …

    • Experience of life in the big city suggests that almost everyone who passes by has seen people doing far odder things than kneeling in the dirt taking pictures.

  4. Interesting website. I have a BS in botany and work primarily with orchids of S. E. Asia. I have hiked extensively in Allegheny County and Central PA searching for, photographing, collecting, and pressing specimens (when possible). I have amassed a large number of photographs from the area. If you would be interested in some of my photographs please feel free to contact me. Tim

  5. Hi Christopher,

    I am writing a nfp book on planting for pollen and nectar in Australia and am seeking permission to use your photo of Melissa officanalis. Kind regards Mark

  6. Thanks for this resource, it’s one of my favorite websites to visit. I live in the Pittsburgh area and hike Schenley Park and Frick Park frequently. I was wondering if you would like contributions (uncredited) to this database. I have a very nice camera and see some plants and flowers that aren’t yet mentioned on this site when I go hiking – Virginia Jumpseed, Feverfew, Devil’s Beggarticks, Spanish Needles, Burnweed, Air Potato vine, etc. I would be glad to contribute to the project if you would like.

    Thanks and keep up the good work.

  7. Hi Cristopher,

    during my search for informations about Conyza canadensis, I found your Flora Pittsburghensis. I run a similar project about plants in Emsland (Germany):

    http://flora-emslandia.de/wildblumen.htm

    I know how much work is put in such a flora. That’s almost a life’s work. I wish you much fun and success with your informative and beautifully illustrated website.

    Greetings from Meppen,
    David Janssen

  8. I am a Howard County, Maryland, Master Gardener working with our Columbia, Maryland, Watershed Manager. He has been awarded a Chesapeake and Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to install approximately 160 rain gardens in our city on a cost-share basis (25% customer, 75% grant). This program has been instituted to clean our waterways. We are developing a brochure so our customers can identify their plants. I am asking your permission to use your photo of Mist Flower which I found on Google for this educational purpose. ( I was referred back to your site.) We will get no financial gain and would be willing to include your name and website with the picture.
    Yours truly, Sylvia Huestis, volunteer

  9. Good morning,

    I work for a small regional publishing house, Boulder Publications (boulderpublications.ca) based in Newfoundland, Canada. We are working on a field guide to the “Wildflowers of New Brunswick”. The author, Todd Boland, has done a great job researching some 400 species and has photographs of most of them. We are missing a few, however. Would you grant permission to us to use one of your photos of Epilobium coloratum (the second image on this page)? And if so, is it possible to have a high-resolution version of the photo?

    The book will be published in spring 2015. The photo would run about 2 inches by 3 inches.

    Earlier this year we published a similar field guide for Nova Scotia. You can see more about the book here:
    http://boulderpublications.ca/book/wildflowers-nova-scotia-field-guide

    I look forward to hearing from you! I’d be happy to answer any questions. We would of course give full credit for the photo.

    Sincerely,
    Stephanie Porter
    Managing editor – Boulder Publications

    stephporter@boulderpublications.ca
    (709) 895-7151

    • You’re welcome to use the photo in any way you like, with no conditions or requirements. I sent an email to you, but Hotmail rejected it: “Please contact your Internet service provider since part of their network is on our block list.” The email was sent from a Gmail account, so it seems that the pot and the kettle aren’t getting along.

      The bad news is that, because of a hard-drive loss, the original photo is gone. However, the photo on this site is 1024 by 768; at 2 by 3 inches, that will be better than 300 dots per inch.

      Whether you can use the picture or not, good luck with the book. The next time I’m in Nova Scotia, I’ll make sure to carry it with me.

      • Thank you! I’m sorry my email address didn’t work… stephaniejporter@gmail.com is an alternative. Thanks for trying, and thanks for the permission! We will indeed use your photo, with credit. I hope you do get the chance to use the book; love to hear any feedback.

        All best and thanks again!
        Stephanie

  10. Hi! I came across your site because I was researching the names of the flowers I see in the town where I’m currently living. I love taking pictures of flowers, and the ones you have here are so beautiful. I hope you can stop by my blog (beautifuljimei.wordpress.com) if you have time. Thank you very much. Happy New Year! 🙂

  11. Early American Life magazine is running a column in the September/October 2015 issue called “Ironweed Day.” We would like permission to use the image of a field of ironweed found on the website. We would give credit to the photographer and site as requested. EAL is a special interest bimonthly consumer publication with a press run of 40,000. Please email confirmation or questions to jeanmarie@firelandsmedia.com. Thank you.
    Jeanmarie Andrews, Editor
    Early American Life

  12. Hello, I am working with an educational charity in Ontario, Canada, to develop an educational fact sheet on native wetland plants. I would like to request permission from Mr. Christopher Baily to use his image of the Giant Bur-reed for use in both a printed and digital version of this fact sheet.

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