08/12/2025
I often walk down to the confluence of Hominy Creek and S. Hominy Creek. There, a small bridge passes over where the waters flow together. Helene was very hard on this spot as you can imagine. The bridge was damaged, pipes along the banks were ripped out of the ground, and massive Sycamore trees were splayed across the battered river bed. The bare stream banks were perfect invitations for opportunistic invasive plants to set their roots.
However, when I began to notice the plants emerging here, I was so excited. Yes, there are still tons of invasives like kudzu, stilt grass, and porcelain berry, but wow! There are so many beautiful native plants exploding here!
I’ve spotted significant amounts of Joe Pye W**d, Primrose, Partridge Pea, Garden Phlox, Sumac, Wingstem, Bear’s Foot, Goldenrod, Jewelweed, and even some Yarrow. I’m sure there are others, too.
It is thrilling to see these stream banks come back to life after such a wild flood, especially when they are full of such resilient and bio diverse plant life. I know the wildlife and pollinators are so happy to see these friendly plants too!🌿
