Here are a few more photos from my recent coastal NC botanizing trip. This was the first time for my stepdaughter Katie to join me in the field, and here she is with her namesake, katydid, dining on the fall-flowering carphephorus.
Lots of cool woody plants including this amazing dwarf wax myrtle, Myrica cerifera…a perfect dwarf 30″ tall x 30″ wide…no pruning ever required.
I was truly shocked to find Cornus florida (dogwood) growing in the swamps and looking this great in the early fall. This clone with extra large leaves looked like something I’d expect in early spring…no signs of mildew or leaf spot, and obviously very tolerant of standing water. 
This variegated Liquidambar (sweet gum) wasn’t bad either…now, to get it grafted.
Much of the land in this area is a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) /wiregrass savannah..sandy soils with a very high water table and regular flooding.
If you look close among the “weeds” you’ll find large patches of Sarracenia purpurea (pitcher plants), that dine on unsuspecting insects.
In this area, two pitcher plant species grow together, S. purpurea and S. flava. The swamp gets kind of lonely at night, and to no surprise, we found the hybrid of the two species, Sarracenia x catesbaei growing nearby.
There was also lots of non-plant life….as you can imagine, quite a few mosquitos, but also this magnificent giant spider.
…and everyone’s favorite, fire ant mounds galore. I hope you’ve enjoyed our journey!
Those pitcher plants are simply, outrageously, fabulous! Nature really knows how to get things done..
thanks Tony for this glimpse of the area around your neck-of-the-woods. Enjoyed seeing it.
Fascinating, thanks for sharing!