Verbenaceae, the vervain family.
Description:
Plant:
Erect, slender, hairy, squarish stem with paired leaves bears long, narrow,
branching spikes of tiny white flowers.
Flowers:
Tiny, white, tube-like, about 1/8" wide, with five flaring petals or lobes.
Flowers on long, narrow, branching spikes.
The spike blooms from base upwards, and usually only a few flowers are
open at once.
Leaves:
Opposite, simple, ovate, to 6", and coarsely toothed (serrate).
Fruit:
Small, seed-like capsule.
Blooming:
June-September.
Habitat:
Wood margins, clearings, thickets.
Comments:
The flower spikes are very narrow, almost like a string of tiny beads.
It is sometimes considered a weed.
Where to find it:
In wood margins near on the west side of the entrance road, and
near the parking lot.