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2008 Wildflower Trail Updates

Meet Your Wildflower Guide, Tom Harrington
Photo by Karen Key

May 5, 2008 Courtesy of Tom Harrington

Little River (from Elkmont to Rough Creek Trail) - Lyre Leaf Sage, Dogwood, Sweet Shrub, Sweet White Violet, Yellow Trillium, Doll Eyes, Dog hobble, False Solomon's Seal, Meadow Parsnip, Foam Flower, Toothwort, Cancer Root, Showy Orchus (largest display I have seen - great quality), Robins Plantain, Wild Strawberry, Solomon's Seal, Stonecrop (many), Wild Ginger, Brook Lettuce, Lousewort, Trillium Erect, Canadian Violet, Wild Phlox, Bishop Caps, Common Cinquefoil, Golden Ragwort, Squaw Root, Umbrella Leaf (just starting to bloom), Common Blue Violet, Hairy Buttercup, Prostrate Bluets, Wild Geranium, and Blackberry (just starting to bloom).

Rough Creek (Beginning to End) - Dog Hobble, Sweet Whtie Violet, Foam Flower, Trillium Erect, Wild Phlox, Yellow Mandarin, Meadow Parsnip, Star Chickweed, False Solomon's Seal (just starting to bloom), Toothwort, Common Blue Violet, Brook Lettuce, Prostrate Bluets, Wild Geraniums (Colors brilliant), Canadian Violets, White Fringed Phacelia (about gone), Hairy Buttercup, Solomon's Seal, and Large Flowered Trillium (well past peak).

Sugarland Mountain (from Rough Creek Trail to Huskey Gap) - Common Blue Violet, Painted Trillium (large numbers - blooms mostly small), Solomon's Seal, Large Flowered Trillium (well past peak), Prostrate Bluets, Meadow Parsnip, Wild Oats, Yellow Mandarin, Trillium Erect, Toothwort, Squaw Root (well past peak), Yellow Trillium, Wild Geranium (very beautiful), Star Chickweed, Stonecrop, Canadian Violets, Foam Flower, Rue Anomone (well past peak), Halberd- Leaved Violet, and Star Grass.

Huskey Gap (from Huskey Gap to Little River Trail) - Squaw Root (well past peak), Wild Oats, Lousewort, Common Cinquefoil, Star Grass, Meadow Parsnip, Canadian Violets, Stonecrop, Bishop Caps (well past peak), Robins Plantain (well past peak), Star Chickweed, Wild Geranium, Large Flowered Trillium (well past peak), Foam Flower, Rue Anomone (well past peak), Halberd-Leaved Violets, Brook Lettuce (well past peak), Sweet White Violets, Yellow Trillium, Doll Eyes, False Solomon's Seal, Hairy Buttercup, Solomon's Seal, and Common Blue Violets.

Cucumber Gap (Beginning to End) - Dog Hobble, Foam Flower, False Solomon's Seal, Canadian Violets, Sweet White Violets, Brook Lettuce, Umbrella Leaf, Bishop Caps (past peak), Wild Geranium, Rue Anomone (well past peak), Trillium Erect (well past peak), Yellow Trillium, Star Chickweed, Doll Eyes, Common Cinquefoil and Wild Phlox. Note: Rattlesnake was laying on trail.

Note: Stage in blooming not listed for most flowers because of various stages flowers would be in on same trail because of changes in elevations on these trails.

May 2, 2008 Courtesy of Tom Harrington

Legend:
+ = large number of blooms
- = few blooms
P = Past Peak
J = Just started blooming

Low Gap (from Cosby to the Appalachian Trail) - stonecrop + (have never seen so many of these blooming), false Solomon's seal J, showy orchus -, sweet white violet, foam flower + (very beautiful display from hiker parking lot for about a quarter of a mile above the Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail), meadow parsnip +, golden ragwort P, rue anomone P, brook lettuce, toothwort P, bishop caps P, wild phlox P, trillium erect P, hairy buttercup, yellow trillium, long spurred violet P, common blue violet +, may apple P, Canadian violet +, dog hobble J, painted trillium - (very small), wood anomone J, star chickweed P, witch hobble J and white fringed phacelia + (at Low Gap).

A T (From Low Gap to the Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail) - spring beauty P, common blue violet +, white fringed phacelia (at Low Gap) +, star chickweed, dutchmen's breeches P & -, witch hobble J, trout lily P, prostrate bluets +, painted trillium - (very small blooms), sweet white violets, serviceberry, wood anomone J, trillium erect P, meadow parsnip, crested dwarf iris, halberd leaved violet P & -, yellow mandarin + and golden ragwort P.

Lower Mount Cammerer Trail (Beginning to End) - yellow mandarin +, yellow trillium +, star chickweed, common blue violet +, wood anomone, trillium erect P, smooth yellow violet P & -, spring beauty P & -, rue amomone P, toothwort P, Canadian violets +, meadow parsnip +, wild phlox P & -, hairy buttercup +, squaw root P, halberd leaved violet P & -, crested dwarf iris + (like a carpet - about 3 miles from Cosby beautiful - well worth the walk), golden ragwort P & -, wild oats -, blue cohosh P & -, stone crop +, large flowered bellwort J, foam flower, common cinquefoil +, Dogwood, star grass -, nodding trillium + (very beautiful), Vasey trillium J & -, wild geraniums (beautiful) and Silverbell P.

April 21, 2008 Courtesy of Tom Harrington

Legend:

P - Past Peak
+ - Many Blooming
- - Few Blooming
J - Just Starting to Bloom

Cooper Road (From Abrams Creek Ranger Station to Hatcher Mountain Trail) - fire pinks +, golden ragwort P, rue anomone +, stone crop -, foam flower, yellow trillium -, dog hobble J, trillium erect -, may apple -, star chickweed, prostrate bluets, Catsby trillium +, sweet white violets +, common blue violets, Carolina vetch P, Solomon's seal J, wild geranium, dogwood, gay wings, birdfoot violet, blackberry -, plantain leaf pussy toe, halberd leaf violet J, star grass -, common cinquefoil and robin's plantain P.

Hatcher Mountain (From Cooper Road Trail to Little Bottoms Trail) - halberd leaf violet, common cinquefoil, gay wings + (must be at least a 100 of them at peak), common blue violet -, trailing arbutus P, Catsby trillium, rue anomone, sweet white violet, dwarf crested iris, plaintain leaf pussy toes, birdfoot violet -, robin's plantain P, fire pink +, star chickweed, dogwood and golden ragwort P.

Little Bottoms (Beginning to End) - common cinquefoil, Catsby trillium +, plantain leaf pussy toe P, dwarf crested iris, golden ragwort P, star chickweed -, star grass -, sweet shrub J, fire pink +, birdfoot violet -, robin's plantain P, gay wings, little brown jugs, wild ginger, prostrate bluets, dog hobble J, wweet white violets +, Carolina vetch P, foam flower, wild geranium, hairy buttercup -, wild oats J, dogwoods and common
blue violets.

April 14, 2008 Courtesy of Tom Harrington

Chestnut Top (Beginning to End) - long spurred violet, dwarf crested iris, fire pinks (the most beautiful and the largest number that I have seen there), dog hobble (just starting to bloom), halberd leaf violet, dogwood, squaw root, yellow mandarin, hepatica, lousewort, birdfoot violet, trailing arbutus, plantain leaf pussy toe, wild oats, common blue violet, sweet white violet, Solomon's seal, bishop caps, purple phacelia, trillium erect, foam flower, yellow trillium, star chickweed, rue anemone, stonecrop, toothwort, spring beauty, meadow parsnip, serviceberry, Michaux's saxifrage, and Catsby trillium.

School House Gap (Beginning to End) - sweet white violet, trillium erect, foam flower, yellow trillium, rue anemone, toothwort, Catsby trillium, long spurred violet, dogwood, birdfoot violet, plantain leaf pussy toe, common blue violet, wild phlox, common cinquefoil, daisy fleabane, little brown jugs, golden ragwort, and serviceberry.

White Oak Sinks - long spurred violet, large flowered trillium, toothwort, star chickweed, yellow trillium, foam flower, stone crop, wild columbine, little brown jug, rue anemone, sweet white violet, bishop caps, Catsby trillium, wild phlox, redbud, golden ragwort, wild geranium, and squaw root.

Bote Mountain (Beginning to Finely Cane) - long spurred violet, dogwood, lousewort, plantain leaf pussy toe,
sweet white violet, and Catsby trillium.

West Prong (Beginning to End) - sweet white violet, bishop caps, trillium erect, foam flower, yellow trillium, star chickweed, rue anemone, toothwort, long spurred violet, dwarf crested iris, dog hobble (just starting to bloom), dogwood, squaw root, trailing arbutus, plantain leaf pussy toe, redbud, and blue cohosh.

April 7, 2008 Courtesy of Tom Harrington

Alum Cave Bluff Trail - (Beginning to End) two areas with a decent number of spring beauties blooming and a few prostrate bluets blooming.

NOTE: Along Newfound Gap Road nice wildflower blooms - large flowered trillium, yellow trillium, white fringed phacelia, rue anomone, and trillium erect. It appears that the white fringed phacelia could be within a week of peaking along the road.

April 5, 2008 Courtesy of Jim and Eleanor Burbank

White Oak Sinks (Townsend Visitor Center Herb & WF Hike) -
In Flower                           Leaves Only

Spring Beauty                    Yellow Trillium
Giant Chickweed                Large-flowered Trillium
Rue Anemone*                  Wild Columbine
Hepatica                             May Apple
Bloodroot                           Sedum Stonecrop
Toothwort                          Wild Geranium
Redbud Tree                      Galax
Common Violet                  Fairy Wand (not many yet)
Sweet White Violet            Dwarf (vernal) Iris (not many yet)
Early Yellow Violet           Shooting Star (not many yet)**
Long-spurred Violet           Virginia Bluebells (not many yet) **
Flowering Dogwood (tree)
Wild Blue Phlox (not many)
Dandelion
Golden Ragwort
Bishop's Cap

* most abundant at this time
** report from friends, not worth going there yet

April 1, 2008 Courtesy of Steve Kemp

Cove Hardwood Nature Trail (Chimneys Picnic Area) - the wildflowers are outrageous! Trout-lily, spring-beauty, white trillium, and hepatica galore. I would say they are at the early end of peak. They will probably continue to be superb through the weekend of April 12-13.

March 31 Courtesy of Tom Harrington

Meigs Mountain (Beginning to End) - Many many hepatica and rue anomone. Additionally: spring beauty, bloodroot (few), common blue violet, longspurred violet, halberd-leaf violet, sweet white violet, Fraser sedge, trout lily (few), and plantain-leafed pussy toes.

Lumber Ridge (Beginning to End) - Many trailing arbutus. In the first tenth of a mile from the Treemont Institute:
rue anomone, common blue violet, plantain-leafed pussy toe, star chickweed, round-leaf violet and daisy fleabane (1). About a half mile up the trail one birdfoot violet.

March 18 Courtesy of Jeanie Hilten

Chestnut Top Trail - spring beauties (lots), bloodroot, sharp-lobe hepatica, star chickweed, sedges, grasses, and blue violet.
In bud: yellow trillium, and stonecrop.

March 16 Courtesy of Steve Kemp

Porters Creek Trail - The first hepatica are now coming into bloom. Flowers should be very good there over Easter weekend.

February 19 Courtesy of Tom Harrington

Chestnut Top (Beginning to End) - Two Spring Beauties blooming about 20 feet up the trail from the trailhead.

Listen to Bird Voices recorded inside the park!

If you're interested in wildflowers you can see a nice book about them written by my boss by clicking on this link:  Wildflower Guide Book.

If you want to come look at the darn things for yourself, we have a Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage every year for just this purpose.
Check it out at http://www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org/

For all the trail and fall foliage updates from 2007, click here.

For a humorous and scholarly article on upsidedown wildflowers and other writing about wildflowers, click here.