I know what you're thinking...February 9th is too soon, right?
Well, we are weeks away (!) from some of the early wildflowers making their appearance. Oconee bells, bloodroot and others will be blooming in a few weeks here in the upstate of SC. I am in Columbia, S.C. right now and there are daffodils everywhere.
So if you have a report, please post here.
Posted by Thomas Biggs on February 9, 2007 at 11:01 AM
Daffodils are everywhere HERE and some have been blooming since end of January. Weird winter! I'm looking forward to spring! If anyone has suggestions for good spring wildflower areas, please post them. I have found Baxter Creek trail one of my favorites, and the Pearsons Falls area in Tryon is good too.
Posted by Harry Davis on February 21, 2007 at 4:59 PM
I saw Tim Lee yesterday who is the park naturalist at Caesar's Head and he said there are a few trout lilies blooming along the Carrick Creek trail at Table Rock State Park. Sounds awfully early to me but he's a naturalist so he ought to know! He also said there are some hepatica (sharp lobed?) blooming at Station Cove. It won't be long now...
Posted by Bill Stice on February 23, 2007 at 8:57 AM
We have trout lilies blooming here in Cary at one of our parks. They've been blooming for almost a week. I expect to see hepatica and spring beauties fairly soon.
Posted by Cindy Nowlin on March 8, 2007 at 6:39 PM
Daffodils are all over Cades Cove as well. I plan to get out this weekend and do some searching. Roaring Fork Nature Trail opens up on Sat and I was told Bud Ogle Farm is a great place to view a variety of wildflowers. So I will keep an eye on them as long as I am in this area. Also plan to check out Smokemont area, suppose to be another great place in the smokies. Hopefully once I get moved to Jonesborough area, I will find some great locations there for spring flowers like Blue Ridge Parkway and Roan Mountain. Cant wait to learn more areas to explore, fun to find new places... I am so ready for spring!!
Oconee Bells are blooming at Devils Fork State Park in South Carolina. Peak is still about a week away, but there were plenty of blooms to photograph on Saturday.
Posted by Harry Davis on March 12, 2007 at 8:30 PM
Richard, that's a beautiful shot of the Oconee Bells! I shot this image of bloodroot yesterday on Paris Mountain (Greenville, SC). Things are definitely starting to pick up!
Posted by Thomas Biggs on March 12, 2007 at 9:55 PM
Great shots Richard and Harry! not much blooming up here yet but the next few days are supposed to be in the 70's so it shouldn't be long. The Forsynthia bush behind the house is starting to show some blooms
Don't know much about spring flowers here in my part of Florida, but the tropical flowering trees are starting their thing. The tabebuia, jacaranda, African tulip... the Hong Kong orchid has been at it for a while. Otherwise things are still a bit out of wack from the hurricanes and warm winter in my area.
Here is a sample of the African tulip. I was standing on the hood of my card, hoping it would not collapse under my weight It is not a glamor shot, I just wanted to share this unique flower. Most blossoms are at the top of the tree and you are unable to get a shot looking down into the whole unit. It can be up to 15 inches across and each blossom 'cup' is about 4" deep and wide and holds water for creatures after the rains etc.
Great-looking wildflower pics, all! Keep them and the reports coming!
Posted by Steve Hamley on March 23, 2007 at 9:02 AM
Folks,
Nye Simmons and I did the Whiteoak Sink as a scouting trip, but found blooming spring beauties, several varieties of bloodroot, maybe some anemone, and a few sprigs of the famous purple phlox. I hadn't expected to take a picture, but we both ended up doing 3-4 compositions. Some of the bloodroot was a lavender shade.
It apparently isn't too early to get a few pictures in there.
Steve
Posted by Thomas Biggs on March 23, 2007 at 11:01 AM
Steve, can you email me the directions to the sink? I have been there before but forget how to get there. I'm going to try to get to the Smokies a few weekends this month. Thanks!
The mayapples are already coming up in Rutherfordton...isn't it a little early for them? This was taken this morning near my house. Do you think most of the wildflowers will be a week or so early this year? The toadshade trilliums are really blooming too...check out a better image of them that I posted in Flora:
Posted by Steve Hamley on March 25, 2007 at 9:09 PM
Alice,
Go to the Schoolhouse Gap Trail (jeep road) that starts on the road to Cades Cove, The trailhead for Schoolhouse Gap is on one side of the road and the Bote Mountain Road is on the other. Go up the Schoolhouse Gap road about 1.1 miles - you'll see the junction with the Turkeypen Ridge trail on the left.
Just about a hundred feet past the junction, you'll see the manway to Whiteoak Sink on the left. Go about 1/3 mile down the trail and look for a seep with small logs across it. This is the only junction you can really miss. If you go straight ahead, you'll end up at a spring branch and there'll be no trail on the other side. Cross a second seep immediately,
From the seeps, just follow the main trail into the sink. he bottom is another 1/2 mile or so. I have a detailed guide if you want, it's about 450 Mb. E-mail me if you want it. sahamleyATyahooDOTcom.
Steve
Posted by Thomas Biggs on March 26, 2007 at 9:08 PM
just a little something I found on the hillside behind the house
Posted by Thomas Biggs on March 26, 2007 at 9:09 PM
Pretty, Thomas...what is it? I found this bloodroot near Pearson's Falls this afternoon (Tryon, NC). Lots of stuff is blooming!
Posted by Thomas Biggs on March 26, 2007 at 9:26 PM
Not sure Alice, the bloom is about the size of a dime. There's some bloodroot blooming here and there... starting to look a lot like spring!
Posted by Darrin Doss on March 26, 2007 at 9:31 PM
Almost missed these this year, This shot of warm weather we are having caused the twinleafs(Jeffersonia diphylla) to come early. Most of them have already dropped their pedals! These are in Henry County, Virginia, Martinsville Speedway is our landmark if you have never heard of Henry County.
Alice and Thomas, based on the leaf shape and flower it looks like it might be on of the Anemones, perhaps a windflower but it's hard to tell from the photo.
Spring is early. If you have plans to catch certain flowers based on past years, you might want to check on them a week earlier. Seems to be the common theme everywhere I have been.
Posted by Bernie Kasper on March 29, 2007 at 12:17 PM
I will be camping in the smokies from april 12-15 a little earlier than I usually go down, will things be pretty good then. I am going to try to camp in elkmont, any places close to there with good history of blooms, any info would be great.
Posted by Thomas Biggs on March 29, 2007 at 6:09 PM
Thanks Richard for the info! I've all ready turned in a vacation request for the 20th so I guess I'll take whats left far as blooms. Plaining on being in the Smokies April 20,21,22 if anybody else is going to be around.
My wife and I will be up at GSNP over Easter weekend. We plan to get there on Thursday evening and stay through Monday morning. We plan to camp at a campground in Whittier near Cherokee.
Well folks, things are popping up all over here in Bryson City, NC. Bloodroot are almost past, surfing rapid on the Nantahala River is going to be Trillium grandiforum central very central. In the lower warm areas I am seeing leaves for oxalis, iris cristada, columbine, foam flower! Things are really happening this side of the Smokies!
Posted by Steve Hamley on April 1, 2007 at 6:40 PM
Folks,
Things are popping quickly this year. Today (4/1) I did Tremont, Little River Road, Roaring Fork, and Greenbrier, and saw Alice in Greenbrier.
Dogwoods in Tremont are shootable, about half in full bloom and half with a still greenish tinge. The bad thing is the downed trees from last October's storms spoiling many compositions. The dogwood closest to the bridge downstream of the bridge we all shoot at is mostly dead and has only two blossoms, although there a couple more further downstream blooming. The area where Jerry and a bunch of us shot last year is quite good right now. If you want Tremont, try to go this week/weekend. Didn't see many trillium though. It's less green than in most years because many of the other trees are not leafed out well.
Same goes for the Little River Road, good dogwoods and redbuds (redbuds near peak), blooming large white (sweet?) trillium, columbine, and even a few sprigs of firepink here and there.
Trillium on the back (Greenbrier) side of Roaring Fork are at peak, and seem to show some storm or insect damage. If you want Roaring Fork, go ASAP.
Greenbrier looked early at the entrance but got near peak going up the Porter's Creek trail. The trilliums by the water Jerry, Richard (I think) and I have all shot are at peak and I would have reshot the composition today had the blooms not been wet and droopy from the rain. The blossoms appeared undamaged though. The crested dwarf iris are blooming, and the purple ladyslippers are about 6 inches high. I'd also guess the famous phacelia carpets are in full bloom above the third bridge, so if you want Greenbrier, go ASAP.
This is the earliest I've seen a lot of this stuff go off, so get going if you can.
I also suspect the Whiteoak Sink will be good very soon based on the appearance of purple phlox-like flowers along the LRR and in Greenbrier, and my last scouting trip about 10 days ago which yielded two shots when I expected zero. That's probably my next hike although there's no way I can do it before Wednesday at the very earliest.
I hiked a little way on the Baxter Creek trail yesterday before heading up to Greenbrier where I ran into Steve. The Wake Robins are blooming beautifully...some really huge ones. The yellow trilliums are in bloom, and I saw some scattered other flowers such as Squirrell Corn and violets. Conditions should be really good there all week and into the weekend. Now's the time to go!
Posted by Steve Hamley on April 2, 2007 at 5:56 PM
Fall colors
Steve
Posted by Lori Kincaid on April 3, 2007 at 7:26 AM
As of 4/2/07 white fringed phacelia, phlox, and trillium are all peaking in vicinity of Chimney's picnic area. Dogwood at Sugarlands are near peak. The TN side is ahead of the NC side and much greener. Forsythia are peaking at the Mountain Museum, right on schedule. Go figure. Redbud are peaking there, too, but dogwood are mainly still pretty green.
We're expecting a hard freeze starting Wednesday night. Temps in the mountains are projected to be in the mid- to-low 20s for at least four nights running. This may wipe out the lower elevations and hold back the higher (if we're lucky and it doesn't wipe out the higher, too). Hard to say.
It's the strangest year I've ever seen, albeit beautiful.
I hit Porter's Creek and Tremont yesterday. Tuesday night we got some rains so the creeks were swollen. As Steve reported earlier these areas are peaking. I would say the Trillium (grandiflorum) Steve referenced above is past prime after the rain. The leaves and petals are still in great shape but the petals have many splotches where their color has been lost. Crested Dwarf Iris and Showy Orchis are still in bud although several of the Crested Dwarf Iris above the 1st bridge on Porter's Creek ( as far as I hiked) were in bloom. The white Wakerobin Trillium were in great shape and not showing any signs of damage. They were evident along Little River Road as well as in the Tremont area.
The dogwoods in Tremont are in full bloom now but as Steve said their seems to be less green now than before during the dogwood bloom. Maybe the other trees knew the freeze was coming
While it is tough to speculate what the next few nights of cold weather may do I would say that those areas I visited should be great till early next week at least, except for the aforementioned grandiflorum. For any birders in the group the Black-throated Green Warblers and Louisiana Waterthrushes were making their presence know all along the Porter Creek Trail.
I went to Whiteoak Sink today. The phlox are beautiful, they withstood the cold. Don't know what the next few nights will do though. The yellow trillium aren't in full bloom there yet, and I was surprised since I have seen them blooming profusely everywhere else. The next few days should be good there unless the cold does them in.
Posted by Thomas Biggs on April 6, 2007 at 10:11 PM
It snowing here, so I'd say that'll finish everything off
Posted by Steve Hamley on April 6, 2007 at 11:24 PM
It's snowing (flurries) in Knoxville. TN but the forecast is reasonable until tomorrow (Saturday night/Sunday morning) I'm hoping one bad night won't kill the spring.
Discussion
41 repliesWell, we are weeks away (!) from some of the early wildflowers making their appearance. Oconee bells, bloodroot and others will be blooming in a few weeks here in the upstate of SC. I am in Columbia, S.C. right now and there are daffodils everywhere.
So if you have a report, please post here.
Nye Simmons and I did the Whiteoak Sink as a scouting trip, but found blooming spring beauties, several varieties of bloodroot, maybe some anemone, and a few sprigs of the famous purple phlox. I hadn't expected to take a picture, but we both ended up doing 3-4 compositions. Some of the bloodroot was a lavender shade.
It apparently isn't too early to get a few pictures in there.
Steve
http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/ic.cgi?a=vp&pr=67945&b=vg4&st=0&la=398&ph=0&sid=12276&u=12276
Go to the Schoolhouse Gap Trail (jeep road) that starts on the road to Cades Cove, The trailhead for Schoolhouse Gap is on one side of the road and the Bote Mountain Road is on the other. Go up the Schoolhouse Gap road about 1.1 miles - you'll see the junction with the Turkeypen Ridge trail on the left.
Just about a hundred feet past the junction, you'll see the manway to Whiteoak Sink on the left. Go about 1/3 mile down the trail and look for a seep with small logs across it. This is the only junction you can really miss. If you go straight ahead, you'll end up at a spring branch and there'll be no trail on the other side. Cross a second seep immediately,
From the seeps, just follow the main trail into the sink. he bottom is another 1/2 mile or so. I have a detailed guide if you want, it's about 450 Mb. E-mail me if you want it. sahamleyATyahooDOTcom.
Steve
Things are popping quickly this year. Today (4/1) I did Tremont, Little River Road, Roaring Fork, and Greenbrier, and saw Alice in Greenbrier.
Dogwoods in Tremont are shootable, about half in full bloom and half with a still greenish tinge. The bad thing is the downed trees from last October's storms spoiling many compositions. The dogwood closest to the bridge downstream of the bridge we all shoot at is mostly dead and has only two blossoms, although there a couple more further downstream blooming. The area where Jerry and a bunch of us shot last year is quite good right now. If you want Tremont, try to go this week/weekend. Didn't see many trillium though. It's less green than in most years because many of the other trees are not leafed out well.
Same goes for the Little River Road, good dogwoods and redbuds (redbuds near peak), blooming large white (sweet?) trillium, columbine, and even a few sprigs of firepink here and there.
Trillium on the back (Greenbrier) side of Roaring Fork are at peak, and seem to show some storm or insect damage. If you want Roaring Fork, go ASAP.
Greenbrier looked early at the entrance but got near peak going up the Porter's Creek trail. The trilliums by the water Jerry, Richard (I think) and I have all shot are at peak and I would have reshot the composition today had the blooms not been wet and droopy from the rain. The blossoms appeared undamaged though. The crested dwarf iris are blooming, and the purple ladyslippers are about 6 inches high. I'd also guess the famous phacelia carpets are in full bloom above the third bridge, so if you want Greenbrier, go ASAP.
This is the earliest I've seen a lot of this stuff go off, so get going if you can.
I also suspect the Whiteoak Sink will be good very soon based on the appearance of purple phlox-like flowers along the LRR and in Greenbrier, and my last scouting trip about 10 days ago which yielded two shots when I expected zero. That's probably my next hike although there's no way I can do it before Wednesday at the very earliest.
Good hunting!
Steve
Steve
We're expecting a hard freeze starting Wednesday night. Temps in the mountains are projected to be in the mid- to-low 20s for at least four nights running. This may wipe out the lower elevations and hold back the higher (if we're lucky and it doesn't wipe out the higher, too). Hard to say.
It's the strangest year I've ever seen, albeit beautiful.
Lori
Tons of these Canadian Violets!
The freeze appears to be coming. Smoke 'em while ya got 'em.
Steve
The dogwoods in Tremont are in full bloom now but as Steve said their seems to be less green now than before during the dogwood bloom. Maybe the other trees knew the freeze was coming
While it is tough to speculate what the next few nights of cold weather may do I would say that those areas I visited should be great till early next week at least, except for the aforementioned grandiflorum. For any birders in the group the Black-throated Green Warblers and Louisiana Waterthrushes were making their presence know all along the Porter Creek Trail.
Cheers,
Steve
Shot this evening, after 2 snows and many many nights below freezing some have survived!