Natural History Wanderings

Great Smoky Mountains Association has a new wildflower report by Tom Harrington for April 25  describing five wildflower trails.

Legend:   JSB (just staring to bloom), AG (about gone)

Chestnut Top (B-E) – Bishop Caps, Purple Phacelia, Yellow Trillium, Trillium Erect, /Solomon’s Seal,  Foam Flower, False Solomon’s Seal (Just starting to bloom), Sweet Cicely, Rue Anemone, Star Chickweed, Stonecrop, Hooked Buttercup, Bed Straw, Silver Bells, Spring Beauty, Dogwood, Squaw Root, Meadow Parsnip, Long Spurred Violet, Buckeye, Toothwort, Yellow Mandarin, Crested Dwarf Iris, Common Blue Violet, Fire Pink, Common Cinquefoil, Little Brown Jugs, Dog Hobble (JSB), Cancer Root, Dutchmen’s Pipe, Sweet White Violet, Lousewort, Catesby Trillium (great display), Bird Foot Violet, Wild Oats, Trailing Arbutus (AG), Halberd Leaf Violet, Carolina Vetch and Star Grass.  Note:  Down to Bird Foot Violet  most of the blooms were on the first half mile of the trail.

School House Gap (B-E) – Common Blue Violet, Bird  Foot Violet, Dogwood, Common Cinquefoil, Rue Anemone, Long Spurred Violet, Star Grass, Crested Dwarf Iris, Wild Strawberry, Halberd Leaf Violet, Carolina Vetch, Lousewort, Catesby Trillium, Wild Phlox, Large Flowered Bellwort, Sweet White Violet (outstanding display), Hooked Buttercup, Golden Ragwort (JSB), Wild Geranium, Dog Hobble (JSB), Canadian Violet, Daisy Fleabane, Solomon’s Seal, Trillium Erect, Toothwort and Yellow Trillium.

Bote Mountain (From Laurel Creek Road to West Prong Trail) – Long Spurred Violet (+), Sweet White Violet (outstanding display), Catesby Trillium, Lousewort, Gold Ragwort (JSB), Crested Dwarf Iris, Wild Strawberry, Trillium Erect, Solomon’s Seal, Common Cinquefoil, Wild Oats, Dogwood and Lyre Leaf Sage (1).

West Prong (B-E) – Umbrella Magnolia, Common Cinquefoil, Halberd Leaf Violet, Dog Violet (1), Foam Flower, Solomon’s Seal, Dog Hobble (JSB), Daisy Fleabane (Past peak), Showy Orchis (very beautiful), Large Flowered Bellwort (JSB), Silver Bell, Doll Eyes (1), Canadian Violet, Hooked Buttercup, Long Spurred Violet, Sweet White Violet (outstanding display), Trailing Arbutus (about gone), Prostate Bluets (AG), Trillium Erect, Star Chickweed (great display), Rue Anemone, Pennywort (AG), Toothwort, Sweet Cicely, Blue Cohosh (AG) and Yellow Mandarin.

Tremont Road (From Laurel Creek Road to the Institute) – Toothwort, Dog Hobble (JSB), Trillium Erect, Showy Orchis (great), Sweet White Violet, Common Blue Violet, Hooked Buttercup, Golden Ragwort (JSB), Crested Dwarf Iris, Bed Straw, Lousewort, Star Chickweed, Wood Anemone (-), Yellow Mandarin, Bishop Gaps, Dogwood, Solomon’s Seal, Foam Flower, Long Spurred Violet, Wild Strawberry, Sweet Shrub, Daisy Fleabane (Past Peak), Common Cinquefoil, Yellow Trillium, Large Flowered Trillium, Wild Phlox, Purple Phacelia, False Solomon’s Seal (JSB), Wild Geranium and Bleeding Heart.

Special Notice: Tom is presenting a wildflower program on Tuesday evenings at 8 PM in the Cades Cove Amphitheater (across from the ranger station). Later in the season it may be starting at 9 PM.

See older reports at:  Wildflower Updates | Great Smoky Mountains Association.