The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain #Wildflower Status Update 03/25/2016

It’s been nearly 2 weeks since I made it down to The Pocket – my apologies for the paucity of status updates this year.  Even more species (38) are blooming now than two weeks ago (28), even though we’ve lost, or nearly lost, a few. I only saw a single Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) bloom, Harbinger-of-Spring is gone, Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) has completed its bloom, there are only a few Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) still blooming, Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) are essentially gone, and I couldn’t find the single Pennywort (Obolaria virginica) I saw two weeks ago.

Dutchman's Breeches

The only remaining Dutchman’s Breeches flowers I could find.

Other than what was mentioned above, here is what I found blooming, more or less in order of finding it. I started in the area north of the parking lot, then walked the boardwalk, the trail to the falls, the cliff trail across the falls to the horse trail, and then came down the horse trail.

Heartleaf Foamflower

Heartleaf Foamflower blooming above the creek in The Pocket

  • Largeflower Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) – Just a few starting to bloom along the boardwalk.
  • Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) – Starting decline, but most plants still have few flowers left, a few still have many flowers.

    Bishop's Cap

    Bishop’s Cap are blooming along the trail to the falls.

  • Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) – That Jack that I photographed along the boardwalk two weeks ago is fully formed now, but surprisingly I didn’t see any others.
  • White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) – I saw one plant along the boardwalk with buds, and one along the trail to the falls with a full inflorescence open.
  • Bishop’s Cap (Mitella diphylla) – That spot where the trail comes down to the creek about halfway to the falls has several Bishop’s Caps in full bloom.
  • Hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) – Just a few still blooming. Many of this year’s leaves are around to be found.
  • Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) – Several plants with several flowers fully open.
Eastern Columbine

Eastern Columbine

  • Roundleaf Ragwort – Fairly plentiful along the horse trail.
  • Plantainleaf Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia) – Many blooming up above
    Woodland Stonecrop

    Woodland Stonecrop

    the falls.

  • Woodland Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) – A few fully open on the walls along the horse trail.
  • Cumberland Spurge (Euphorbia mercurialina) – Several of these unobtrusive plants in bloom along the horse trail.
  • Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus) – Several are blooming on the rock wall along the horse trail (Pocket Loop Trail.) The most beautiful of Georgia’s fleabanes.
  • Trillium cuneatum – I was surprised to see only two of these fully open given the abundance of open Trillium descumbens.

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