Monthly Archives: April 2016

Squirrel Corn – Dicentra canadensis – Added to USWildflowers’ Database

Squirrel Corn, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (04/26/2016.) Scientific name is Dicentra canadensis.  Photo below was taken along the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Cove Hardwood Nature Trail, Sevier County, TN on April 21, 2016. Go to the Squirrel Corn detail page for more information.

Squirrel Corn, Wild turkey-pea, Turkey Corn, Colicweed, Ghost Corn, Lyre Flower - Dicentra canadensis

Squirrel Corn – Dicentra canadensis

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Glade Violet – Viola egglestonii – Added to USWildflowers’ Database

Glade Violet, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (04/12/2016.) Scientific name is Viola egglestonii.  Photo below was taken in a Chickamauga Battlefield Cedar Glade, Catoosa County, Ga on March 25, 2016. Go to the Glade Violet detail page for more information.

Glade Violet, Eggleston’s Violet - Viola egglestonii

Glade Violet, Eggleston’s Violet – Viola egglestonii

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Wild Bleeding Heart – Dicentra eximia – Added to USWildflowers’ Database

Wild Bleeding Heart, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (04/15/2016.) Scientific name is Dicentra eximia.  Photo below was taken in the Cherokee National Forest in Polk County, TN on April 13, 2016. Go to the Wild Bleeding Heart detail page for more information.

Wild Bleeding Heart - Dicentra eximia

Wild Bleeding Heart – Dicentra eximia

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The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain #Wildflower Status Update 04/14/2016 – 39 Species Blooming

This will likely be my last status update on wildflowers at The Pocket this season. The overstory is filling out, and the leafy understory is blocking what sun makes it through the leaves on the trees, so the spring ephemeral season is drawing to a close. From a species count – this time I counted 39 species blooming – it seems to be active, but most of those are in definite decline. This would be a particularly good time to come if you want to catch some of those species in fruit. The massive display of Bent White Trillium (Trillium flexipes) is still on, but it and most other species are past their peak.

White Baneberry, Doll's Eyes - Actaea pachypoda

White Baneberry – time to be transitioning to the Doll’s Eyes common name – Actaea pachypoda

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Piney River Trail #Wildflowers List 04/08/2016

I’d seen (on Facebook) and heard (passerby on Chestnut Top Trail in the Smokies a week or so ago) about Piney River Trail near Spring City. Due to some cancelled plans, Friday, 04/08/2016 became available, so even though the weather was sketchy, I decided to drive the 65 miles to the trail to check it out for myself. It exceeded expectations both for wildflowers, and for simply being a fun, beautiful trail.

Large-flowered Trillium, Foamflower, Star Chickweed, Hepatica leaves

Large-flowered Trillium, Foamflower, Star Chickweed, Hepatica leaves

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Red Elderberry – Sambucus racemosa – Added to USWildflowers’ Database

Red Elderberry, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (04/08/2016.) Scientific name is Sambucus racemosa.  Photo below was taken in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blount County, TN on March 21, 2016. Go to the Red Elderberry detail page for more information.

Red Elderberry, Red Elder, Rocky Mountain Elder, Scarlet Elderberry - Sambucus racemosa

Red Elderberry – Sambucus racemosa

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The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain Status Update 04/07/2016 – 40 Species Blooming

Another hiatus from The Pocket of almost 2 weeks. Repeating from the last report – “Even more species are blooming now than two weeks ago.” This time I counted 40 species blooming, including one I don’t recall ever seeing down there before – Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata.) But the show is the massive display of Bent White Trillium (Trillium flexipes) – nearly every plant I saw had an open blossom, and the hillside was covered with them in many places.

Bent White Trillium - Trillium flexipes

Bent White Trillium – Trillium flexipes

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#Waterfalls and #Wildflowers – Gee Creek Wilderness

It had been a couple of years since I had walked in Gee Creek Wilderness. Since it was spring break for some of my grandkids, the spring ephemerals were in full swing, and it promised to be good weather, I headed to Gee Creek with two of my grandsons (Noah and Philip) for a walk along the creek on Friday, April 1, 2016.

Waterfalls in Gee Creek

Waterfalls in Gee Creek

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