Category Archives: The Pocket

The Pocket Wildflower Status Update 03/26/2020 – 39 Species

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Finally a day with no rain, so Cindy and I took another drive to The Pocket, where (other than passing on the boardwalk) we could continue to “social distance.” On the boardwalk we, along with most of the others who were there, would pass back-to-back.

While a few species from last week were missing – Trout Lily, Dutchman’s Breeches, and Hepatica were gone – there were a number added this week – White Baneberry (Doll’s Eyes), Woodland Stonecrop, and (most exciting one for me) Lanceleaf Trillium were the standouts of the new species, even thought the Bent White Trillium probably dominated the bloom.

White Trillium, Nodding Wakerobin, Bent White Trillium, Bent Trillium, Drooping Trillium, Declined Trillium - Trillium flexipes

Bent White Trillium – Trillium flexipes

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The Pocket Wildflower Status Update 03/19/2020 – 34 Species

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I know two weeks ago I said this would likely be the first year in 10 that I haven’t reported on the wildflowers blooming at The Pocket due to travel plans, other activities, and weather. Well, the Coronavirus cancelled some travel plans and other activities, and we had a brief respite from the rain today, so Cindy and I took a spin down to The Pocket.

Virginia Bluebells - Mertensia virginica

Virginia Bluebells – Mertensia virginica

Mertensia virginica

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After 10 Years of status reports on The Pocket…

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After 10 years of reporting on the wildflower bloom status at The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain, this year may be the first that I don’t get down there during the spring ephemeral season. Weather, travel, and other interests have conflicted with my available time, so unfortunately those of you who have counted on the reports from USWildflowers.com to determine your trip schedule are going to be disappointed. Sorry!

It should be noted that Hog Jowl Road is closed between Davis Crossroads and The Pocket.  You’ll need to get to W. Cove Rd – via Akins Rd if coming from the east, or staying to the right before crossing the ridge past Coulter Cemetery if coming from the north. Turn left onto Andrews Lane, then right back onto Hog Jowl.

As a status update, however, Richard T. Ware of the Georgia Botanical Society and a man whose botany and photography skills I greatly admire, made a trip down there (“up there” for him) this past Sunday, March 1, and his report implies NOW would be a good time to make a visit, with photos of Hepatica, Bloodroot, Trout Lily, Spring Beauty, Virginia Bluebells, Harbinger of Spring, Toothwort, Dutchman’s Breeches, and Star Chickweed. Below is a link to his Facebook photo album (click on the word “comment” to get to Facebook to see his full album.)

 

The Pocket Wildflower Status Update 04/02/2019 – 46 Species

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Clayton Webster, leader of the Over the Hill Hiking Group (OHHG), contacted me a couple of days ago with an invitation to join their group on their visit to The Pocket, so even though it had only been a few days, I went on down there to meet up with this great group. We covered The Pocket very thoroughly, visited the Martin Davis house, and took a drive over to visit the Blue Hole area of Pigeon Mountain. The day was a success, not only because of the great group, but also I managed to find several species that I missed on Saturday.

Over the Hill Hiking Group

The Over the Hill Hiking Group “Better Half”

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The Pocket Wildflower Status Update 03/30/2019 – 41 Species Identified

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Partly sunny and warm (70+ degrees) – a great time to check on the bloom status at The Pocket. I was expecting the Bent White Trillium and the Crested Dwarf Iris to be blooming, and they did not disappoint. I was also expecting the Little Sweet Betsy to be blooming, and as I walked north of the parking lot and around the boardwalk, I thought I would be shut out on that account, but along the Pocket Creek Trail heading toward the camping area they were in full swing, so no surprises on the Trillium front. However, there was a surprise – alongside one of those blooming Little Sweet Betsy there was a Southern Stoneseed. I had not seen that plant on this side of the mountain. Overall I identified 41 species this visit, not counting some of the invasives around the parking lot such as Purple Deadnettle and Common Chickweed.

Southern Stoneseed, Tuberous Stoneseed, Tuberous Gromwell - Lithospermum tuberosum

Southern Stoneseed – Lithospermum tuberosum

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The Pocket Wildflower Status Update 03/22/2019 – 33 Species Blooming (plus a bonus)

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It had only been 5 days since we were last at The Pocket, but I ran across some published information about the particular subspecies of Trout Lily at that location a couple of days ago, and I wanted photographs of the identifying characteristics. And it was another beautiful day today, so I headed down there in the early afternoon.  I counted 33 species blooming, naturally mostly the same as five days earlier. I also made a run around to the east side of Pigeon Mountain.

Purple Phacelia, Fernleaf Phacelia - Phacelia bipinnatifida

Purple Phacelia, Fernleaf Phacelia – Phacelia bipinnatifida

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The Pocket Wildflower Status Update 03/17/2019 – 31 Species Blooming

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It had been 10 days during the ‘peak development period’ of wildflowers at The Pocket since I’d last been there. It was a beautiful day today, and in spite of the fact that the boardwalk past the loop and the trail to the falls were closed, I counted 31 species blooming. I suspect that had I been able to access those areas, I would also have seen Bishop’s Cap (Mitella diphylla), Heartleaf Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), and White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda).

Bloodroot, Red Indian Paint, Red Puccoon - Sanguinaria canadensis

Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis

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The Pocket Status Update 03/07/2019 – 14 Species Blooming

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This has been a VERY wet late winter, and cold the last several days. Today (Thursday, 03/07/2019) had a confluence of sunshine, warm temps (low 50’s), and the threat of more rain starting tomorrow, so I made a run down to The Pocket. Unfortunately a significant part of the Shirley Miller Trail, including the boardwalk extension and the trail from the end of the boardwalk to the falls, is closed. Many of the spring wildflowers (Dutchmen’s Breeches, Doll’s Eyes, Bishop’s Cap come to mind immediately) are found along that section, so I won’t know when they are blooming. That being said, I counted 14 species blooming in the area north of the parking lot, the boardwalk loop, and along the Pocket Loop Trail (the “horse trail” that leads to the camping area above the falls, not to be confused with the boardwalk loop on the Shirley Miller Trail.) I’m not sure if this latter area (Pocket Loop Trail) is officially closed or not. If not, I half expect it to happen, since the trail crosses the part area of the hillside which is slipping, causing trees to fall onto the boardwalk below.

boardwalk extension is closed

The Shirley Miller Trail boardwalk extension is closed “indefinitely”

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Status Update for The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain 02/24/2019

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Rain and wind have kept me away from The Pocket, and when the sun broke through, my wife and I made a run down there today, 02/24/2019. This was a very abbreviated inspection – additional trees have come down in recent days, damaging and blocking the section of the boardwalk where repairs had just been completed, and causing upheaval and further damage in the section near the back where repairs were underway. UPDATE: Kathy Smith Hamill reports that the GA DNR has built a wooden barricade across the boardwalk just past the loop with signs ‘that say the boardwalk and spur trail back to the waterfall from that point are now “closed indefinitely due to soil instability” with the word “indefinitely” in bold, italic letters.’ This is very unfortunate.

That being said, the wildflowers are starting – as shown by this photo, the Bloodroot are starting to bloom!

Bloodroot, Red Indian Paint, Red Puccoon - Sanguinaria canadensis

Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis

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Early Wildflowers at The Pocket – 02/08/2019

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My grandson Philip and I made a run down to The Pocket yesterday, Feb 8. With the warm winter I had been planning on getting down there for a couple of weeks, and then I saw Richard Ware’s reports of Hepatica and Harbinger-of-Spring blooming on Feb 4, so with the beautiful weather yesterday (high of 80 degrees!), we headed down in the early afternoon.  While these flowers are blooming earlier than “normal”, I have photographed Hepatica earlier – Feb 4, 2009, and Feb 7, 2013.

Anemone acutiloba” class=”size-medium” /> Sharp-lobed Hepatica – Anemone acutiloba

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