04/06/2010 Wildflower Status Update at The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain

We made a quick trip down to The Pocket on Tuesday evening.  We made a short 100-yard walk up the horse trail and took a spin around the boardwalk, so I’m unable to update the status of flowers found along the trail to the falls, but here’s what I’ve got.

Wild Blue Phlox from 04/06/2010

Here’s a list of the wildflower status:

• Baneberry:  The white baneberry is starting to bloom.
• Bellwort: Bellwort is at peak bloom.
• Bent Trillium: This is probably at or near peak for Trillium flexipes.
• Bloodroot:  I only saw a single blossom remaining.
• Blue cohosh:  Blooming profusely. I called it “peak” 5 days ago, but they are even more abundant now.
• Chickweed:  Stellaria pubera still blooming profusely, but seemingly in decline. 
• Columbine:  I didn’t make it to where the Columbine bloom, but they should be good right now, since they were just beginning to bloom 5 days ago.
• Dutchman’s breeches:   They’re gone!  I did not spot a single one still blooming.
• False Solomon’s Seal:  The buds are forming and they’ll be open soon.
• Foamflower:   Peak of the foamflower season, I think.
• Hepatica:  I think I saw only a single hepatica blossom along the boardwalk.
• Hyacinth:  The wild hyacinth have formed their buds, and will start blooming soon.
• Jack in the Pulpit:  Several are open along the boardwalk.  Several in their opening stage, which makes for an interesting plant.
• Mandarin:  Yellow mandarin (Fairybells) are blooming.
• Miterwort (Bishop’s cap):   I did not make it to their location along the trail to the falls, but they were just beginning 5 days  ago, so should be about peak now.
• Pennywort:  I didn’t make it up the horse trail to where I spotted them 5 days ago, but they should still be blooming.
• Phlox:  I was surprised that I didn’t find any along the boardwalk, but they are beginning to bloom along the horse trail.
• Purple phacelia: I didn’t make it up the horse trail to where I spotted the single plant blooming 5 days ago, but they should common up around the falls now.  I didn’t see any along the boardwalk.
• Pussytoes: Blooming along the horse trail.
• Redbud:  The redbud trees are beautful right now.
• Rue anemone:  Continue to be numerous.
• Solomon’s Seal:  They are opening and tiny buds are hanging below many of the stems.
• Spring Beauty:  Still many of them around.
• Toadshade: Trillium cuneatum are starting to bloom.
• Toothworts:  Very few blossoms remain.
• Trailing trillium:  Quite abundant – probably at peak.
• Trout lily:   Gone!  There were a few shriveled blossoms lying on the leaves, but I didn’t spot a single blooming Trout Lily.
• Virginia bluebell: Numerous;  at peak.  Beautiful!
• Wild geranium: Just beginning to bloom along the boardwalk.
• Wood (celandine) poppy: Numerous, at or just past peak.  Beautiful!
• Violets:
  • Canada violets:  Everywhere.
  • Common blue violet:  Common in quantity, but uncommonly beautiful.
  • Yellow violet:  Hundreds of them; probably both Viola rotundifolia and V. pennsylvanica.
  • Long-spurred violets: Quite numerous everywhere.  The clusters of these were quite striking.