#Waterfalls and #Wildflowers – Virgin Falls State Natural Area

We usually just call it “Virgin Falls”, both to refer to the 1,551 acre plot of land, as well as the namesake waterfalls occupying the far end of it. The official name for the land, however, is ”Virgin Falls State Natural Area” at least since the state of Tennessee acquired it in 2012. When I visited it previously it was known as “Virgin Falls Pocket Wilderness” and was owned by the Bowater Southern Paper Corporation. Bowater owns and maintains a number of “Pocket Wilderness” areas, and admirable public benefit and, I’m sure, public relations activity. Tennessee acquired the land using a number of funding sources, including a grant from the federal Endangered Species Recovery Land Acquisition Fund. These funds were provided in part due to the presence of Virginia Spirea (Spiraea virginiana), one of the rarest shrubs in North America.

When I heard about Virginia Spirea being in the Virgin Falls area I decided I needed to add that to the USWildflowers Waterfalls and Wildflowers series, and I was fortunate to make an overnight hike into the Virgin Falls State Natural Area on March 8-9 of this year. While many wildflowers were already in full swing down my way in north Georgia, 70 miles north and a bit of elevation gain makes a difference, and this will be more waterfalls and less wildflowers than I expected to report.

Cascade on Big Laurel Creek

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#NPOD: Sharp-lobed Hepatica #Nativeplants

Native Plant of the Day 03/11/2013

Photo from March 7, 2009. Location: The Pocket, Walker County, Ga.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica - for more photos / info go to the Hepatica nobilis detail page.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica – Hepatica nobilis var acuta

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Update on #Wildflowers at The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, 03/10/2013

The wildflowers at The Pocket are very similar to last time – check out the update from 2/24.  However, there were a few additions, including Trout Lily, which is just beginning to bloom.

Trout Lily – Erythronium americanum

Read on for the rest of the list, and a few more photos.  Click on the photos for larger images, and then “back” to return to this page.

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#Waterfalls and #Wildflowers – The Pocket – an Early Spring? 02/04/2013

On Monday, Feb 4, I took a ride down to The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain with a couple of my grandsons – Chase and Jeff.  To a great extent this was to get them out from in front of their computers/video games, but also, since we’ve had such a warm winter, to check to see if there were any early signs of spring.  We walked the boardwalk and all the way up to and above the falls.  We had a good time, and even though I was expecting some indication that spring is around the corner, I was surprised…

Waterfalls in The Pocket

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An Early Spring at The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain

This is Leap Day.  For this once-every-four-years day, I thought that rather than the normal Native Plant of the Day (#NPOD on Twitter) I’d post a few native plants from and a report on the early spring status of the wildflowers at one of Georgia’s premier wildflower locations, The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain.  As things worked out, Feb 27 was the day available to make the short trek down to that part of Walker County.

It was a beautiful day.  When my wife and I headed down to The Pocket on Monday, Feb 27, 2012, we considered both the beautiful day and the time we were able to spend together a blessing from God.  We also expected to find wildflowers, since we’ve had very little real winter and quite a warm February. However, we had no idea!

Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis at The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain

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The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain 2011 – Game On! #wildflowers

What a difference a few weeks with some warm weather makes!  On Feb 13 we made a trip to The Pocket and there was still a little snow on the ground and no sign even of Harbinger of Spring.  I made a quick trip down to The Pocket this morning to check on the status, and the wildflower season has begun!  Read on…

Sharp-lobed Hepatica - Hepatica nobilis

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#NPOD: Hepatica (Blue) #NativePlants

Native Plant of the Day 12/22/2010

Photo from March 2010. Location: The Pocket, Walker County, GA..  While Hepatica blossoms are most commonly white, they also will be found in pink, and various shades of blue.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica (Blue) for more photos / information go to the Hepatica nobilis detail page.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica - Hepatica nobilis

#NPOD: Hepatica (White) #NativePlants

Native Plant of the Day 12/21/2010

Photo from March 2009. Location: The Pocket, Walker County, GA..  The new Hepatica blossoms arise in late winter or early spring and are most commonly white.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica (white) for more photos / information go to the Hepatica nobilis detail page.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica - Hepatica nobilis

#NPOD: Hepatica #NativePlants

Native Plant of the Day 12/20/2010

Photo from Feb 2009. Location: The Pocket, Walker County, GA..  The leaf will stay through the winter, with the new blossoms arising in late winter or very early spring through last year’s leaves. 

Sharp-lobed Hepatica (leaf) for more photos / information go to the Hepatica nobilis detail page.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica - Hepatica nobilis

04/01/2010 The Pocket Status Update

In summary: This will be a good weekend at The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, especially since tomorrow is forecast to be sunny and warm, as was today. 

Aquilegia canadensis - Columbine from 04/01/2010

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Hepatica – A Slightly Deeper Dive

My Twitter friend OurLittleAcre tweeted for an assist in a species identification on a Hepatica photo a day or so ago.  As we tweeted back and forth a few times about the species and color variation, it became clear that the subject was going to be difficult to discuss in 140-character messages, and since I wanted to record my thoughts and what I was learning as I researched the subjects, a post here on the USWildflowers Journal seemed to be in order.

Sharp-lobed Hepatica

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03/27/2010 The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain with GA Botanical Society

On Saturday I participated in the Georgia Botanical Society outing to The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, led by Mike Christison.  I’m a new member of the BotSoc, as they call it, and this membership in this organization is already paying dividends in many ways.  In addition to showing me two more wildflowers sites on Pigeon Mountain, I picked up two new species at The Pocket.  One of those was the Roundleaf Yellow Violet.

Roundleaf Yellow Violet

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03/19/2010 The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain – The Variety Show Has Begun

A beautiful sunny day with temps near 70 drew Cindy and I down to The Pocket for a quick look around.  As anticipated, the Bloodroot has burst forth in all its glory.

Bloodroot from 03/19/2010

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03/06/2010 The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain

Add common chickweed to Hepatica and Harbinger of Spring as the wildflowers in bloom in this late-starting season at The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain.  There is a lot of foliage pushing up, including the start of baby leaves of Trout Lily.  A huge area of beautiful Hepatica are blooming along the base of the bluff above the horse trail.

Deep blue Hepatica nobilis

I can’t get enough of the beautiful sharp-lobed hepatica this spring, and not just because it’s almost the only thing blooming…

02/28/2010 The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain – Starting

Several days of warm weather over the past couple of weeks, as well as some sunshine, something we missed in early February, has brought about the beginning of the wildflowers at The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain. 

Hepatica nobilis - 02/28/2010

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