While the weather is keeping things slow, things are picking up at The Pocket. Several species have started blooming, and even more are “almost there.” Checking last year’s reports, we’re tracking pretty close to 3/10/2013. The big excitement for me today was finding that a few Dutchman’s Breeches have started blooming.
Dutchman’s Breeches – Dicentra cucullaria
Read on for a more complete update…
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised considering the cold weather we had in January and February, but I do continue to be surprised about how late the wildflowers are starting at The Pocket. Even so, today’s trip was a good one – not only because it was a beautiful day, but also because what is blooming is beautiful. The biggest “news” is that Bloodroot is now starting to bloom.
While there were only a few Bloodroot blooming along the boardwalk, there were hundreds up the Pocket Loop Trail.
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.
Purple Phacelia, Fernleaf Phacelia – Phacelia bipinnatifida
I wasn’t planning on going down to The Pocket this weekend, but my wife had other plans for Sunday, so she suggested that I do something to take advantage of the beautiful day, so I headed down there shortly after getting home from church. In addition to walking the boardwalk and the trail up to the falls, I did a little back country walking above the bluff north of the horse trail. Wildflowers are abundant; here is my report, and a couple of photos taken off the beaten path in The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain.
The Phacelia are blooming. There is a Phacelia in the field to the right as you walk down to the boardwalk; they are blooming along the boardwalk and all the way up to the falls. The photo above was taken up on the top of the north bluff.
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
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
Native Plant of the Day 12/18/2010
Photo from Feb 2009. Location: The Pocket, Walker County, GA..
Bloodroot (bud) for more photos / information go to the Sanguinaria canadensis detail page.
Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis
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
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
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