Tag Archives: Chickweed

Early Wildflowers at The Pocket – 02/08/2019

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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The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain 02/19/2018 – Start of the 2018 Season (5 species)

While we had a very cold January, February warmed up, and with the next week also expected to be quite warm – temperatures in the 60s, 70s, with even a possibility of reaching 80 degrees – I would expect a lot of action by next weekend. It was reported to me that  a few Hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) and Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa) were blooming a week ago; those are abundant now, and I found a few other species blooming along the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail as well.

Hepatica – Anemone acutiloba

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The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain Status Update 3/2/2016

As reported a month back, Hepatica, Harbinger-of-Spring, and a Star Chickweed were blooming at The Pocket at the end of January as a result of our unusually warm winter. We had some cold weather in February, and nothing much had changed in mid-February. My wife and I were out of town for a couple of weeks, so when we returned yesterday, I was anxious to see what had developed in our absence. While the boardwalk itself doesn’t show too much action, there is a lot that is cranking up both on the trail to the bottom of the falls past the end of the boardwalk and on the Pocket Loop Trail (aka the horse trail) up to the top of the falls.

Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis

Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis

Yes, Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is blooming along the horse trail – I haven’t see it this early in four years, implying (as expected) an early spring this year.

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Early Report on The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain 02/16/2016

As reported a couple of weeks ago, we’ve had a VERY warm winter, with Hepatica and Harbinger of Spring blooming when I visited The Pocket on January 30 – the earliest I’ve ever seen native wildflowers blooming at The Pocket. We finally had some “real winter” in the weeks since then, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I visited The Pocket today. That cold snap slowed things down, but there is some progress. If your “thing” is to see Harbinger of Spring at peak, or to see the waterfalls with a really good flow, this is a good time to visit The Pocket.

Harbinger-of-Spring, Pepper and Salt - Erigenia bulbosa

Harbinger-of-Spring – Erigenia bulbosa

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The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain Status Update 3/27/2014

Yesterday (3/27) was one of the rare days this spring – mostly clear skies and warmer weather – into the 60’s. As a plus a couple of my grandkids wanted to join me, so a great time at The Pocket was guaranteed.  Several of the “signature species” at The Pocket – Virginia Bluebell, Wood (Celandine) Poppy, Dutchman’s Breeches (or, as my grandson called them, “Upside Down Pants from Holland), Trout Lily are blooming right now.  I’m developing a checklist to use so I won’t have to photograph or remember what all is blooming, and of the 51 species on my current version of the checklist, 25 are blooming right now.

Trailing Trillium (Trillium decumbens)

Trailing Trillium – Trillium decumbens

For the rest of the story…

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The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain Status Update 3/18/2014

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

Dutchman’s Breeches – Dicentra cucullaria

Read on for a more complete update…

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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

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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Wildflowers at The Pocket 03/11/2012

Purple Phacelia, Fernleaf Phacelia - Phacelia bipinnatifida

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.

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