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…
Saturday, March 14, 2014 was a beautiful day with perfect morning temperatures for hiking, and fortunately my grandson Philip had asked me to take him for a hike, so around 9 AM we headed out from Camp Vesper Point for a visit to the nearby North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Natural Area. This was my grandson’s first visit to the North Chick, and I hadn’t been there in many years, so while I was hoping for wildflowers, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Sweet Betsy – Trillium cuneatum – were plentiful, but just beginning to bloom.
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.
Just under two weeks ago (2/4) I reported that Harbinger of Spring and Hepatica were blooming at The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain, the beginning of an early spring. We made another trip down there today, and things are continuing to develop. This post has the list of what we saw blooming or getting ready to bloom.
Cutleaf Toothwort – Cardamine concatenata – on Feb 16, 2013
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
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