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.

 Hepatica and Harbinger of Spring were still blooming – Hepatica still the predominant blooming species.  The Toothworts were just starting to bloom; that surprised me.   I expected to see more fully open.  There were some buds just beginning to form on some of the early Phacelia plants, as well as on the Virginia Bluebells.

Virginia Bluebell flower buds – Mertensia virginica

The foliage of many plants such as Geraniums, Trout Lilies, and Dutchman’s Breeches are beginning to push up thru the warming soil.   Here are a couple of Blue Cohosh plants.

Blue Cohosh sprouts – Caulophyllum thalictroides

Aside from a single Long-spurred Violet along the Pocket Loop Trail, the only other new plant I found blooming were many Carolina Spring Beauties.

Carolina Spring Beauty – Claytonia caroliniana

The Georgia Botanical Society has their visit to The Pocket scheduled for March 22.  I think their timing will be excellent.

As an aside, I also headed over to the Pigeon Mountain Blue Hole area today to check some things there, and discovered that they are working on the road and it is currently closed.  I don’t know when it will be opened back up.

Reminder: The Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area, including The Pocket, is now a fee area.  Check out my “main” Pocket page for more information.