This is an incomplete update on the wildflowers at The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain – I got an “urgent” call from my wife as I approached the back of the boardwalk, so it covers only a very small part of the area. Fortunately, and I didn’t know until I got home, the urgent call wasn’t an emergency call – our granddaughter had returned a few days early from a months-long mission trip to Mexico and South America, and we were fortunate enough to get to have lunch with her – our middle granddaughter – and our youngest granddaughter. Sorry, but I’ve got my priorities.

Even with the much shortened walk, I spotted 13 species blooming along the boardwalk, including what I consider to be the crown jewel of the early wildflowers – Bloodroot.

Bloodroot at The Pocket

When I first got down near the boardwalk I saw some Bloodroot leaves with their developing seedpods sticking up – no flowers! Oh no, did I miss them by not walking the horse trail 10 days earlier? But no, to my relief as I moved along I found them in abundance, most early in their blooming, although there were a number starting to drop their petals. So if you want to see the Bloodroot at The Pocket, you probably should come as soon as this current monsoon lets up (Friday?)

Here’s the full list of what I saw yesterday along the first 2/3 of the boardwalk:

• Harbinger-of-Spring (Erigenia bulbosa) – Just a few remain
• Hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) – Plentiful
• Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) – Most are blooming; a few still in bud
• Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) – Many blooming, but  a few showing their fruit.
• Carolina Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana) – Abundant; peak.

Spring Beauty at The Pocket

• Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera) I didn’t actually notice these on this trip, but they were blooming 10 days ago, and they usually last a long time. I would be REALLY surprised if there were none.
• Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) – Many plants starting to unfold; I saw one or two plants with a few blossoms open.
• Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) – Quite a few blooming.
  
• Yellow Violet (V. pensylvanica) – A few blooming.
• Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia) – Just saw one.
• Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) – I frequently miss these by looking down at the ground; remember to look just above head height as you walk through the loop part of the boardwalk.
• Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) – Quite a number open, but far from peak.

Virginia Bluebell at The Pocket

• Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) – Quite a number open, but far from peak.
• Redbud (Cercis canadensis) – Just starting to open.