Work and grandkid schedule have left time only for a quick trip down to The Pocket on Wednesday evening.  My primary purpose was to determine if the Bellwort down there is Large-flowered or Perfoliate (mission accomplished.)  We also took a spin around the boardwalk and made a trip north of the parking area, but did not get up the horse trail toward the falls, so I’m unable to update the status of flowers found along that trail.

Wild Geranium – Geranium maculatum

Here’s a list of the wildflower status:

• Baneberry:  The white baneberry is still blooming.
• Bellwort: Bellwort is almost gone; just a few blossoms here and there.  Another post on it later, but we have both Uvularia grandiflora and Uvularia perfoliata at The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain.
• Bent Trillium: Let’s call it peak for Trillium flexipes.  They are abundant and beautiful
• Blue cohosh:   I believe these have gone past bloom now.
• Chickweed:  Stellaria pubera still blooming, but more difficult to find. 
• Columbine:  I didn’t make it to where the Columbine bloom, so can’t report on whether they are still around or not.  They were just beginning about 12 days ago.
• Dwarf Iris:  This lovely flower is now blooming in The Pocket.
• False Solomon’s Seal:  Some with both buds forming and some open.
• Foamflower:   Many foamflower still blooming.
• Hyacinth:  The wild hyacinth blossoms abound.
• Jack in the Pulpit:  Peak of the Jack season, I think.
• Mandarin:  Some Yellow Mandarin (Fairybells) are still blooming, but they are pretty rare.
• Mayapple:  Found a single Mayapple blossom, so they are starting.
• Miterwort (Bishop’s cap):   I did not make it to their location along the trail to the falls, but my guess is that they are still blooming.
• Pennywort:  I didn’t make it up the horse trail to where I spotted them 5 days ago.
• Phlox:  Blue Phlox is at peak.
• Purple phacelia:  Quite abundant right now.
• Pussytoes: Didn’t walk the horse trail, so cannot confirm if they are still blooming.
• Redbud:  The redbud trees are still beautful.
• Rue anemone:  A few still blooming here and there.
• Solomon’s Seal:  Tiny buds are hanging below many of the stems.
• Sweet Cicely: Buds are forming and these will be blooming within the next several days.  (Note: I may be seeing Sweet Anise.)
• Stonecrop:  Sedum ternatum is blooming.
• Toadshade: Trillium cuneatum are everywhere.
• Toothworts:  Very few blossoms remain, but they can still be found. 
• Trailing trillium:  Quite abundant.
• Virginia bluebell: A few remain, but well past peak.
• Wild geranium:  Quite abundant everywhere.
• Wood Betony: Blooming along the driveway to the boardwalk.
• Wood (celandine) poppy: Just a few blossoms remain.
• Violets:
  • Canada violets:  Everywhere, but they are getting long in the tooth.
  • Common blue violet:  Still around and easy to find.
  • Yellow violet:  Many of them but fewer than last week; probably both Viola rotundifolia and V. pennsylvanica.
  • Long-spurred violets: Quite numerous everywhere, but in decline.