It had been 10 days during the ‘peak development period’ of wildflowers at The Pocket since I’d last been there. It was a beautiful day today, and in spite of the fact that the boardwalk past the loop and the trail to the falls were closed, I counted 31 species blooming. I suspect that had I been able to access those areas, I would also have seen Bishop’s Cap (Mitella diphylla), Heartleaf Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), and White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda).

Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis

Here is the full list of what I found blooming (Click on the hyper-linked scientific name to go to the page with more photos/information on that species.):

• Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) – Quite a few blooming, but in decline. Hurry if you want to see them.
• Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) – Peak, and magnificent. Maybe the best bloom I’ve seen in years.
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• Hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) – Still plentiful, but on the decline. Many blooming above this year’s leaves.
• Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) – a few are still around, showing their age.
• Carolina Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana) – Still quite plentiful.
• Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera) – Lots of them. They hang around for a long time.
• Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) – Just beginning to bloom.
• Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) – Plentiful, especially north of the parking lot.
• Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) Plentiful, but not yet outnumbering the Hepatica.
• Long-spurred Violet (Viola rostrata) – Plentiful, everywhere.
• Canada Violet (Viola canadensis) – Just a few beginning to bloom.
• Smooth Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens) – Many blooming.
• Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia) – Many.
• Field Pansy (Viola bicolor) – Along the driveway after you drive across the creek.
• Wood Poppy, aka Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) – Quite a few blooming, more to come.

• Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) – I saw one stalk blooming at the back of the loop, quite a distance from the boardwalk, so no photos. There is foliage nearer the boardwalk, but I didn’t see any buds developing. Unfortunately the large, close colony is inaccessible due to the closure.
• Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) – A few blooming.
• Plantain-leaf Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia) – Quite a number early in their bloom.
• Cumberland Spurge (Euphorbia mercurialina) – Many.
• Trailing Trillium (Trillium decumbens) – Just beginning; quite a few open.
• Redbud (Cercis canadensis) – Just starting
• Purple Phacelia (Phacelia bipinnatifida) – One plant with flowers open above the falls.
• Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) – Several plants are blooming now.
• Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus) – One fully blooming and several close along the horse trail (Pocket Loop Trail.)

• Wild Blue Phlox  (Phlox divaricata) –  Plentiful along the Pocket Loop Trail; I didn’t see any around the boardwalk loop.
• Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) – I’m playing it loose with “in bloom” – one plant had a flower almost fully open. Several plants with buds.
• Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea) – I saw one plant blooming along the horse trail.
• Roundleaf Ragwort (Packera obovata) – One plant with the ray florets unfolding.
• Wood Vetch (Vicia caroliniana) – One just past the gate onto the Pocket Loop Trail.
• Pennywort (Obolaria virginica) – One blooming along the Pocket Loop Trail (horse trail)