Wild Bleeding Heart, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (04/15/2016.) Scientific name is Dicentra eximia. Photo below was taken in the Cherokee National Forest in Polk County, TN on April 13, 2016. Go to the Wild Bleeding Heart detail page for more information.
Wild Bleeding Heart – Dicentra eximia
This will likely be my last status update on wildflowers at The Pocket this season. The overstory is filling out, and the leafy understory is blocking what sun makes it through the leaves on the trees, so the spring ephemeral season is drawing to a close. From a species count – this time I counted 39 species blooming – it seems to be active, but most of those are in definite decline. This would be a particularly good time to come if you want to catch some of those species in fruit. The massive display of Bent White Trillium (Trillium flexipes) is still on, but it and most other species are past their peak.
White Baneberry – time to be transitioning to the Doll’s Eyes common name – Actaea pachypoda
I’d seen (on Facebook) and heard (passerby on Chestnut Top Trail in the Smokies a week or so ago) about Piney River Trail near Spring City. Due to some cancelled plans, Friday, 04/08/2016 became available, so even though the weather was sketchy, I decided to drive the 65 miles to the trail to check it out for myself. It exceeded expectations both for wildflowers, and for simply being a fun, beautiful trail.
Large-flowered Trillium, Foamflower, Star Chickweed, Hepatica leaves
Red Elderberry, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (04/08/2016.) Scientific name is Sambucus racemosa. Photo below was taken in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blount County, TN on March 21, 2016. Go to the Red Elderberry detail page for more information.
Red Elderberry – Sambucus racemosa
Another hiatus from The Pocket of almost 2 weeks. Repeating from the last report – “Even more species are blooming now than two weeks ago.” This time I counted 40 species blooming, including one I don’t recall ever seeing down there before – Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata.) But the show is the massive display of Bent White Trillium (Trillium flexipes) – nearly every plant I saw had an open blossom, and the hillside was covered with them in many places.
Bent White Trillium – Trillium flexipes
It had been a couple of years since I had walked in Gee Creek Wilderness. Since it was spring break for some of my grandkids, the spring ephemerals were in full swing, and it promised to be good weather, I headed to Gee Creek with two of my grandsons (Noah and Philip) for a walk along the creek on Friday, April 1, 2016.
Waterfalls in Gee Creek
Tennessee Gladecress, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (03/28/2016.) Scientific name is Leavenworthia exigua. Photo below was taken in the Chickamauga Battlefield National Park, Catoosa County, GA on May 25, 2016. Go to the Tennessee Gladecress detail page for more information.
Tennessee Gladecress – Leavenworthia exigua
It’s been nearly 2 weeks since I made it down to The Pocket – my apologies for the paucity of status updates this year. Even more species (38) are blooming now than two weeks ago (28), even though we’ve lost, or nearly lost, a few. I only saw a single Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) bloom, Harbinger-of-Spring is gone, Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) has completed its bloom, there are only a few Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) still blooming, Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) are essentially gone, and I couldn’t find the single Pennywort (Obolaria virginica) I saw two weeks ago.
The only remaining Dutchman’s Breeches flowers I could find.
Shrub Yellowroot – Native Plant of the Day 03/25/2016
Photo from 03/22/2009. Location: Hamilton County, TN. More photos / info at the
Xanthorhiza simplicissima detail page.
Shrub Yellowroot – Xanthorhiza simplicissima
Largeflower Mexican Clover, an introduced species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (03/21/2016.) Scientific name is Richardia grandiflora. Photo below was taken in Venice, Florida on Jan 20, 2015. Go to the Largeflower Mexican Clover detail page for more information.
Largeflower Mexican Clover – Richardia grandiflora