#Wildflowers on the #Waterfalls Trail at Cloudland Canyon State Park 04/16/2014

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Wednesday, 04/16/2014, woke up bright and beautiful, if a bit chilly with overnight lows in the lower 30’s. I had a reminder on my calendar to check for Trillium sulcatum, a species I had not seen previously, at Cloudland Canyon State Park. Calendar and weather were in sync, so around 10 AM I headed out for my first visit to this wonderful, nearby state park in 2014. I spotted some Vernal Iris (Iris verna) along the park’s entrance road, a portent of what I hoped would be a beautiful walk. I was not disappointed.

Vernal Iris - Iris verna

Vernal Iris – Iris verna

 

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The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain Status Update 4/16/2014

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It’s been nearly two weeks since I have been to The Pocket, and things are changing.  Several others of the “signature species” are waning – Virginia Bluebell, and Wood (Celandine) Poppy are almost gone, but all three of the Pocket’s three Trillium species are still blooming right now. Now is the time to head to The Pocket if you want to see the Trillium flexipes display – they’re at peak, but beginning to show some signs of age.

Bent White Trillium - Trillium Flexipes

Bent White Trillium – Trillium Flexipes

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Sweet Pinesap – Monotropsis odorata – Added to USWildflowers’ Database

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Sweet Pinesap, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (4/5/2014.)  Scientific name is Monotropsis odorata. Photo below was taken at the Devil’s Fork State Park, Oconee County, SC, on Mar 21, 2014. Go to the Sweet Pinesap detail page for more photos and information.

Sweet Pinesap, Pygmy Pipes, Carolina beechdrops, Appalachian Pygmy Pipes - Monotropsis odorata

Sweet Pinesap – Monotropsis odorata

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#Waterfalls and #Wildflowers – Old Stone Fort State Park

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On April 2, the next day after our Walls of Jericho hike, Dave Ridge and I went by Tennessee’s Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park in Manchester.  After the strenuous hike of the day before, we wanted something that was easy.  Both of us were impressed by this park, and we only explored a relatively small portion of the available hiking trails.  In addition to some trails in other parts of the park, you have several options to explore the section which includes the 2,000-year old earth-covered stone walls – you can stay fairly level up along the top, or take alternate routes down to the river.  As we walked along the trail, we heard falling water – the drop off the edge of Tennessee’s highland rim into the central basin forms several very nice waterfalls on both the Big Duck and Little Duck Rivers, just before they converge within the park to form the Duck River.

Big Falls on Big Duck River, Old Stone Fort State Park

Big Falls on Big Duck River, Old Stone Fort State Archeological Park. This was the site of a large mill in the 19th century.

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#NPOD: Plantain-leaf Pussytoes #Nativeplants

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Native Plant of the Day 04/05/2014

Photo from April 4, 2010. Location: Zahnd’s Natural Area, Walker County, GA.

Plantain-leaf Pussytoes – for more photos / info go to the  Antennaria plantaginifolia detail page.

Plantain-leaf Pussytoes, Woman's Tobacco - Antennaria plantaginifolia

Plantain-leaf Pussytoes, Woman’s Tobacco – Antennaria plantaginifolia

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#Waterfalls and #Wildflowers – Walls of Jericho

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A little over a year ago a good friend (my wife said I should use BFF here, but I’ll pass…) invited me to visit a place I’d not heard of before – Walls of Jericho astraddle the Alabama / Tennesse border.  I wasn’t able to join him last year, but we made the trip together this year on Tuesday, April 1.  It’s advertised as a “strenuous” hike, and it lived up to that billing – there is about 1,000 of elevation drop in less about 2 miles out of the Alabama trailhead (meaning “increase” on the way back out) – but it was well worth the effort.

End of the Trail at Walls of Jericho

End of the Trail at Walls of Jericho

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The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain Status Update 4/3/2014

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This is a great time for a visit to The Pocket. (See end of this post for my guess on 4/10 status.)  On Thursday, 4/3/2014, my wife and I walked up the Pocket Loop Trail, and then went back down to the parking area to meet up with a homeschool group who had invited me to join them for their visit to help identify the flowers they saw.  We walked the Shirley Miller boardwalk and extension trail up to the falls with this great group of moms and their children.  Several of the “signature species” are still blooming – Virginia Bluebell, Wood (Celandine) Poppy, Dutchman’s Breeches, and all three of the Pocket’s three Trillium species are blooming right now.  35 of the 55 species on my current version of the checklist are blooming right now.

Eastern Red Columbine, Wild Columbine - Aquilegia canadensis

Eastern Red Columbine – Aquilegia canadensis

We also ran into Clayton Webster and some more of the Over the Hill Hiking Group that I met last week.  We had a nice visit exchanging information on what to look for blooming – they were coming from where we were going, and vice versa…

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Oconee Bells – Shortia galacifolia – Added to USWildflowers’ Database

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Oconee Bells, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (3/29/2014.)  Scientific name is Shortia galacifolia. Photo below was taken at the Devil’s Fork State Park, Oconee County, SC, on Mar 21, 2014. Go to the Oconee Bells detail page for more photos and information.

Oconee Bells - Shortia galacifolia

Oconee Bells – Shortia galacifolia

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The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain Status Update 3/27/2014

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Yesterday (3/27) was one of the rare days this spring – mostly clear skies and warmer weather – into the 60’s. As a plus a couple of my grandkids wanted to join me, so a great time at The Pocket was guaranteed.  Several of the “signature species” at The Pocket – Virginia Bluebell, Wood (Celandine) Poppy, Dutchman’s Breeches (or, as my grandson called them, “Upside Down Pants from Holland), Trout Lily are blooming right now.  I’m developing a checklist to use so I won’t have to photograph or remember what all is blooming, and of the 51 species on my current version of the checklist, 25 are blooming right now.

Trailing Trillium (Trillium decumbens)

Trailing Trillium – Trillium decumbens

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