Spotted Wakerobin, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (3/26/2014.) Scientific name is Trillium maculatum. Photo below was taken at the Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve in Grady County, GA, on Feb 19, 2014. Go to the Spotted Wakerobin detail page for more photos and information.
Spotted Wakerobin, Spotted Trillium – Trillium maculatum
My wife and I were passing through Toccoa Falls, Georgia on Saturday, March 22, heading back home from Devil’s Fork State Park in South Carolina, and decided to stop in to see the namesake waterfalls. My sister had attended Toccoa Falls College in the 1960’s, and a friend of my daughter’s family from Papua New Guinea is attending there now, so we knew the waterfalls was on the campus of the college. We stopped at the guard’s gate for directions – straight down the road until we come to the gift shop in the Gate Cottage. Access to the falls is through the gift shop, paying a small fee – $2 for most adults, $1 each for those of us over the age of 60. A short walk of about 100 yards up a nice trail along Toccoa Creek brings you to a view of the 186′ waterfalls.
Toccoa Falls on the campus of Toccoa Falls College in Georgia
While the weather is keeping things slow, things are picking up at The Pocket. Several species have started blooming, and even more are “almost there.” Checking last year’s reports, we’re tracking pretty close to 3/10/2013. The big excitement for me today was finding that a few Dutchman’s Breeches have started blooming.
Dutchman’s Breeches – Dicentra cucullaria
Read on for a more complete update…
Southern Twayblade, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (03/18/2014.) Scientific name is Listera australis. Photo below was taken at the Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve in Grady County, GA on Feb 20, 2014. Go to the Southern Twayblade detail page for more photos and information.
Southern Twayblade – Listera australis
Hairy Skullcap, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (03/17/2014.) Scientific name is Scutellaria elliptica. Photo below was taken in Walker County, GA on June 15, 2013. Go to the Hairy Skullcap detail page for more photos and information.
Hairy Skullcap – Scutellaria elliptica
Saturday, March 14, 2014 was a beautiful day with perfect morning temperatures for hiking, and fortunately my grandson Philip had asked me to take him for a hike, so around 9 AM we headed out from Camp Vesper Point for a visit to the nearby North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Natural Area. This was my grandson’s first visit to the North Chick, and I hadn’t been there in many years, so while I was hoping for wildflowers, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Sweet Betsy – Trillium cuneatum – were plentiful, but just beginning to bloom.
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised considering the cold weather we had in January and February, but I do continue to be surprised about how late the wildflowers are starting at The Pocket. Even so, today’s trip was a good one – not only because it was a beautiful day, but also because what is blooming is beautiful. The biggest “news” is that Bloodroot is now starting to bloom.
While there were only a few Bloodroot blooming along the boardwalk, there were hundreds up the Pocket Loop Trail.
Native Plant of the Day 03/05/2014
Photo from March 27, 2010. Location: The Pocket, Walker County, GA.
Roundleaf Yellow Violet – for more photos / info go to the Viola rotundifolia detail page.
Roundleaf yellow violet – Viola rotundifolia
Showy Jacob’s Ladder, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database (02/28/2014.) Scientific name is Polemonium pulcherrimum. It is also known as Skunky Polemonium, Skunkleaf Polemonium, and Showy Polemonium. Photo below was taken in Custer County, ID on June 13, 2010. Go to the Showy Jacob’s Ladder detail page for more photos and information.
Showy Jacob’s Ladder – Polemonium pulcherrimum
Eight warm days after my last trip by The Pocket I expected more. I thought I’d see Harbinger of Spring, Hepatica, and Toothwort blooming, and possibly a few other early bloomers – maybe some Chickweed and Spring Beauties. Well, I guess as far as expectations are concerned two out of three ain’t bad, as the saying goes. Harbinger of Spring and Hepatica were all that was blooming; very similar to Feb 4 last year, so it looks like we’re nearly 3 weeks behind last year’s early bloom. I did get to spend some quality time with a few Hepatica. Start planning your trip to The Pocket – remember it is now a fee area.
Numerous Hepatica – Anemone acutiloba – were blooming.
Check out what else I saw: