Lanceleaf Spring Beauty – Native Plant of the Day 01/13/2024
Photo from 6/17/2011. Location: Boise Foothills, Ada County, ID.
More photos / info at the Lanceleaf Spring Beauty detail page detail page.
Lanceleaf Spring Beauty – Claytonia lanceolata
Virginia Spring Beauty – Native Plant of the Day 03/11/2022
Photo from April 4, 2010. Location: Walker County, Ga.
More photos / info at the Claytonia virginica detail page.
Virginia Spring Beauty, Narrow-leaved Spring Beauty – Claytonia virginica
Carolina Spring Beauty – Native Plant of the Day 03/10/2018
Photo from 03/07/2010. Location: The Pocket, Walker County, Ga.
More photos / info at the Claytonia caroliniana detail page.
Carolina Spring Beauty, Wide-leaved Spring Beauty – Claytonia caroliniana
This is an incomplete update on the wildflowers at The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain – I got an “urgent” call from my wife as I approached the back of the boardwalk, so it covers only a very small part of the area. Fortunately, and I didn’t know until I got home, the urgent call wasn’t an emergency call – our granddaughter had returned a few days early from a months-long mission trip to Mexico and South America, and we were fortunate enough to get to have lunch with her – our middle granddaughter – and our youngest granddaughter. Sorry, but I’ve got my priorities.
Even with the much shortened walk, I spotted 13 species blooming along the boardwalk, including what I consider to be the crown jewel of the early wildflowers – Bloodroot.
Bloodroot at The Pocket
While we had a very cold January, February warmed up, and with the next week also expected to be quite warm – temperatures in the 60s, 70s, with even a possibility of reaching 80 degrees – I would expect a lot of action by next weekend. It was reported to me that a few Hepatica (Anemone acutiloba) and Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa) were blooming a week ago; those are abundant now, and I found a few other species blooming along the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail as well.
Hepatica – Anemone acutiloba
As expected with this warm weather, we’ve added a few species to what are blooming at The Pocket. As I was hoping, Carolina Spring Beauty are now pretty widespread. While 9 species are a far cry from the 40 that may be blooming at peak, we’ve got to remember, this is mid-February!
Carolina Spring Beauty – Claytonia caroliniana
The warm weather has continued, along with a fair bit of rain. It’s been 10 days since my last trip to The Pocket (3/2), and I was expecting some significant changes in what was blooming. Some news – the Harbinger-of-Spring is almost gone. However, that’s not the only news… Wait for it…
Wood Poppy – Stylophorum diphyllum
Not just the Wood Poppy…
As reported a month back, Hepatica, Harbinger-of-Spring, and a Star Chickweed were blooming at The Pocket at the end of January as a result of our unusually warm winter. We had some cold weather in February, and nothing much had changed in mid-February. My wife and I were out of town for a couple of weeks, so when we returned yesterday, I was anxious to see what had developed in our absence. While the boardwalk itself doesn’t show too much action, there is a lot that is cranking up both on the trail to the bottom of the falls past the end of the boardwalk and on the Pocket Loop Trail (aka the horse trail) up to the top of the falls.
Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis
Yes, Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is blooming along the horse trail – I haven’t see it this early in four years, implying (as expected) an early spring this year.
The Georgia Botanical Society made their trip to Cloudland Canyon State Park on Saturday, April 11, and I saw their photo report on Facebook. That, and a report from Richard Ware’s Sunday trip to the same location, inspired me to take advantage of a break in this week’s rain on Tuesday to get back over to Sitton’s Gulch to see the Dwarf Larkspur, Southern Red Trillium, and other wildflowers. It was a great choice, with at least 34 species of wildflower observed.
Dwarf Larkspur – Delphinium tricorne – Unusual blue form along Sitton Gulch Trail side loop
The rest of the story…
Rainy days… Tired of them. Sunday, 3/15/2015, promised to be beautiful, and it delivered. During the week I got an email from someone mentioning seeing some spring wildflowers at Elsie Holmes Nature Park near Ringgold, Georgia (Thanks, Jane!). I had heard of this park before, and had it on my “someday” list, so my wife and I decided to head over there after lunch with some grandkids at Clyde’s on Main. Great place! (Both Clyde’s and Elsie Holmes Park.)
Hepatica bloom on the descent to South Chickamauga Creek