Post by naturelovr on Mar 1, 2009 17:12:57 GMT -6
The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog
The best source for trail information in the Smoky Mountains
Best Wildflower Hikes in the Smoky Mountains
The Smoky Mountains are home to more than 1600 species of flowering plants. During each month of the year, some forb, tree or vine is blooming in the Smokies. During the spring, wildflowers explode during the brief window just prior to trees leafing out and shading the forest floor (from about mid-April thru mid-May).
During the early summer period (from about late-May to mid-July), awesome displays of ountain laurel, rhododendron, flame azalea, and other heath family shrub flowers can be enjoyed, especially on the higher elevation balds.
Wet and humid climates, as well as a broad elevation range, are two of the most important reasons for the park’s renowned diversity.
Although there are many parks that are larger, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the greatest diversity of plants anywhere in North America. In fact, north of the tropics, only China has a greater diversity of plant life than the southern Appalachians.
The Smoky Mountains contain over 300 rare species of plants, with as many as 125 on the protected plant lists of either North Carolina or Tennessee. Three plant species are protected by the Endangered Species Act, with 12 others currently under review for federal protection.
The following link has a list of some of the best hikes in the Smokies for wildflower viewing during the spring season:
www.hikinginthesmokys.com/blog22_wildflower_hikes.htm
This is a good web site to follow for updates on wildflower blooms:
www.smokiesinformation.org/wildlife.htm
You can also click here to see a photo gallery of several spring flowers from the Smoky Mountains.
www.hikinginthesmokys.com/wildflowers.htm
Spring Wildflowers in the Smokies
The following is a list of some of the flowers you can find in bloom throughout the spring season:
March: bloodroot, early meadowrue, Jack-in-the-pulpit, sharp-lobed hepatica, spring beauty, trout-lily, violets.
April: columbine, cut-leaved toothwort, crested dwarf iris, dogwoods (mid month), Dutchman’s britches, fire pink, foam flower, large-flowered bellwort, little brown jugs, purple phacelia, squirrel corn, trout-lily, violets, white fringed phacelia, white trillium, wild geranium, wild ginger, wood anemone, yellow trillium, yellow mandarin.
May: bleeding heart, blue cohosh, blue phlox, brook lettuce, columbine, creeping phlox, foam flower, flame azaleas at lower elevations, Fraser magnolia trees, galax, may apple, meadow-parsnip, mountain laurel at lower elevations, painted trillium, purple phacelia, showy orchis, silverbell trees, tuliptrees, umbrella leaf, wake robin, woodland bluet, wood betony, yellow lady’s slipper.
June: Canada mayflower, Catawba rhododendron (primarily above elevations of 3500 feet), false hellebore, flame azaleas at higher elevations, fly poison, galax, goat’s beard, Indian pink, mountain laurel at higher elevations, mountain spiderwort, rattlesnake hawkweed, Rosebay rhododendron (primarily in bloom at the lower elevations), speckled wood lily, sundrops, squawroot, wood sorrel, woodland bluets, yellow star grass.
The best source for trail information in the Smoky Mountains
Best Wildflower Hikes in the Smoky Mountains
The Smoky Mountains are home to more than 1600 species of flowering plants. During each month of the year, some forb, tree or vine is blooming in the Smokies. During the spring, wildflowers explode during the brief window just prior to trees leafing out and shading the forest floor (from about mid-April thru mid-May).
During the early summer period (from about late-May to mid-July), awesome displays of ountain laurel, rhododendron, flame azalea, and other heath family shrub flowers can be enjoyed, especially on the higher elevation balds.
Wet and humid climates, as well as a broad elevation range, are two of the most important reasons for the park’s renowned diversity.
Although there are many parks that are larger, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the greatest diversity of plants anywhere in North America. In fact, north of the tropics, only China has a greater diversity of plant life than the southern Appalachians.
The Smoky Mountains contain over 300 rare species of plants, with as many as 125 on the protected plant lists of either North Carolina or Tennessee. Three plant species are protected by the Endangered Species Act, with 12 others currently under review for federal protection.
The following link has a list of some of the best hikes in the Smokies for wildflower viewing during the spring season:
www.hikinginthesmokys.com/blog22_wildflower_hikes.htm
This is a good web site to follow for updates on wildflower blooms:
www.smokiesinformation.org/wildlife.htm
You can also click here to see a photo gallery of several spring flowers from the Smoky Mountains.
www.hikinginthesmokys.com/wildflowers.htm
Spring Wildflowers in the Smokies
The following is a list of some of the flowers you can find in bloom throughout the spring season:
March: bloodroot, early meadowrue, Jack-in-the-pulpit, sharp-lobed hepatica, spring beauty, trout-lily, violets.
April: columbine, cut-leaved toothwort, crested dwarf iris, dogwoods (mid month), Dutchman’s britches, fire pink, foam flower, large-flowered bellwort, little brown jugs, purple phacelia, squirrel corn, trout-lily, violets, white fringed phacelia, white trillium, wild geranium, wild ginger, wood anemone, yellow trillium, yellow mandarin.
May: bleeding heart, blue cohosh, blue phlox, brook lettuce, columbine, creeping phlox, foam flower, flame azaleas at lower elevations, Fraser magnolia trees, galax, may apple, meadow-parsnip, mountain laurel at lower elevations, painted trillium, purple phacelia, showy orchis, silverbell trees, tuliptrees, umbrella leaf, wake robin, woodland bluet, wood betony, yellow lady’s slipper.
June: Canada mayflower, Catawba rhododendron (primarily above elevations of 3500 feet), false hellebore, flame azaleas at higher elevations, fly poison, galax, goat’s beard, Indian pink, mountain laurel at higher elevations, mountain spiderwort, rattlesnake hawkweed, Rosebay rhododendron (primarily in bloom at the lower elevations), speckled wood lily, sundrops, squawroot, wood sorrel, woodland bluets, yellow star grass.
