There are four varieties of Phacelias in the Smoky Mountains, three of them in the photos on this page. By far the most well-know is the Fringed Phacelia that blankets the hillsides in early spring, as in the photos at the bottom of the page. Astounding displays of this wildflower can be seen on the…
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) can be found along rich hillsides in late April and May. The spathe (pulpit) might be green or come with purple stripes. The inflorescence (Jack) has tiny flowers at its base. This Smoky Mtns wildflower is one of only five living organisms that can change sexes. If you look carefully along hillside trails…
Little Brown Jug (Hexastylis arifolia) is a member of the Birthwort family. Look for its rubbery, arrow-shaped leaves, which are evergreen. Peek beneath them, and there are the jugs, lying on the ground or covered with leaves. These jugs are actually the flowers, or calyx, which is a flower without petals. These unusual characteristics make…
Umbrella Leaf (Diphylleia cymosa) is a rarely seen Smoky Mountains wildflower and a relative of the more familiar May-apple. It can grow to three feet tall with large leaves spanning 24 inches. It favors damp conditions and deep shade, and so can be found in steep mountain coves with shallow seeps. Perfect conditions exist along…
Vasey’s Trillium (Trillium vaseyi) is the largest and the last blooming of the Smoky Mountains trilliums. It is found only in the Southern Appalachians and is infrequently found in the Smokies. The photos on this page were taken on the Kanati Fork Trail in late April. George Vasey was a Botanist who lived from 1822-1893,…
White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) is a member of the Buttercup family, and it blooms in mid to late April in the Smoky Mountains. I have often seen it blooming near the beginning of the Porters Creek Trail in the Greenbrier. This wildflower is aromatic and can grow to about 3 feet tall. In the fall…
Speckled Wood Lily (Clintonia umbellulata) is small member of the Lily family. It goes by several names, including Clinton’s Lily and White Clintonia. This wildflower grows on acidic forest floors, putting up an umbel atop a long stalk. The flowers may be speckled with purple (photo above) or green (photo below) spots, or have none….
There are several species of Bellwort that you may encounter during Smoky Mtn springtime trail hikes. In the photos above and below you can easily see where the name comes from. Above is Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvalaria perfoliata). It’s smaller than Large-flowered Bellwort, but larger than the Sessileleaf Bellwort below. Other common names for this plant are Cow…
Yellow Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium pubescens) is a stunning and rare member of the orchid family. This is an April blooming Smoky Mtn wildflower. Because of its scarcity and beauty, the Yellow Lady’s Slipper is endangered by poaching. For this reason, location information is passed quietly among dedicated wildflower enthusiasts. There are 47 varieties of the Cypripedium…
In April of every year the Smoky Mountains are showered with dogwood blooms like a late spring snowstorm. Everywhere you go … up in the Greenbrier, along the Little River or the lower elevations of the Newfound Gap Road … in Elkmont and Tremont … the dogwoods sprinkle their blooms like white notes on the…
Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) is an unusual Smoky Mountains wildflower found in April on moist hillsides and stream banks. It’s a member of the Birthwort family, and the rhizomes do actually have the taste and smell of ginger. The plant has been used as a natural tea to ease an assortment of ailments. If you…
This past week I took advantage of a lovely spring morning to walk to Bud Ogle Nature Trail before my day in the Gallery began. The Bud Ogle Farm is a popular tourist stop at the start of the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, one of the best Smoky Mountains drives. Most people explore Bud’s cabin…
Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia) is an unusual and attractive Smoky Mtn wildflower. It’s a member of the Primrose family and grows to two feet high. All of the photos on this page were taken in mid-April during a hike to White Oak Sinks in the Smokies. The name Dodecatheon means “twelve gods.” This wildflower grows from southern…
Dwarf Ginseng (Panax trifolius) is a tiny plant. The photos on this page make it seem larger than it is. In reality it is something like a white gumdrop lying on the forest floor! The globe-like blossom at the end of a single stem is known as an umbel. This variety of Ginseng has no…
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is a delicate and beautiful presence all along Little River Rd in the Smoky Mountains during April. Look opposite of the river, along the rock walls that border the road. Their pale orange and yellow colors actually blend into the surroundings as you drive by, but if you stop at almost any…
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia) is the largest, rarest, last to bloom, and probably the most stunning of the Smoky Mountains Decentras. The other two in this family are Dutchman’s Breeches and Squirrel Corn. The word “decentra” in Greek means “two-spurred,” and describes the unique shape of the blossoms. The photos on this page were all…
Porters Creek Trail in the Greenbrier area of the Smoky Mountains is in peak bloom for spring wildflowers right now. The upper portion of the trail, from the long footbridge over the creek on up to Fern Falls, has a stunning ground cover of Fringed Phacelia. I counted over 20 species of wildflowers along Porters…
Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) is a Smoky Mountains wildflower that is fairly common in moist woodlands, blooming in early April. The photos above and below were taken in the White Oak Sinks area of the Smokies. This species puts out a single blossom, which is often tinged with pink as above. The flower has little…
The hike to Spruce Flat Falls in the Tremont section of the Smoky Mountains is one of my favorite outings. Last weekend I headed up the trail once more, this time with my daughter Sarah and her husband Paul, my four grandsons and brand new grand-daughter in a papoose! It was a beautiful Saturday after…
Trout Lily (Erythronium umbilicatum) is an early spring bloomer that can be found before the trees leaf out in the lower elevations of the Smoky Mountains. However, I have seen it blooming much later near the 6000 foot level along the Clingman’s Dome Road. Trout Lily often forms large colonies by way of their root…
Sweet White Trillium (Trillium simile) is the white form of Wakerobin Trillium, and is also called White Wakerobin. In the lower elevations of the Smoky Mountains this large trillium usually blooms in late March or early April. Sweet White Trillium can be identified by its dark purple center surrounded by yellow stamens. Stands of Trillium simile…
The calendar has turned towards warmth and renewal, the Smoky Mountains trails are shaking off their winter drowse, and once again we are headed towards the great spring wildflower pilgrimage. This is an exciting time of year when the trails seem to change on a daily basis. Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a delicate, subtle beauty…
The gorgeous wildflower above is a Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) photographed near the Porter’s Creek trailhead. Wildflower season is finally here again!
The wildflower season is just getting started. As of Monday, March 14th, here’s what’s happening on the Chestnut Top Trail, one of the best wildflower trails in the Smoky Mountains. There’s an army of Bloodroot ready to unfurl their flags. These should be in full display by the weekend. The photo above shows the only…
This time of year in our Smoky Mountains we are all itching to say good-bye to winter and welcome springtime and the wildflower season. These are my candidates for the best early spring wildflowers that may be found in March after some warm days and a bit of rainfall. Follow the links below for more…
Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) is one of the earliest Smoky Mountains wildflowers. The pictures above and below were taken on March 8th along the Cove Hardwoods Nature Trail. On that day Hepatica was the only one of the wildflowers to be seen on the trail! Hepatica is a member of the buttercup family and comes in…
False Foxglove (Aureolaria laevigata) is an early autumn wildflower that blooms in September. It seems to be especially attractive to bumble bees, and on early morning walks there is always a loud buzzing as I pass by the cheerful bright yellow foxgloves. The bumble bees will stuff themselves way down inside the blossom, like the…
In Greek mythology, the goddess Astraea wept as she ascended into the heavens to become the constellation Virgo. Where her tears touched the Earth, Asters sprouted. Wildflowers of the Aster family brighten up the landscape in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the autumn season. You can see them everywhere, along roadsides and trails….
Sneezeweed, or Bitterweed (Helenium amarum) is a common and pretty roadside summer wildflower. If cows eat this plant, their milk will taste bitter, giving the plant one of it’s common names. From the name Sneezeweed, you might assume a summer allergy problem. The name actually comes from Native Americans practice of using the dried flower…
I live in Gatlinburg TN, on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Smokies are a very spiritual place, and I attempt to capture some of that spirit in each of my photographs.
If you are in Gatlinburg, please stop in at my gallery .
Follow William Britten's Smoky Mountains News and Photos on Facebook!
By pressing 
in the box above, you can follow the celebration of life in the Great Smoky Mountains with stunning photos, daily news posts, photo tips, and special offers to Facebook fans!
Join my Wildflower Community on Facebook!
