Beaked Violet (Viola rostrata) is an April blooming wildflower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. See the beak? It’s an exaggerated protrusion from the flower’s lower petal. There are many varieties of violets in the Smokies, but this one is unique because of the beak. It is also called Longspurred Violet. Like all violets,…
It’s that beautiful time of year again when the Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) bloom along the trails and in the woods of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Mountain Laurel are similar to, and often mistaken for, Rhododendron. In the Smokies the Laurel bloom primarily during May, while the Rhododendron come along in June…
Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana) is a quiet and reserved April wildflower of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Like so many of the early April bloomers, this one can be found along the Chestnut Top Trail. Look very low to the ground for this two-inch plant. You may find it growing in large groups on…
Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) is a knee-high woodland wildflower and a member of the same Saxifrage family as Bishops Cap. Both have delicate white blossoms on a tall leafless stalk. The leaves below the blossom stalk are reminiscent of maple leaves, and the entire plant is about a foot tall. In the Smoky Mountains look for Foamflower blooming…
Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis) is a member of the same plant family as Dutchmens Breeches and Bleeding Heart.It’s an early bloomer that appears in early April. This spring (2010) a profusion of hundreds of Squirrel Corn plants could be found along the Cove Hardwoods Nature Trail in the Chimneys Picnic Area in the Great Smoky…
Wild Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) is a member of the Sedum family. Mountain legend correlates thriving Stonecrop to the prosperity and health of a homestead. Identification is easy with the thick rubbery leaves and the black-tipped anthers. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park look for Wild Stonecrop clinging to rocky outcrops along the Chestnut Top…
Continuing our theme of spring wildflowers of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, first up this week is the Crested Dwarf Iris (Iris cristata). This flower is an April bloomer, especially along the Chestnut Top Trail near Townsend. On the Bud Ogle Nature Trail there are some large colonies. The flower gets its name from…
A spring snow dusted Mt. LeConte on Tuesday night, closing the road to Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s not unusual to see the contrasts of winter and spring in one scene as in the picture above. The summit of Mt. LeConte is around 6500 feet, while the green trees in…
I love the way Bishop’s Cap (Mitella diphylla) adds a splash of accent to a wildflower scene, as in the picture below. It’s not usually the main attraction, but more like the seasonings part of a recipe. Bishop’s Cap blooms in April and can be found in profusion along the Cove Hardwoods Trail. The name…
Fire Pink (Silene viginica) is definitely not pink, but very bright red. The word pink refers to its membership in the pink family, with notches in each of the five flower petals. This distinctive wildflower blooms in April and can usually be found along the Chestnut Top Trail near Townsend in the Great Smoky Mountains…
Fringed Phacelia (Phacelia fimbriata) is the wildflower that covers the hillsides along the Newfound Gap Road like a late dusting of snow in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The blooms form a densely packed groundcover in April. The Fringed variety is one of four Phacelias found in the Smoky Mountains. Perhaps the most unique…
These delicate beauties were photographed along the Cove Hardwoods Nature Trail in the Chimneys Picnic Area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) blooms in April in the Smokies. It is a member of the Buttercup family, and is easily identified by the distinctive leaves. The photo below was found along…
Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) is a member of the orchid family that grows to 18 inches tall. It’s a fairly rare Smoky Mtn wildflower to find! The ladies above were spotted stepping out just off Twin Creeks trail near the Bud Ogle Place on the Roaring Fork. The photo at the bottom was taken…
Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum) is one of the most attractive, and most elusive of the Trilliums. A rare sight, perhaps because it is at the southern edge of it’s range in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Painted Trillium favors cool northern forests. Identification is very easy, with the prominent maroon paint circling the inner…
April is prime wildflower time in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so I will be devoting many posts to that springtime topic as the annual Wildflower Pilgrimage approaches later this month. As the name implies, the Wake Robin Trillium (Trillium erectum) is an early bloomer and heralder of spring. Another inhabitant of the moist…
Sweet Betsy Trillium (Trillium cuneatum) is not commonly seen at lower elevations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With distinctively mottled leaves and an erect bloom like Yellow Trillium, the maroon variation is easy to spot. Unfortunately, I cannot recall where I took this photo! Please stop in and visit me to see the…
Yellow Trillium (Trillium luteum) is an attractive and unique Smoky Mtn wildflower. Supposedly the bloom is lemon scented, but I can’t vouch for that. This yellow variety is very similar to the Maroon Trillium, with its erect bloom and mottled leaves. The plant is relatively large and easy to spot, and it often grows in…
Catesby’s Trillium (Trillium catesbaei) is one of my favorite Smoky Mtn wildflowers. The bloom is similar to White Trillium, and it also can be found in white, pink and red. However, the Catesby’s Trillium bloom hangs down below the familiar three leaves of the plant rather than the erect habit of the White Trillium. Also,…
It’s trillium week here at William Britten Photography in Gatlinburg, TN. First up is the common White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum). This is the species that you will see carpeting the hillsides along the Newfound Gap Road or along the Cove Hardwoods Nature Trail in the Chimneys Picnic Area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park….
Dogwood Rain is from the Tremont area of the Smoky Mountains National Park, which is one of my favorite locations. The photograph was taken in a light drizzle, umbrella in hand. With the rainy mist hanging over the creek, and the focus on the dogwood blooms on the overhanging branch, the photo has a sense…
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.
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