by William Britten | Jun 17, 2010 | Wildflowers
Goat’s Beard (Aruncus Dioicus) is a member of the rose family, and blooms during May to July in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can find these plants blooming along the Rich Mountain Road, climbing out of Cades Cove, and also along Newfound Gap Rd....
by William Britten | Jun 11, 2010 | Gatlinburg
This morning, out walking the usual loop through the deserted development behind my cabin, suddenly there are big, muddy bear tracks crossing the road! There is a mud-hole from recent rains beside the road that he plowed through to get his muddy feet. The boundary of...
by William Britten | Jun 10, 2010 | Wildflowers
It’s that time of year when the late-spring woods are lit up with various shades of orange, yellow and red of the Flame Azalea. The large wild azalea above was found along the Rich Mountain Road above Cades Cove, and the ones below were seen along the road...
by William Britten | Jun 5, 2010 | Wildflowers
Bowman’s Root (Porteranthus trifoliatus) is a spring bloomer, preferring dry woods and roadsides. The most curious feature of Bowman’s Root are the five uneven and twisted petals of the flower. Supposedly, the crushed root of this plant induced vomiting....
by William Britten | Jun 2, 2010 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park began a program of releasing elk into the Park in 2001. Elk were once native to the eastern forests, but they disappeared in the early 1800s, victim of over-hunting and loss of habitat. The best place to view the elk herd is in...