by William Britten | Apr 17, 2010 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park
I was headed down the Newfound Gap Road towards Gatlinburg yesterday after scoping out the wildflowers on the Cove Hardwoods Trail. Suddenly there’s a commotion with cars stopped, people gawking. Usually this means one thing: bears. So I dutifully pulled over,...
by William Britten | Apr 16, 2010 | Wildflowers
Squawroot (Conopholis americana) is an odd little Smoky Mountains wildflower that looks mostly like a corncob. You have to get down to the ground and look very closely to see the tiny flowers. There is nothing green here, no leaves, for Squawroot is actually a...
by William Britten | Apr 14, 2010 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park
I came across these two male wild turkeys yesterday morning, just wandering along beside the road without a care in the world. Luckily my camera was in the seat beside me, so I rolled down the window and got their picture. Of all the wildlife in the Great Smoky...
by William Britten | Apr 8, 2010 | Wildflowers
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...
by William Britten | Apr 7, 2010 | Wildflowers
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...