Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) is, as the name implies, in the Orchid family. It's a spectacular discovery, when you find it. But as a matter of fact, both times I've stumbled on this beauty have been at the edges of parking lots. Not exactly the distinguished...
Toothwort (Dentaria diphylla) is another one of those tiny Smoky Mountain wildflowers that look so inconsequential when you gaze down on them from above. But get down to their level, especially with a magnifying glass or macro lens, and the delicate beauty is...
Porters Creek Trail is a delightful meander in the Greenbrier section of the Smoky Mountains. Head east out of Gatlinburg on Route 321, then after about 6 miles, the Greenbrier entrance will be on the right. Eventually the road will turn to gravel and you'll pass the...
The photograph above is the Green Headed, or Cutleaf Coneflower. It blooms all along the roadside in the middle of summer up near Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . Here's a fun photo tip for taking a picture like the one above. One of my...
Now here is a Smoky Mountains wildflower with a dramatic name! One-flowered Cancer Root (Orobanche uniflora) is one of the root parasites. The tiny pale-white or lavender blooms sit atop hairy leafless stalks. They come up in clusters in rich, damp woods and stream...
Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens) is one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in the Smoky Mountains. All of the photos on this page were found near the top of the Chestnut Top Trail, starting to bloom in mid-March. The blossom tends from white to pale pink. There are...
Gay Wings (Polygala paucifolia) is a perennial herb in the Milkwort family. The Greek name "Polygala" means much milk, and refers to the belief that eating these plants would increase the production of milk in nursing mothers and livestock. The two petals of the...
Dog Hobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana) is among the early Smoky Mountains wildflowers. It's a member if the Heath family, like Trailing Arbutus, the Azaleas, Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel. The plant has evergreen, leathery leaves, and gets its name from a tendency to...
Updated 2012: This blog post was originally written two years ago, in spring of 2010. The information here is still very valid and useful, but in the past couple of years I've adopted a more "minimalist" approach to photography, and especially wildflower photos. The...
Star Grass (Hypoxis hirsuta) is a common perennial herb that grows to 8 inches or so. It blooms in mid-May, and when not in bloom looks much like a clump of grass. These Smoky Mtns wildflowers are similar to Blue-eyed Grass, and in fact I found both of these blooming...
Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) is a petite, delicate Smoky Mountains wildflower. It's a member of the Iris family, and there are four varieties of Sisyrinchium: Pale, Eastern, Stout, and Slender. To be honest, I don't know which ones are pictured here,...
In the catalog of Smoky Mtns wildflowers, there are several species of Gentians represented. The variety shown here is Soapwort Gentian (Gentiana saponaria). It has the characteristic tight cluster of tubular blossoms that require bees to pry apart the petals as they...