The Joy of Spring Wildflowers!A Walk in the Woods - by D. Talbot
It was a cool but gloriously beautiful March day as I began my journey along Porter’s Creek. Before too many steps, I noticed nature’s beauty in the form of early Spring flowers, tender ferns, and the softest mosses. One of the first flowers I saw was the tiny, white Rue Anemone, which can easily be confused with A little further down the trail I spotted Yellow Trillium, sometimes called wood lily. It was not yet in bloom but identified by it’s splotchy leaves. The blooms are yellow and have a faint lemon fragrance. Trillium is fairly common in the Smokies and there are many varieties blooming at various times during the Spring, but this tiny new plant, so fresh and tender, seemed to be I was not familiar with White Fringed Phacelia, another dainty white beauty, that popped up in several places along the trail. These little caps of fringe were so thick in places, I thought they were small piles of snow! According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, its striking, fringed petals characterize this plant as the Spring Wildflower of The Great Smoky Mountains. How fun it is to learn about a new flower! Wild Geranium is a perennial wildflower also native to The Smoky Mountains, and unlike many other Spring wildflowers, it retains its rich green foliage long after the blooms have withered. The flowers I saw along the Porter’s Creek Trail were medium to deep purple, but you will also see various shades of pinks. These plants appeared to be showing out among all the small white wildflowers that were abundant on the trail.
Whether you have been in this area for a while or you’re new to Blount County, one of the most fun and rewarding days you will ever have is a Springtime hike in the Smoky Mountains. Mother Nature sure likes this place - she’s left so many little gifts along the Smoky Mountain trails, I can’t wait to go on another walk in the woods - soon! |