Just a few samples of the later spring wildflowers from East Tennessee…

It's gotten much warmer and a bit drier since the early part of the season - a great combination for the later blooms. Let's start with a rather strange one. This Variable-leaf Wild Ginger blooms right at the ground, where small flies and ants can easily pollinate it.




And Red Elder blooms along the cool mountain streams.




Violet Wood Sorrel and Blue-Eyed "Grass" prefer the drier, sunnier forest locations. And it's not a grass at all, but rather in the Lily family!






Mountainous, rocky slopes are the best habitat for our smallest, earliest-blooming Rhododendron. The bigger species bloom in early summer, but Piedmont Rhododendron blooms in late April or early May. The pinkish ones were at Pond Mountain wilderness, and the white variety at Rocky Fork. Have never seen white ones at Pond Mt, or pink ones at Rocky Fork!










Let's finish with two of our early native Orchids. We spotted this Yellow Lady's Slipper at Roan Mountain recently.






And there were plenty of Pink Lady's Slippers blooming at Rocky Fork just a week or so ago.






It's been a great spring for blooming things here in East Tennessee - can't wait to see what the summer will bring! Hope you'll share your comments and suggestions on these.

[Jacquot]

Beautiful...

[slowpez]

Seems to have been a good year for lady slippers. Another enjoyable series.

[wtlwdwgn]

TFS your spring flower shots. No flowers here yet.

[mole]

Beautiful...

Indeed we are blessed with some amazing wildflowers!

Seems to have been a good year for lady slippers. Another enjoyable series.

Yes, a fine year for several "slipper" species! Unfortunately I was too busy with park work to visit the Kentucky or Showy Lady's slippers this year...

TFS your spring flower shots. No flowers here yet.

Thanks! Hope Spring will arrive there soon!