I hiked the Grapeyard Ridge Trail this week. The trail starts from Little Greenbrier Road at its junction with the road to the Ramsey Cascade Trail  and ends 7.6 miles later at the Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail. It would be considered moderately difficult. There are nine stream crossings without a bridge on the first two-and-a-half miles. The water was high enough today that it was necessary to wade the streams.

I was able to see some flowers at peak or just past peak bloom.

  • Asiatic Dayflower – (2) – At peak bloom.
  • Erect Goldenrod – Few – first quarter mile up the trail.
  • Heal All – Some – Some well past peak bloom – some at peak bloom.

Heal All

  • Star Grass – (1) – At peak bloom.
  • Tick Trefoil – Some – Mostly past peak bloom.
  • Whorled Leaf Coreopsis – Some – At peak bloom (beautiful yellow blooms) I am not positive that the Coreopsis I photographed is a Whorled Leaf Coreopsis but on checking my wildflower books, this appears to be the correct identification. Please advise if you identify the flower as a different species.

Whorled Leaf Coreopsis

Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on wildflowers in the Smokies.

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