I hiked the Little River Trail, Cucumber Gap Trail, and the Lumber Ridge Trail over the last several days. Many blooms to report in various stages.

Little River Trail 

Dutchmen’s Pipe past peak.  Down steep embankment so did not check to see if more blooms. Sections of the hillsides on both trails were covered with False Solomon’s Seal, Canadian Violet, and Foam Flower blooms.

A real treat to observe.

Baneberry – Few – Most at peak bloom.

Bishop Caps – Some – Past peak – about gone.

Blackberry – Many – Just starting to bloom.

Brook Lettuce – Many – About half at peak bloom

Canadian Violet – Many ++ – Mostly at peak bloom

Clinton Lily – Few – One just starting to bloom.

Common Blue Violet – Few –

Common Cinquefoil – Some – Most at peak bloom

Daisy Fleabane – Some – Mostly past peak bloom

Dog Hobble – Many+ – At or just beyond peak   bloom.

Dwarf Cinquefoil – Few –

False Solomon’s Seal – Many ++ – Most at peak   bloom, some are past peak bloom, others just   starting to bloom.

Foam Flower – Many ++ – Most at peak bloom.

Golden Ragwort – Few – Well past peak bloom.

Hooked Buttercup – Few – Past peak bloom.

Lousewort – Some – Mostly past peak bloom but   still some nice blooms.

Lyre Leaf Sage – Many – At peak bloom (1st mile)

Meadow Parsnip – Few – Past peak bloom.

Robin’s Plantain – Some – Past peak bloom.

Solomon’s Seal  – Few –

Squaw Root – Few – Past peak – about gone.

Star Chickweed – Few – Just past peak bloom.

Stone Crop – Few

Sweet Cicely – Many – Mostly at peak bloom.

Sweet White Trillium – (3) – Past peak bloom.

Sweet White Violet – Many ++ – Mostly at peak   bloom.

Toothwort – Very few – Past peak – about gone.

Wild Phlox – Very Few –

Yellow Trillium – Some – Most past peak bloom.

Cucumber Gap Trail:

Baneberry – Few – Mostly at peak bloom.

Bar Cucumber – Some – At peak bloom.

Blackberry – Many – At or approaching peak   bloom.

Blue Cohosh – (1) – Past peak bloom.

Brook Lettuce – Some – About half peak bloom.

Canadian Violet – Many ++ – Mostly at peak bloom

Clinton Lily – (3) – Just starting to bloom.

Common Cinquefoil – Some – At peak bloom.

Dog Hobble – Many – Mostly at peak bloom.

Dutchmen’s Pipe – Few – Past peak bloom.

Dwarf Cinquefoil – Few –

False Solomon’s Seal – Many ++ – Mostly at peak   bloom.

Foam Flower – Many ++ – Mostly at peak bloom.

Indian Cucumber Root – Few – Just starting to   bloom.

Long Spurred Violet – Few – Past peak bloom.

Maple-leaf Viburnum – Few – At peak bloom.

Painted Trillium – (2) – Slight past peak bloom.

Rue Anemone – Few – Past peak bloom (small).

Sweet White Trillium – (1) -Past peak bloom.

Sweet White Violet – Many – Mostly peak bloom.

Toothwort – Few – Past peak bloom.

Wild Geranium – Few – Past peak bloom.

Wild Phlox – Few – Past peak bloom.

Yellow Mandarin – Few – Past peak bloom.

Yellow Trillium – Some – Mostly past peak bloom

Lumber Ridge Trail

The trail starts at the north end of the Treemont Institute Dormitory. The Mountain Laurel blooms are very beautiful (with a nice fragrance). A couple of Flame Azalea shrubs about a mile and a half up the trail (peak bloom) – super colorful. One Vasey Trillium with a bud.

Bar Cucumber – Many – At peak bloom

Blackberry – Many – Some at peak bloom.

Bowman’s Root – Few

Crested Dwarf Iris – Some – Mostly past peak   bloom.

Daisy Fleabane – Few – Past peak bloom.

Dwarf Cinquefoil – Few –

Fairywand – (1) – At peak bloom.

False Solomon’s Seal – Few – Just starting to bloom (higher elevation).

Flame Azalea – Few – At peak bloom.

Four Leaf Milkweed – Few – Just starting to bloom.

Galax – Many – Just starting to bloom.

Hawkweed – Many – At peak bloom.

Indian Cucumber Root – (3) – Just starting to boom.

Large Bluet – Many – At peak bloom.

Lyre Leaf Sage – Few – Mostly at peak bloom.

Maple Leaf Viburnum – Many – Mostly just   starting  to bloom.

Meadow Parsnip – Many – About at peak bloom.

Mountain Laurel – Many – Near peak bloom.

Partridgeberry – Many – Mostly at peak bloom.

Rue Anemone – Few – Mostly at peak bloom.

Solomon’s Seal – Few – Past peak bloom.

Star Chickweed – Some – At peak bloom.

Star Grass – Some – At peak bloom.

Sweet Shrub – Few – At or just beyond peak   bloom.

Sweet White Violet – Many – Just past peak bloom

Yellow Mandarin – Few – Past peak bloom.

Yellow Wood Sorrel – Few –

Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on his hikes and mountain stories from the Smokies. See more of his column here.

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