Tom Harrington is on the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and files this report:
LITTLE RIVER TRAIL (B TO CUCUMBER GAP TRAIL)
Bar Cucumber – Few – At peak bloom.
Bishop Cap – (1) – Well past peak bloom.
Black Berry – Many – Right at peak bloom.
Blue Violet – Few – At peak bloom (believe Common Blue Violet).
Brook Lettuce – Some – Past peak bloom (blooms will soon be gone).
Canadian Violet – Many – About 75% at peak bloom – balance past peak bloom.
Cancer Root – (1) – Past peak bloom.
Common Cinquefoil – Many – At peak bloom.
Dog Hobble – Many – At peak bloom.
False Solomon’s Seal – Some – Most past peak bloom but about a fourth of them at peak bloom.
Foam Flower – Many – Most past peak bloom but still some nice blooms.
Golden Ragwort – Few – Past peak bloom.
Jack n Pulpit – Some – Slightly past peak bloom.
Lousewort – Few – Well past peak bloom (most are gone).
Lyre Leaf Sage – Some – Slightly past peak bloom.
Meadow Parsnip – Few – At peak bloom.
Mountain Laurel – Few – Just starting to bloom (about half mile up trail across river 1 shrub in full bloom.)
Robins Plantain – Few – Well past peak bloom.
Sweet Cicely – Few – Past peak bloom.
Toothwort – (2) –
White Violets – Many – At peak bloom (believe they are Sweet White Violets).
Yellow Trillium – Few – Most gone but a few still have nice blooms.
Lyre Leaf Sage
Jack N PulpitCUCUMBER GAP TRAIL (B-E)
Bar Cucumber – Some – At peak bloom.
Blackberry – Some – At peak bloom.
Blue Violets – Few – At peak bloom. Believe Common Blue Violets.
Brook Lettuce – Few – Well past peak bloom.
Canadian Violets – Many – Most at peak bloom but some past peak bloom.
Common Cinquefoil – Many – At peak bloom.
Dog Hobble – Some – At peak bloom.
Doll Eyes (Bane Berry) – (1) – At peak bloom (note: Most quit blooming at least a month ago).
False Solomon’s Seal – Many – Most past peak bloom but still a number of nice blooms).
Foam Flower – Many – Mostly past peak bloom
Hooked Butter Cup – (1)
Indian Cucumber Root – Many – Right at peak bloom.
Long Spurred Violet – (2) – Past peak bloom.
Maple Leaf Vibram – Some – Just starting to bloom (nice).
White Violet – Many + – At full bloom (believe they are Sweet White Violet).
Wild Ginger – Few – Past peak bloom.
Yellow Trillium – Few – Past peak bloom (about gone).
Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on wildflowers in the Smokies.