Venture to Big Creek,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
TN/NC
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
We had great weather cool in the morning and perfect in the afternoon - but with a bit too much wind for good birding. The wildflowers, as usual on this trip, more than compensated. We walked to the Midnight Pool on the Big Creek trail and marveled at the colors in the water. Scott Dean
| Stonecrop, Wild – Sedum ternatum |
| Common Blue Violet, Viola papilionacea |
| Violet, Long-spurred – Viola rostrata. |
| Violet, Canada- Viola canadensis |
| Ginger, Wild- Asarum canadens |
| Chickweeds – Stellaria spp. |
| Ragwort, Golden - Packera aureus of Ragwort contain highly toxic compounds. |
| Foam Flower - Tiarella cordifolia |
| Trillium, Toadshade- Trillium spp. |
| Sweet Cicely- Osmorhiza |
| Solomon's Seal - Polygonatum biflorum |
| False Solomon’ Seal - Smilacina racemosa |
| Strawberry, Common- Fragaria |
| Bishop’s Cap/Miterwort- Mitella diphylla |
| Toothwort, Cut-leaved - Dentaria laciniata |
| Showy Orchis- Galearis spectabilis |
| Dog Hobble/Fetterbush, Leucothoe spp |
| Trillium, Sweet White – Trillium simile |
| Trillium, Red (Wakerobin) - Trillium erectum – we saw the white form. |
| *Hepatica spp.- Round-lobed Hepatica, Hepatica americana, and Sharp lobed Hepatica, H. acutiloba, |
| Cohosh, Blue - Caulophyllum thalictroides |
| Doll’s Eye/White Baneberry- Actaea pachypoda |
| Mandarin, Yellow/Fairy bells - Disporum lanuginosum |
| Buttercup, Ranunculus spp |
| Fleabane, Common - Erigeron philadelphicus |
| Plantain, Robin’s- Erigeron |
| Cinquefoil, Common - Potentilla |
| Crested Iris, Iris cristata, |
| Fire Pink - Silene virginica |
| Alumroot- Heuchera americana – Foliage only |
| Jewelweed/Touch-me-not- Impatiens spp. Foliage only |
| Plantain, Rattlesnake - Goodyera spp. |
| Meadow Rue, T. polygamum |
| Sweetshrub/Carolina Allspice- Calycanthus |
| Squaw Root/Bear Root- Conopholus americana |
| Phacelia, Purple- Phacelia |
| Geranium, Wild- Geranium maculatum |
| Silverbell, Carolina (Halesia c arolina |
| Dogwood, Flowering - Cornus |
| Maple, Striped (Acer pensylvanicum |
| Buckeye, Yellow - Aesculus octandra |
| * indicates we did not see the plant in bloom. |
| Ferns |
| Maidenhair Fern |
| Bracken Fern |
| Christmas Fern |
| Birds |
| Black-throated Green Warbler |
| Blue headed Vireo |
| Butterflies |
| West Virginia White |
| E. Tiger Swallowtail |
Wild Geranium