Mostly Spring Wildflowers

[mole]

Been out roaming a number of local wilderness areas, checking on bloom times of some rare plants, and enjoying the green spring season. Here are a few of the "fruits" of these ramblings.

Pinxter Azalea is much scarcer than its bright cousin - Flame Azalea, and also blooms much earlier. We expect these pink blooms in mid to late April, but this year, there were already some blooming in late March on some of the remote limestone bluffs...

[mole]

Our native Columbines also thrive on steep limestone cliffs, and also began blooming about 2 weeks early this year.

[mole]

The common species of Wild Ginger are blooming in many East Tennessee forests these days, but only the oldest forests hold the VariableLeaf Heartleaf wild ginger. Sweet smelling but odd-looking flowers that are down on the ground, pollinated by ants and mites and such...

[mole]

And here's a very common mid-spring flower with plenty of nectar and pollen for all the small bees. It's called Fleabane because it has been used as a flea repellant!

[mole]

Found a new county record for Red Trillium recently. Red Trillium flowers are sometimes yellow instead of red, but always grow in old, moist, shady woodlands...

[mole]

Old moist shady forests are also just the right habitat for Sweet White Violet. It's one of the smallest of the violets, but worth a close look! Which view do you prefer?

[mole]

And some tiny flowers grow in bunches. Here are Foamflower and Miterwort, both typical mid-season flowers of the shady rich forests.

[mole]

Have plenty more photos from several wilderness, back-country trips, but have not yet had time to sort through them...

Hope you've enjoyed this ramble through the East Tennessee spring wildflowers, and that you will share your comments & critique!

[Wingman]

Rich images as always...I need your eye Mole...I wish I could have spotted more flora during my revent visit to the Smokies!

[Frogfish]

There are some weird looking plants in Tennessee !

The Columbines were interesting because I'm assuming #1 was wide open and although there is a great bokeh the shot is also desaturated compared to #2 which colour-wise looks perfect but is obviously stopped down a little. If all the processing and camera settings were kept the same of course (aperture aside) between shots.