 |
Deep Gap Rd & Little Buck Creek Clay & Macon Counties, NC Spring 2021 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
|
Deep Gap Rd & Little Buck Creek Clay & Macon Counties, NC Spring 2021 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
| Late April 2021 I wanted to visit a couple of areas that I hadn't explored during spring wildflower season. 1 - The first area was accessed from the vicinity of Park Gap. |
|
 |
|
| There were thousands of Trillium grandiflorum growing on the rich cove forest floor. |
|
 |
|
| A pair of Trillium erectum, in both the red and white/cream forms. |
|
 |
|
| Painted Trillium (Trillidium undulatum) |
|
 |
|
| These are probably my favorite Trillium... They're not particularly common relative to some other Trillium species in our area. |
|
 |
|
| Yellow Mandarin, aka Yellow Fairybells (Prosartes lanuginosa) was at peak bloom. |
|
 |
|
| Mountain Meadow Rue, aka Brook Meadow Rue (Thalictrum clavatum) This was just starting to bloom. The "Brook Meadow Rue" makes more sense to me, since I always see it growing in creeks. |
|
 |
|
| Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) I walked through acres of woods carpeted with this, but they were all still in bud. |
|
 |
|
| Trout Lily (Erythronium umbilicatum) growing amidst the Mayflower. |
|
 |
|
During spring wildflower season, as I'm roaming the woods, I "rescue" countless newly emerged plants that have been bound up by leaves so that they can't open. Trilliums and Mayapples seem to be among the most common victims. This (above and below) isn't the best photo example of a "strangled" and subsequently freed flower, but I felt rewarded in this case, seeing the unusually striped sepals on the freed Trillium. |
|
 |
|
 |
|
| I came across another group of Painted Trilliums |
|
 |
|
| A pair of Painted Trilliums (Trillidium undulatum) |
|
 |
|
| Painted Trillium - flower close-up |
|
 |
|
| Wood Betony (Pedicularis canadensis) The flowers in this patch ranged from mostly yellow to mostly red. This was a good "average" example. |
|
 |
|
| Wood Betony - red form |
|
| 2 - The next area was along a tributary of Little Buck Creek. |
|
 |
|
| Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) |
|
 |
|
| There were still some of these hanging on at the higher elevations. |
|
 |
|
| Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis) |
|
 |
|
| This close relative was growing amongst the Dutchman's Breeches. |
|
 |
|
| A backlit Trillium erectum |
|
| 3 - I made a quick stop at Glade Gap on my way home... |
|
 |
|
| Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) |
|
 |
|
| Bluets (Houstonia caerulea) on a mossy creek rock... |