Logo More Wildflower Treks - 2023
Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area
All Text & Images:
Copyright (2023)

1 - Late April, 2023

With other destinations to visit, I didn't make my usual early spring treks up to our adjacent
spring ephemeral hotspots.   I finally got up there for a few hours on the last day of April.
I roamed an area that I hadn't really explored before, hoping to come across some yellow
lady's slippers, but had no luck with that search.


Bell_Crk_waterfall
It seems that my first photo when heading up into
this area is often these falls on upper Bell Creek.



Dirca_palustris
Drupes on Eastern Leatherwood   (Dirca palustris)
I had found and photographed the flowers of this relatively
uncommon plant for the first time in early April, 2022.



Mayapple
Mayapple   (Podophyllum peltatum)
These often are found with yellow lady's slippers, but no luck today!



Comfrey
Southern Wild Comfrey
(Andersonglossum virginianum, formerly Cynoglossum virginianum)



Geranium
Wild Geranium   (Geranium maculatum)


Vasey_Trillium
Vasey's Trillium   (Trillium vaseyi)


Spotted_Mandarin
Spotted Mandarin   (Prosartes maculata)
This was a new population of this species for me, much
closer to our house than others I have come across.



Boulder
An area of big, mossy boulders...


Flame_Azalea
Flame Azalea   (Rhododendron calendulaceum)


Jack_in_Pulpit
Jack in the Pulpit   (Arisaema triphyllum)


Catesby_Trillium
Catesby's Trillium   (Trillium catesbaei)


Ginseng
American Ginseng   (Panax quinquefolia)
When I'm looking for this, it takes me forever to find
it.   When I'm not looking for it, I see it everywhere!
See more examples:



Ginseng
American Ginseng   (Panax quinquefolia)


Ginseng
American Ginseng   (Panax quinquefolia)


Ginseng
American Ginseng   (Panax quinquefolia)


Ginseng
American Ginseng   (Panax quinquefolia)



2 - Early May, 2023

The day after leading a GA BotSoc field trip for the Spring Pilgrimage, I took a short
walk through a lower area of the Wilderness Area across from our property.

While working my way through a thick shrubby spot by a creek, I saw a brilliant red flash out of the corner of my eye.   Turns out it was a beautiful Scarlet Tanager, a bird we rarely see.   I already had my camera in hand, but was set-up to shoot some flower closeups, not a distant bird through brush.   Well, you have to use the tool you have at hand, not the one you wish you had.   I couldn't move for fear of scaring it off, so I slowly raised the camera until I could get a somewhat clear shot through the branches and leaves.   It sat on the same branch for a while, but was constantly preening and moving about.   It flew down into the creek and splashed around some.   I tried to get a better angle but then it saw me and flew off.

These images aren't much, shot at full digital zoom and then GREATLY cropped, but you can at least identify the bird.


Scarlet_Tanager
Scarlet Tanager   (Piranga olivacea)


Scarlet_Tanager
Scarlet Tanager


Scarlet_Tanager
Scarlet Tanager


Scarlet_Tanager
Scarlet Tanager, splashing in the water


Still
If you find an old U-shaped rock structure in the woods, and it's near a creek,
chances are that it's the firebox from an old moonshine still.   I had never seen
this one before.   I had to clear a bunch of poison ivy off it to get a clear view.



Ginseng
Once again, I found Ginseng when I wasn't looking for it...


Ginseng
American Ginseng   (Panax quinquefolia)



Wildflower Index S. Nantahala Index
Hiawassee Index NE GA - NC Index