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Mandarin Cove and Adjacent Area Southern Nantahala Wilderness - Late April 2024 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2024) |
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Mandarin Cove and Adjacent Area Southern Nantahala Wilderness - Late April 2024 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2024) |
| I realized that I hadn't visited Mandarin Cove since 2021, so decided that it was time to climb back up there for a fix of my favorite rich cove community! |
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| Flame Azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum) These were blooming nicely as I climbed up the mountain. |
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| Trillium cuneatum - yellow form |
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| Pink Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) |
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| There is a spot before Mandarin Cove where I usually find a few of these. |
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| Eastern Green Violet (Cubelium concolor) One of the odder violets, for sure. |
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| Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) |
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| Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) |
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| Large-flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) The Cove is blanketed with this species of Bellwort. |
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| Slender Toothwort (Cardamine angustata) |
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| A spectacular spectabilis! |
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| Yellow Mandarin, aka Fairybells (Prosartes lanuginosa) One of the two namesakes of Mandarin Cove, they were already well on the way out. This didn't bode well for finding any Spotted Mandarin, which blooms before the Yellows. |
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| Foamflower (Tiarella austrina) |
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| Vasey's Trillium (Trillium vaseyi) |
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| Solomon's Plume (Maianthemum racemosum) |
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| Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) |
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| Cluster of Columbine |
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| Red Columbine |
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| Red Columbine |
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| Canada Violet (Viola canadensis) |
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| Canada Violets in habitat |
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| Spotted Mandarin, aka Spotted Fairy Bells (Prosartes maculata) The other namesake of the Cove, they were all bloomed out and gone to seed. I managed to find just this one flower that still had petals. |
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| Another Showy Orchis |
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| Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) |
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| Catesby's Trillium (Trillium catesbaei) |
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| Carolina Lily (Lilium michauxii) |
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| A side view of the stalk gives a better idea of the ID. |