Western Carolina Botanical Club

Buck Spring Nature Trail – June Wildflowers

Posted on June 5, 2021 by WCBC

Shown below are pictures of plants we have previously seen on the Buck Spring Nature Trail in June. The link to the Buck Spring Nature Trail Guide can be found here. Photography by Ken Borgfeldt & Penny Longhurst. Plants that are non-native to North America are indicted by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name.

Mountain Holly (Ilex montana) Female Flowers

Carrion Flower (Smilax herbacea) Male Bloom

Early Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dioicum) Male Flowers

Spotted St. John's-wort (Hypericum punctatum)

Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella*)

Pale Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium) Bloom

Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa) Male Flowers

Northern Leatherflower (Clematis viorna)

Narrowleaf Evening Primrose, Shrubby Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa ssp. glauca) [Onagraceae] (Oenothera fruticosa ssp. glauca)

Narrow-leaf Blue-eyed Grass; Stout Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) [Iridaceae]

Posted in Scouting Trip | Tagged Hiking, WCBC, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Frying Pan Gap Loop Scout – May 17, 2021

Posted on May 28, 2021 by WCBC

We hiked the Frying Pan Gap Trail from the gate to the campground and then returned along the Parkway. Photography by Penny Longhurst. Click on any picture to zoom. Plants that are non-native to North America are indicted by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name.

Catawba Rhododendron; Mountain Rosebay (Rhododendron catawbiense)

Thyme-leaved Bluets (Houstonia serpyllifolia)

Rosebay; Great Laurel (Rhododendron maximum) [Ericaceae]

May Apple; Mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum)

Maroon-colored Wake Robin (Trillium erectum)

Rose Twisted Stalk; Rose Mandarin (Streptopus lanceolatus v. roseus)

Carolina Azalea (Rhododendron minus var. minus)

White-colored Wake Robin (Trillium erectum)

Green-headed Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) & Tassel Rue; False Bugbane (Trautvetteria caroliniensis) Leaves

Wild Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis var. montana)

Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) [Rosaceae]

Wood Betony; Lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis)

Clinton's Lily, White Clintonia (Clintonia umbellulata) [Liliaceae]

a Bunch of Joe-Pye-Weed (Eutrochium sp.)

Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemosa) [Adoxaceae]

Bear Corn (Conopholis americana) [Orobanchaceae]

Biltmore Carrion Flower; Upright Smilax (Smilax biltmoreana)

Plants that are non-native to North America are indicated by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name.

Posted in Scouting Trip | Tagged Blue Ridge Parkway, Hiking, North Carolina, Views, WCBC, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

BRP Ridgeline Trail Scout – May 16, 2021

Posted on May 21, 2021 by WCBC

Penny couldn’t resist, and checked out the BRP Ridgeline Trail (formerly known to some of us as the Painted Trillium trail) and then continued driving south as far as Wolf Mountain Overlook. Photography by Penny Longhurst. Click on any picture to zoom. Plants that are non-native to North America are indicted by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name.

Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)

a White Pinkshell Azalea (Rhododendron vaseyi)

Running Club Moss (Lycopodium clavatum) & a Haircap Moss (Polytrichum sp.)

Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)

Hillside of Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)

American Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana)

Hobble Bush (Viburnum lantanoides) [Adoxaceae]

Pin Cherry; Fire Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica)

Maroon-colored Wake Robin (Trillium erectum)_100410

Michaux's Saxifrage (Micranthes petiolaris)

Posted in Scouting Trip | Tagged Blue Ridge Parkway, Hiking, Views, WCBC, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Big Ridge Loop – May 7, 2021

Posted on May 14, 2021 by WCBC

We invited new members to join us for a scout on the Big Ridge Loop. Here is some of what we saw. Photography by Penny Longhurst. Click on any picture to zoom. Plants that are non-native to North America are indicted by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name.

Cut-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata)

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)

Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla)

Mountain Bugbane; Late Black Cohosh (Actaea podocarpa)

Cat's Ear (Hypochaeris radicata*) Leaves (L) & Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella*) (R)

Great Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum reniforme)

Venus' Looking Glass (Triodanis perfoliata)

Yellow Mandarin; Fairy Bells (Prosartes lanuginosa)

Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus*) [Celastraceae]

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

Pink Lady's Slipper; Moccasin Flower (Cypripedium acaule)

Southern Nodding Trillium (Trillium rugelii)

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) [Lauraceae] Blooms

Large-flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)

Giant or Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera)

Interrupted Fern (Claytosmunda claytoniana; Osmunda claytoniana)

Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)

Clinton's Lily, White Clintonia (Clintonia umbellulata)

White Clover (Trifolium repens*) [Fabaceae]

Interrupted Fern (Claytosmunda claytoniana; Osmunda claytoniana) [Osmundaceae]

Clinton's Lily, White Clintonia (Clintonia umbellulata) & Appalachian Bunchflower (Veratrum parviflorum)

Biltmore Carrion Flower; Upright Smilax (Smilax biltmoreana) Blooms

Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata)

Silvery Glade Fern (Deparia acrostichoides)

Southern Nodding Trillium (Trillium rugelii) [Melanthiaceae]

Southern Nodding Trillium (Trillium rugelii) Hybrid or Trillium vaseyi?

Appalachian Bunchflower (Veratrum parviflorum) [Liliaceae]

Posted in Scouting Trip | Tagged Blue Ridge Parkway, Ferns, Hiking, Pisgah National Forest, WCBC, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

BRP Ridgeline Trail – May

Posted on May 7, 2021 by WCBC

Plants we expect to find in May on the BRP Ridgeline Trail (formerly known to some of us as the Painted Trillium trail). Photography by Ken Borgfeldt, Penny Longhurst, Jim Poling, & Joe Standaert. Click on any picture to zoom. Plants that are non-native to North America are indicted by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name.