 |
|
|
Greenbrier in the Springtime
|
|
Greenbrier in the Park is a special place in the Springtime as the many wildflowers sprout anew and make the forest come alive. To the right, the Honeybee takes its turn saturating the Dutchman's Britches nectar. |
 |
 |
Fields of Wild Geranium offer great photo opportunities. The trail is a moderate hike, ascending fairly gently. Guides are very tolerant of those who wish to stop for photography. |
|
Many varieties of Fungi live in the Greenbrier. The trail begins on a gravel road maintained by the park service and continues to the Smoky Mountain Hikers Club Cabin where it ends and becomes a regular dirt trail. |
 |
 |
About a mile and a half down the trail there is this wonderful log bridge that seems an entryway into the older forest. Just past this bridge is where the ground cover begins with thousands of White Fringed Phacelia intermixed with Trillium and other wildflowers. Peak timing for viewing the wildflowers is mid April. Flame Azalea make the forest bright with orange flowers. |
|
Just after crossing the bridge, the White Fringed Phacelia creates a carpet on the forest floor. The bees and insects are humming and the wilderness becomes alive, and so do you. |
 |
 |
Here the floor cover is about eight to ten inches tall. Depending on the season, you may see it as tall as fifteen to eighteen inches. Junior mints are one of my favorite snack foods in the woods. |
|
The Jack-in-the-Pulpit is scattered along the trail everywhere. It is a most illusive plant and takes a special eye to locate. Once you see it, and become accustomed to what it looks like, you will find more and more of them. Foam flower is found throughout the Greenbrier area. |
 |
 |
Wild Ginger grows near the waterfall about half way to campsite 31. Longspur violets are not common to the Smokies, but can be found in the Greenbrier. We affectionately call them deep throat violets. |
|
Trillium is abundant. |
 |
 |
Violets are seen everywhere and in many colors. |
|
The famous Pink Ladies Slipper. The pink Ladies Slipper will not transplant readily. Sometimes a friend will show up at my cabin saying that they were only going to be killed by a bulldozer, so they were dug in hopes they could be transplanted. I have only heard of a few that have made it, but have never succeeded in transplanting one myself. Please, do not dig one of the rare plants because it will die unless you know exactly what you are doing, and then only if you are lucky. |
 |
 |
Yellow Wood Poppy |
|
Trout Lilly |
 |
 |
More Violets |
|
Honey bee and yellow wood poppy |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Ray's Lionel® Model Train 1945-2010 |
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
Copyright
© 1998-2010 www.greatsmoky com Email: ray@greasmoky.com
|
Gatlinburg
Weather
