The Great Smoky Mountain
National Park Wildflowers..
Great Smoky Mountains National Park "... is a world-renowned preserve of wildflower diversity—over 1,660 kinds of flowering plants are found in the park, more than in any other North American national park. In fact, the park is sometimes referred to as the “Wildflower National Park.” From the earliest hepaticas and spring-beauties in the late winter to the last asters in the late fall, blooming flowers can be found year-round in the park. A group of flowers known as spring ephemerals begins the yearly show. Ephemerals are so named because they appear above ground only in late winter and early spring, then flower, fruit, and die back within a short two month period. They emerge from February through April, and are gone (dormant) by May or June. This remarkable group of plants is adapted to the rhythm of the overstory trees. Ephemerals appear before deciduous trees leaf out, when full sunlight is streaming to the forest floor. This is also a time when soil moisture is high and soil nutrients are plentiful due to the decomposition of tree leaves that fell the previous autumn. The ephemerals exploit these conditions—they flower, fruit, and their above-ground parts decay before summer gets into full swing. The peak of spring wildflower blooming usually occurs in mid- to late-April at lower elevations in the park, and a few weeks later on the highest peaks. Spring ephemerals include flowers such as trillium (the park has 10 different species), lady slipper orchids, showy orchis, crested dwarf iris, fire pink, columbine, bleeding heart, phacelia, jack-in-the-pulpit, little brown jugs, and violets, to name just a few. Suggested wildflower walks...." CLICK HERE for the rest of the story.
Pink Lady Slippers, Blue Flags, Flame Azaleas... just some of the wildflowers you'll encounter in these photos along the Appalachian Trail
Pink and Yellow Lady Slippers... and Rhododedron Blossoms of North Carolina
How to Grow Your Own Wildflowers
Asheville Natural Wildflower Guide
".... is a guide to the native wildflowers of the southern Appalachians, with additional information for plant sources, hiking trails in the Asheville North Carolina area, and a few well-chosen links to other sites with Asheville information, wildflower sources, hiking,trail and outfitter information, and botanical resources...."
Wildflower Meadows: An Alternative to Lawns "... By replacing some of your lawn areas with native vegetation, you can provide food and cover for a variety of wildlife. This will provide much-needed habitat to our declining native meadows...."
Native Plant Nurseries which
Supply Seeds and/or Plants
Carolina Native Nursery
"... a specialty grower of native woody ornamental plants and trees. We are currently growing over 90 different species with many cultivars. Please take a moment to review our Catalogue. We are located on 12 beautiful acres in Burnsville, North Carolina at 1126 Prices Creek Roadl....."
Elk Mountain Nursery
"... specializes in plants native to the Eastern United States. In addition to our native collection, we also have a number of hard to find Japanese Maples (hard to find at a reasonable price). We are one of the pioneer nurseries on the Web. Our Catalog has been online since 1996. Our nursery is located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The long, cool growing season; coupled with a short, but intense winter; makes Asheville an ideal site for a nursery serving the Eastern United States. The nursery is in USDA Zone 6, allowing us to grow a wide variety of species adapted to both cooler and warmer areas...."
Meadowbrook Nurseries - We-Du Natives
"... Our specialties range from a wonderful selection of native plants to unusual plants to wonderful visits to our enchanting gardens.... We are constantly searching the plant world for new items to add to our existing plant pallet in our attempt to offer our customers many unique native and outstanding plants.... We have a beautiful lake with a walking trail surrounded by a wide variety of native plants for natural inspiration. Also, there are numerous trial beds and mature plantings throughout the nursery to give gardeners an idea of how our plants will look in landscape situations in color, mature size and growth habits. Located on the former Polly's Spout, we have a long heritage of entertaining folks. The nursery is located on the longtime recreation site for a natural spring and meeting area. The "Spout" is a longtime source of drinking water and has attracted a variety of visitors from the early settlers to the gold miners of the 1820's. Later in the 1920's, Polly Spout evolved into a recreation park that attracted picnickers from around the Western North Carolina area. Today, our property is rich in native flora with an outstanding variety of native plants along with many one of a kind collector plants, installed by plant enthusiasts over the years...." Located in Marion, about a half hour ride east on I-40 from Asheville
Mountain Mist Nursery
"... We are located in a green valley surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our plant list consists of native azaleas, ferns, hostas and other shade loving plants. Visits to the nursery are welcome when you are in the Asheville, NC area.... Our goal is to supply shade and native plants not available at your local nurseries or big box stores. We try to do this at reasonable prices for our loyal customers and new gardening friends who may be placing their first order. Enjoy our online store, it is intended for those gardeners who appreciate native woodland plants...."
Reems Creek Nursery
"... is one of Buncombe County's oldest and most experienced retail garden centers. For over 20 years the folks at Reems Creek Nursery have been helping people beautify their surroundings with quality plants and services, in their homes and in their communities. Our large selection of trees, shrubs, fruits, perennials, bedding plants, native plants, houseplants, water plants & fish, pottery, fountains, organics, and gardening supplies are just waiting to make your garden brighter!..." In Weaverville at I-26 (19/23 N) and Monticello road
Sandy Mush Herb Nursery
"... cultivates 1950 culinary, tea, decorative and traditional medicinal herbs, flowering perennials, scented geraniums, dye and
Click on each of the dozens of categories to the left to uncover what makes the Asheville area so vital, so intriguing and so, well, UTTERLY BLISSFUL!
Rhododendrons in Bloom on Roan Mountain
Spring Flowers in the mountains of North Carolina
AshevilleNatural.com"... a guide to the native wildflowers of the southern Appalachians, with additional information for plant sources..."
North Carolina Native Plant Society
"... native plants from encroaching construction. We applaud people who create native plant habitats. We provide a listing service to speakers, making native plant related presentations available to the public. We sponsor various programs for both the community and college students, supporting research and stewardship activities which promote native plants. We write letters to key officials stating our position on certain important issues, making those drafts available for the start of your own correspondence. We gather for field trips, plant & seed exchanges & auctions, picnics, and other events. Outings are also organized locally throughout the state by our chapters. We promote responsible landscaping practices. We grow native plants. We buy nursery propagated plant material and leave the wild plants in the wild. We conserve and protect native plants and natural area habitats. We avoid invasive exotic plants...."
Flowering plants of Western North Carolina
"... arranged in simple alphabetic order by common name. The following links below are simply a different way of looking at the same information. The Color/Type is probably the best way to look for a flower that you've seen, but don't know what plant it is. The Bloom Time list gives you (and me) a good idea of what may be starting to bloom in the area for a given month...."
Southern Appalachian Wild Flower Index ",,,This index lists wildflowers found by our hiking group on the trails of the Southern Appalachian/Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a listing with names which link to our photos of the flower or plant. The list is growing with frequent updates..."
USDA Plants Database
".... provides standardized information about the vascular
plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S.
and its territories...."
Wildflowers of the Southern Appalachians
"... These mountains are old, very old, once rivaling the Rockies or perhaps the Andes in height. They have resisted the sea, the scraping of glaciers and still stand, though rounded and worn, against the ravages of time. This ancientness has allowed a wonderful variety of life to develop with a combination of Northern and Southern species, thanks to the climactic effects of altitude. It is often quoted, significantly, that the Great Smokies have more species of trees than the whole of Europe. A great variety of herbaceous plants are also found in abundance in the Southern Appalachians as well--reportedly over 1500 species, once causing quite a stir as William Bartram, Asa Gray and others explored the area making observations and collecting specimens during the 18th and 19th centuries, and these are the focus of this site...."
Nicely indexed, with multiple ways to search: by season and color, alphabetically, and by family.
Botanical Gardens and Arboretums
Botanical Gardens at Asheville
"...
focus on plants native to these Southern Appalachian Mountain areas and include a large variety of trees, shrubs, vines, wildflowers, herbs, grasses, sedges, aquatic plants, ferns, mosses and lichens - approximately 700 species in all. We are proud to host such rare plants as the Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata), Oconee Bells (Shortia galacifolia), Mountain Sweet Pitcher (Sarracenia rubra, 'Jonessi'), and many terrestrial orchids. Early spring brings our flush of Trilliums that is - honestly - pretty hard to beat. Although the peak wildflower season is April to mid-May, something is in flower nearly all year long. In summer, you’ll find berries and the first blooms of the Goldenrods. Fall brings out the many varieties of Asters and Eupatorium, along with the trees that cloak the Gardens in a vibrant autumn color display. Winter, too, is not forgotten as the Witch Hazel's blossom is like a spent New Year's party favor. We've seen the Skunk Cabbage growing so fast that it melts the snow. Click here to see a Bloom Lists of plants found in the Gardens...." Located adjacent to the University of North Carolina Asheville Campus at 151 W.T. Weaver Blvd. Open dawn to dusk. No admission fee (donations gratefully accepted).
"... a 434-acre public garden located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest. Surrounded by the dense folds of the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, the Arboretum is nestled in one of the most beautiful natural garden settings in America. Established in 1986 by the General Assembly as an inter-institutional facility of the University of North Carolina, the Arboretum came into existence nearly a century after this country's father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, first envisioned such an institution near Asheville. A center for education, research, conservation and economic development, and garden demonstration, the Arboretum offers a wide range of activities for visitors of all ages... integrating education, landscape, and research -- that elevates the aesthetic, cultural, and economic quality of life in North Carolina. The Arboretum, through conservation of the traditional values, environmental resourcefulness, and botanical mystique of the Southern Appalachian region, broadens contemporary expressions of landscape stewardship...."Located off of exit 33 of I-26 ... and also from the Milemarker 393 exit of Blue Ridge Parkway (Map and Directions) Parking fee is $6 for private vehicles, but is free all day Tuesday. Numerous Trails... some just walking, others for both cycling and walking.
The Savory Thyme Cafe
"...
Enjoy fresh sandwiches, salads, soup, desserts and beverages during your visit to the NC Arboretum. Atrium seating provides panoramic views of the Bent Creek watershed. The Cafe is located on the first floor of the Education Center...."
Articles
Bonsai, Appalachian Style "...You could hike for days—
weeks, months—through the Appalachian
Mountains to discover
the rich diversity of the region’s native
trees, flowering shrubs, and jewellike wildflowers:
bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia), Allegheny
serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis),
mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), flame
azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum), and
sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), to name
just a few. Or you can visit the North Carolina
Arboretum in Asheville and see these
and scores of other native Appalachian
plants within just a few feet of each other,
in miniature, as bonsai...."
Browse AshevilleBliss.com's Bookstore
Discover the Bliss of North Carolina and Appalachian Wildflowers
Native Orchids of the Southern Appalachian Mountains "... This authoritative guide showcases the unmatched beauty and diversity of the native orchids of the southern Appalachian mountains... it covers the 52 species... and information on the time of flowering, range, and typical habitat, all in the context of the southern mountains. A range map accompanies each description, and Bentley's own superb photographs are an additional aid to identification.... "
Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge Parkway "... Illustrated with close-up color photographs, this field guide covers roughly 275 species of flowers that the casual visitor could expect to encounter along the Parkway.... including notes on how Native Americans and early settlers used various species for food, medicine, and clothing... includes a tour guide and map that identify 75 of the best, most easily accessible sites for viewing wildflowers along the Parkway, listing by season which species can be found blooming at each site...."
Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains "... the most comprehensive and inclusive book I have been able to find about the Wildflowers of the Southern Appalachian...."
"... 600 color photos and 1200 species described... by far the most comprehensive book for identifying flowers of the region...."
"... a true tour de force, as Smith draws from his 20,000 photographs and 20 years of experience in the botany of the southern mountains...."
Seasons In A Wildflower Refuge: An Illustrated Guide To The Corneille Bryan Native Garden, Lake Junaluska, North Carolina "...n illustrated guide to some of the most beautiful and unique plant
specimens found in the Corneille Bryan Native Garden. Dazzling color
photographs testify to the garden’s incredible diversity, and detailed botanical descriptions provide information on each native plant. Featuring inspirational verses as well as a complete index of all the species in the preserve..."
Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains "...With 600 color photos and 1200 species described this is by far the most comprehensive book for identifying flowers of the region. It is a book for the serious who really want to name as many flowers as they can...."
Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge ".... the most beautiful wildlfower book I have ever seen. Each of the 120 photos are full page, full color, and absolutely stunning in their clarity, composition and ability to help you identify a flower. The text is also very informative--and nicely written. Instead of technical jargon, the author gives you all kinds of information in easy to understand and often entertaining language. I'll cherish this book for a long time and use it often as he also tells you specific sites to find each flower. Again, A BEAUTIFUL BOOK...."
North Carolina's Best Wildflower Hikes: The Mountains
North Carolina Wildflowers "... George Humphries presents 34 of his most spectacular wildflower images in his latest Littlebook from Westcliffe Publishers, Wildflowers of North Carolina. Poignant quotes from some of the world's most revered authors and poets accompany the photographs, adding profound insight into the ways wildflowers color our lives...."
Wildlife, Wildflowers, and Wild Activities: Exploring Southern Appalachia "... The outdoors come to life in this collection of stories, games, crafts, investigations, and hands-on activities meant to accompany excursions into the fields, forests, and wetlands of southern Appalachia. The region’s rich natural diversity is highlighted, from its low-elevation coves to its highland ridges and balds. Because the southern Appalachian Mountains provide diverse habitats for plants and animals, every visit presents a new adventure. With an emphasis on the importance of a good conservation ethic along with suggestions on how to get involved in community conservation efforts, explorers of all ages can learn about topics such as plants, animals, microscopic life, life after dark, and environmental awareness....'
"... is a world-renowned preserve of wildflower diversity—over 1,660 kinds of flowering plants are found in the park, more than in any other North American national park. In fact, the park is sometimes referred to as the “Wildflower National Park.” From the earliest hepaticas and spring-beauties in the late winter to the last asters in the late fall, blooming flowers can be found year-round in the park. A group of flowers known as spring ephemerals begins the yearly show. Ephemerals are so named because they appear above ground only in late winter and early spring, then flower, fruit, and die back within a short two month period. 
They emerge from February through April, and are gone (dormant) by May or June. This remarkable group of plants is adapted to the rhythm of the overstory trees. Ephemerals appear before deciduous trees leaf out, when full sunlight is streaming to the forest floor. This is also a time when soil moisture is high and soil nutrients are plentiful due to the decomposition of tree leaves that fell the previous autumn. The ephemerals exploit these conditions—they flower, fruit, and their above-ground parts decay before summer gets into full swing. The peak of spring wildflower blooming usually occurs in mid- to late-April at lower elevations in the park, and a few weeks later on the highest peaks. Spring ephemerals include flowers such as trillium (the park has 10 different species), lady slipper orchids, showy orchis, crested dwarf iris, fire pink, columbine, bleeding heart, phacelia, jack-in-the-pulpit, little brown jugs, and violets, to name just a few. Suggested wildflower walks...." 
",,,This index lists wildflowers found by our hiking group on the trails of the Southern Appalachian/Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a listing with names which link to our photos of the flower or plant. The list is growing with frequent updates..." 
resisted the sea, the scraping of glaciers and still stand, though rounded and worn, against the ravages of time. This ancientness has allowed a wonderful variety of life to develop with a combination of Northern and Southern species, thanks to the climactic effects of altitude. It is often quoted, significantly, that the Great Smokies have more species of trees than the whole of Europe. A great variety of herbaceous plants are also found in abundance in the Southern Appalachians as well--reportedly over 1500 species, once causing quite a stir as William Bartram, Asa Gray and others explored the area making observations and collecting specimens during the 18th and 19th centuries, and these are the focus of this site...."
Nicely indexed, with multiple ways to search: by season and color, alphabetically, and by family.