On Monday, May 13, Tom Harrington hiked the School House Gap Trail from beginning to end. Here is his wildflowers report:
- Bar Cucumber – Few – At peak bloom – first almost mile up trail and also about 1.6 up the trail – neat.
- Bowman’s Root – Few – Past peak bloom.
- Carolina Wood Vetch – Few – Past peak bloom.
- Canadian Violets – Few – Past peak bloom (first quarter of mile up the trail).
- Common Cinquefoil – Some – At peak bloom.
- Daisy Fleabane – Many – Well past peak bloom (mostly first half mile).
- Fairyland – Some – Mostly at peak bloom (both male and female) – first quarter of mile up trail.
Fairyland
- False Solomon’s Seal – Some – Various stages of blooming cycle – At peak, just past peak, just starting.
- Foam Flower – Few – Well past peak bloom (about gone) – 1st quarter of mile up trail.
- Galax – Some – Mostly just starting to bloom but some at peak bloom.
- Golden Ragwort – Few – At peak bloom – (about mile and a half up trail).
- Large Bluet – Many + – At peak bloom.
- Lyer Leaf Sage – Few – Past peak bloom (first quarter of mile up the trail).
- Maple Leaf Viburnum – (1) – At peak bloom – 1.9 miles up the trail.
- Meadow Parsnip – Few – At or just beyond peak bloom.
- Mountain Laurel – Many + – Close to being at peak bloom – breathtakingly display.
- Partridge Berry – Many ++ – At peak bloom – Some embankments covered with them – beautiful but small.
Red clover, much like what might grow in our yards if we didn’t mow so much
- Red Clover – Some – At peak bloom – Attractive to see.
- Solomon’s Seal Grande – Few – Just past peak bloom (mostly first quarter of mile up trail).
- Star Grass – Many – At peak bloom.
- Sweet Cicely – Few – At peak bloom.
- Sweet White Violet – Few – Past peak bloom. (first quarter of mile up trail).
- White Clover – Many – At peak bloom.
- Yellow Wood Sorrell – Some – Approaching peak bloom – mostly first quarter of mile up the trail.
Note: Photos shown are file photos – not made today.
Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on wildflowers in the Smokies.