On August 2, I hiked the Old Sugarlands Trail, a historic Smoky Mountains route that immerses hikers in the beauty of nature. The trail winds through the towering trees hiding the mountain views but providing a beautiful canopy allowing the sunlight to filter through, but shading from the heat of the day.
Two and half hours up the trail from the trailhead, I saw the flowers for today’s report.
- Asiatic Dayflower: few – At peak bloom – very small but beautiful.
- Doll Eyes (berries): few – Beginning to fade.
- Flowering Spurge: few – Mostly past peak bloom.
- Golden Rod: few – Appear to either be just starting to bloom or just finished blooming.
- Heal All: many + – At various stages of the blooming cycle – many at peak bloom.
- Queen Anne’s Lace: (1) – Past peak bloom.
- Phlox: many – Just starting to bloom (not sure which species of the phlox).
- Saint John’s Wort: some – Appear to be just starting to bloom.
- Spotted Jewelweed: (2) – Past peak bloom (did not see many Jewelweed this year).
- Thimbleweed: few – Mostly past peak bloom (quality of blooms better the higher you go up the trail).
- Tick Trefoil: few – Past peak bloom.
Maybe not a lot of flowers seen today, but nothing takes away from the beauty of a hike and still the fading blooms catch the eye of the passerby.
The accompanying photos are file photos.
Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on wildflowers in the Smokies.