Early Spring in northwest Georgia

[Rich]

General note, if anyone is interested.  Appears to be a rather early spring up in NW GA.  Anita & I were up at Cloudland Canyon yesterday and stopped by the Pocket boardwalk on the way home.  

At Cloudland, all the hepatica and cut-leaved toothwort were essentially done or well past when they have been blooming well at this time of year in the past. Decumbent trillium were going full blast. front Larkspur are already fully open in many places and fully budded and wild geraniums are blooming abundantly.  Viola tripartita was coming up all over the canyon floor and spurred violet and pahcelia were fabulous

At the Pocket, bluebells were going full bore as were the poppies and decumbent trillium.  Phacelia and smooth yellow violet also were going well. Blue cohosh  was in full bloom in patches.

Trout lilies were on their last gasp and should be gone by this weekend, as will bloodroot and hepatica.  We even saw a couple of Dutchman's breeches in bloom.

Trillium flexipes is going to be great on the weekend - some already fully open and many buds about to pop.  

[Richard]

I agree Rich. We visited the Pocket on Saturday with two of our longtime friends who had never been there before, and what a glorious display. Also, on the other side of the mountain the twinleaf was blooming. It also may be gone before next Sunday's trip. My friend has a blog where he posted a write-up with some of the 139 pictures in took on Saturday. Everyone might be interested to see what was blooming Saturday.

http://aloneonalimb.blogspot.com/2007/03/best-wildflower-walk-in-georgia.html

Richard

[Rich]

Nice pictures on his blog.  We did not go off the boardwalk, so we missed the columbines (and obviously the twinleaf).