Wildflower Report

Post date: 01/27/2021
By Dr. Annkatrin Rose, Department of Biology, Appalachian State University:  Yes, it’s still January, but the first wildflowers are already up and blooming around Boone! Eastern skunkcabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is our earliest bloomer and poking out from the still somewhat snow-covered muddy places that it likes to grow in. This plant not only doesn’t mind the cold, but it is actuallyable to produce its own heat as an extra perk for its winter pollinators.For this year, I’m trying out video reports for wildflowers in bloom. Check out the video for a look at theskunk cabbages I...
Post date: 05/09/2019
 By Dr. Annkatrin Rose, Department of Biology, Appalachian State University:  We have reached peak bloom for many of the spring ephemerals around the High Country. This is the weekend to get out to look for them if you can! I was fortunate enough last week to participate as a hike leader in the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along with several colleagues from the department. With over 1,500 species of flowering plants, the Smokies boast more wildflowers than any other National Park in the US. They were about two weeks ahead of us...
Post date: 04/05/2019
By Dr. Annkatrin Rose, Department of Biology, Appalachian State University:  According to the National Phenology Network, spring arrived about two weeks early in the Boone area this year. It may not have felt like spring earlier this week with another dip into freezing temperatures but the first spring ephemerals have made their appearance around town. These flowers emerge on the forest floor to bloom and complete their reproductive cycle before the trees leaf out. Rain and warmer temperatures coming up will tease more of these early bloomers out of the soil for the coming weekend....
Post date: 04/20/2017
 By Dr. Annkatrin Rose, Department of Biology, Appalachian State UniversityWhat a difference a week can make at this time of the year! With the spring rains and warmer weather, the wildflowers are up in full force and heading for peak bloom around Boone now. All the usual suspects are making their appearance, including trilliums, bellworts, mayflowers, trout lilies and lots of others. The Fringed Phacelia along the Profile Trail was coming in strong last weekend and could quite possible be at peak bloom this weekend. The Large White Trilliums have started as well at the Daniel Boone...
Post date: 04/13/2017
 By Dr. Annkatrin Rose, Department of Biology, Appalachian State UniversityThe number and variety of plants blooming in the woods keeps increasing with every day at this time of the year. However, we're still some time away from peak wildflower bloom in the Boone area. The colder days last weekend have caused a little bit of a delay, but with the warmer weather now and more spring rains coming up to water the plants, we should be seeing spring growth speeding up. The best areas to look for wildflowers are still the lower elevations at this point with not much blooming yet higher up in...
Post date: 04/06/2017
 The start of this year felt and looked like spring was arriving four weeks early in the High Country. Unfortunately, the ornamental cherries and magnolias on campus that started blooming at the end of February lost their flowers in the early March freeze we had. Fortunately though, the wildflowers were not affected by the unusually warm late winter temperatures followed by the deep freeze. They may still be a bit earlier than average this year but much closer to their normal schedule up here in the mountains. Easter weekend to early May should be a good time to plan some hikes to see...