Several weeks ago I had a lot fun exploring plants in new places with the Georgia Botanical Society on their annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. However, one of the places was familiar to me – and familiar in several ways: we explored part of the Pine Mountain Trail in FDR State Park. I’ve been on that trail in the winter so it was especially nice to see it in spring. It was also familiar because there are a lot of plants that I’m used to seeing in the northern parts of the Piedmont eco-region.
You see, Pine Mountain is an unusual collection of plants and has been described as a refugium, with areas of plants familiar to more northerly areas growing side by side with plants of the Coastal Plain. On our hike, for example, we saw huge blooming stands of mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) – a shrub often associated with north Georgia mountains - growing adjacent to titi (Cyrilla racemiflora), a shrub of the Coastal Plain.
Pine Mountain is a 1,395-foot-high peak that is the southernmost mountain in the eastern U.S. It is at the bottom of the Piedmont eco-region, several dozen miles north of the Upper Coastal Plain (see my earlier post). It has a variety of habitats, from dry ridge tops to moist valleys. There were many times during the hike that I felt like I was in North Georgia, with gurgling streams and waterfalls. Galax, trillium, and Solomon’s seal were in the ground layer while several species of blueberries, azaleas, and mountain laurel filled in the shrub layer. We even found trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) setting seed.
We walked from the radio tower parking lot, following the Pine Mountain Trail to Cascade Falls and back (about 4 miles total). The trail is well-maintained and easy to navigate until you get to Big Rock Falls; from there you need to cross a couple of small streams. The trail goes further if you like and a great map is available at the visitors center.
The plants associated with the Coastal Plain were fun to discover. One of the most prevalent was large gallberry (Ilex coriacea). It loved the wet edges of the trail and was blooming, tiny 5-petaled white flowers. The titi (Cyrilla racemosa) wasn’t blooming yet on this trip. Redbay (Persea borbonia) was nearby but the leaves were twisted and deformed by the fungal disease known as laurel wilt. In the same low, wet area I found something new for me: swamp doghobble (Eubotrys racemosus). It was previously considered a Leucothoe but has deciduous leaves.
Both American chestnut (Castanea dentata) and Allegheny chinkapin/chinquapin (Castanea pumila) can be found on the trail. We found lots of old burs from the chinkapin and it was just setting this year’s flower buds. Nearby, sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) and mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) were blooming. It was also a very good time for the airy blooms of hawkweed (Hieracium venosum) along the edges of the trail.
The trail was very busy with young hikers and families but they were going for speed and destination. Our usual slow pace allowed us to find the quiet blooming treasures like the small flowers of dwarf paw paw (Asimina parviflora) and a flowering Clematis (perhaps C. viorna).
We tried to point out the spectacular populations of mountain laurel and the beautiful flowering Rhododendron minus to those who saw us taking numerous pictures. I like people to know what they are seeing and most were very appreciative of the very good year for mountain laurel. I loved finding the very pink ones as white is the more common color.
Young Georgia oaks (Quercus georgiana) were numerous on the trail; I think that their leaves are quite handsome. Alabama cherry (Prunus alabamensis) and littlehip hawthorn (Crataegus spathulata) were two new floral treats for me. Neither are unique to the area but the timing was right for flowers.
Clearly, late-April/early-May time period is a good time to hike this trail for nice flowers and abundant water features. Plan for it next year.
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| Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) |
Pine Mountain is a 1,395-foot-high peak that is the southernmost mountain in the eastern U.S. It is at the bottom of the Piedmont eco-region, several dozen miles north of the Upper Coastal Plain (see my earlier post). It has a variety of habitats, from dry ridge tops to moist valleys. There were many times during the hike that I felt like I was in North Georgia, with gurgling streams and waterfalls. Galax, trillium, and Solomon’s seal were in the ground layer while several species of blueberries, azaleas, and mountain laurel filled in the shrub layer. We even found trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) setting seed.
We walked from the radio tower parking lot, following the Pine Mountain Trail to Cascade Falls and back (about 4 miles total). The trail is well-maintained and easy to navigate until you get to Big Rock Falls; from there you need to cross a couple of small streams. The trail goes further if you like and a great map is available at the visitors center.
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| Swamp doghobble (Eubotrys racemosus) |
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| Chinkapin starting to flower (Castanea pumila) |
Both American chestnut (Castanea dentata) and Allegheny chinkapin/chinquapin (Castanea pumila) can be found on the trail. We found lots of old burs from the chinkapin and it was just setting this year’s flower buds. Nearby, sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) and mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) were blooming. It was also a very good time for the airy blooms of hawkweed (Hieracium venosum) along the edges of the trail.
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| Rhododendron minus, one of our lesser known rhododendrons |
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| A very pink mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) |
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| Low growing Clematis |
The trail was very busy with young hikers and families but they were going for speed and destination. Our usual slow pace allowed us to find the quiet blooming treasures like the small flowers of dwarf paw paw (Asimina parviflora) and a flowering Clematis (perhaps C. viorna).
We tried to point out the spectacular populations of mountain laurel and the beautiful flowering Rhododendron minus to those who saw us taking numerous pictures. I like people to know what they are seeing and most were very appreciative of the very good year for mountain laurel. I loved finding the very pink ones as white is the more common color.
 |
| Littlehip hawthorn (Crataegus spathulata) |
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| Alabama cherry (Prunus alabamensis) resembles black cherry |
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| Georgia oak (Quercus georgiana) |
Young Georgia oaks (Quercus georgiana) were numerous on the trail; I think that their leaves are quite handsome. Alabama cherry (Prunus alabamensis) and littlehip hawthorn (Crataegus spathulata) were two new floral treats for me. Neither are unique to the area but the timing was right for flowers.
Clearly, late-April/early-May time period is a good time to hike this trail for nice flowers and abundant water features. Plan for it next year.
Wouldn't a GNPS 3-day or so field trip there, say next Spring '19, be better, than good?
ReplyDeleteLate April or early May next year at Pine Mountain, I hope to be there! Thank you.
ReplyDelete