Hemlock Falls Trail – Spring Edition

 

Earlier this month, I led a pair of walks for the Georgia Botanical Society’s annual pilgrimage to Hemlock Falls Trail near Moccasin Creek State Park. I have visited this trail before, but it was a winter walk so I was excited to see what might be blooming there in the spring. This trail leaves from a wooded parking area along a dirt path sprinkled with rocks, roots, and the occasional mud puddle (caused by seepage). The path is bordered by a steep edge (careful!) and landscaped by nature with various plants such as ferns, white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata), yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima), and poison ivy (more careful!).

Northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum)

Cow-wheat (Melampyrum lineare)

Crested iris (Iris cristata)

The bulk of the plants are the trees and shrubs, including a very dominate presence by great laurel (Rhododendron maximum) which was not yet blooming. Other shrubs there: Mountain doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana), Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), Northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), Huckleberry (Gaylussacia ursina), Mountain clethra (Clethra acuminata), and Buffalo nut (Pyrularia pubera). Other trees in addition to an assortment of oaks (Quercus) and maples (Acer): Mountain basswood (Tilia americana var. heterophylla), Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Sweet Birch (Betula lenta), Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), Silverbell (Halesia), and Mountain magnolia (Magnolia fraseri).

Mountain magnolia in bloom (Magnolia fraseri)

Huckleberry flowers (Gaylussacia ursina)

Of course forbs are the stars of the spring hike and there were some good ones as we traversed the 1.2-mile walk to the waterfall. Here are the ones that I made note of: Cow-wheat (Melampyrum lineare), Foamflower (Tiarella austrina), Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum), Solomon's plume (Maianthemum racemosum), Catesby’s trillium (Trillium catesbyi), Vasey's trillium (Trillium vaseyi), Indian cucumber-root (Medeola virginiana), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), Toothwort (Cardamine diphylla), Violets (Viola rotundifolia, blanda, hastata, sororia), White wood aster (Eurybia divaricata), Lady rue (Thalictrum clavatum), Clustered snakeroot (Sanicula odorata), Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus), Orobanche uniflora (now Aphyllon uniflorum), Thyme-leaf bluet (Houstonia serpyllifolia), Crested dwarf iris (Iris cristata), and Rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens). Ferns were also well represented and included New York fern (Amauropelta noveboracensis), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), Intermediate fern (Dryopteris intermedia), Northern maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum), and American climbing fern (Lygodium palmatum).

Trillium vaseyi with Viola blanda

Thyme-leaf bluet (Houstonia serpyllifolia)

Lady rue (Thalictrum clavatum)

Tiarella austrina showing its habit (spreading)

I cannot avoid mentioning invasive plants that we found there. First is Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica) which can found throughout the parking area and along the early part of the trail. That plant is known to be invasive in Rabun County and the bronze color of the new growth helps to identify it in the early spring. There is also Elaeagnus umbellata in the parking area. A surprise was finding two pieces of autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) near the edge of the creek close to the waterfall (far from civilization). We pulled both of those and packed it out with our trash; I also reported it on iNaturalist.

By the way, since I led the same walk twice, I was curious if we would notice different plants on the second walk. The answer was yes, we did notice things on the second walk that we hadn't spotted on the first one. So, go ahead and walk the same trail twice, it might be twice as nice.