Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Mountain Gardens - Pisgah National Forest

Earlier I promised to share some photos of the amazing plant life along the trails in the Pisgah National Forest. These photos were taken on a trail off 276 between Brevard and the Blue Ridge Parkway on May 18th. Everything was remarkably lush and composed. Ferns covered the slopes rising around us under hundred foot tall tulip poplars and hemlocks.

There were solitary white violets (see photo above) along the banks at the start of the hike. These gave way gradually to a taller species, with branching habit and leaves like halberd leaved yellow violet, but with white blossoms. The photo here shows them with two magnificent angel hair ferns and wild oxalis, possibly violet wood sorrel.

When we got to the falls at the end of the trail, a long liana of Virginia creeper played counterpoint to the cascade.

3 comments:

DebD said...

I love these pictures, especially the last one. My SIL and her family lived in Brevard when hubby and I were first married and starting a family. We loved our visits to their home and walks in Pisgah as well. Did you go to Angel Hair falls (or was it Maiden Hair falls?? - I can't exactly remember the name).

Summer Kinard said...

These pictures are amazing!



I've set up a new blog where I'll be posting in future (MySpace posts will be duplicates):
http://phoenixbearies.blogspot.com/

(Sorry if this comment posts more than once - I am pretty sure the internet ate my first attempt, but if not, oops.)

Steve Emery said...

Thanks to you both. Deb, we can't remember the name of these falls! We visited Looking Glass Falls first, then these - both the best marked and most popular stops along 276. Some_myrhh, I will be adding your new blog to my regulars.