Wonderful Wildflowers at Thompson Wildlife Management Area

Trillium Grandiflorum (c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Last week, I had the chance to explore the G.R. Thompson Wildlife Management Area in Virginia. Located in Northern Faquier County, the Thompson WMA is less than 90 miles from Bethesda. So easy to visit in a day trip. I’d heard about this area from Elijah Goodwin (@Whimbrelphoto), another photographer in the Washington DC area. Elijah generously shared with me information about what wildflowers were blooming and where to find them.

Showy Orchis (c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Thompson WMA was established when George Richard Thompson donated 4,000 acres of land to the state of Virginia, so that hunters could continue to hunt in the area. What this has meant is that there are now 4,000 acres of land preserved in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Parkway. And in the spring – the woods are full of wildflowers.

Wood Betony (c) 2011 Patty Hankins

In just a few hours the other morning, I saw and photographed numerous species of wildflowers. There were some of the largest patches of May Apples (podophyllyn peltatum) that I’ve ever seen. There were thousands of White Trillium (Trillium Grandiflorum) in the area. I’ve heard that there may be millions of them at Thompson WMA – there are quite literally fields of them. I saw several groups of Showy Orchises (Galearis Spectabilis), as well as Wood Betony (pecularis canadensis), Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubis) and Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides).

May Apple Blossom (c) 2011 Patty Hankins

There are several parking areas that provide easy access to the area. I parked at Stone Ridge Parking Area and found plenty to photograph. I’m told that there are wonderful photographic opportunities at the Trillium Trail parking area as well. Numerous trails run through the WMA, including a section of the Appalachian trail. The trails I hiked last week were in excellent condition and easy hiking.

Trillium Grandiflorum (c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Based on how the peak bloom of wildflowers progresses in the Appalachian mountains, my guess is things will be blooming in the woods at Thompson WMA for a few more weeks. I’m hoping to get back there at least once more this spring to do a little more exploring – and will definitely head back there next year in search of the early spring wildflowers.

New Photo: Showy Orchis

Showy Orchis (c) 2010 Patty Hankins

I’ve recently added a new photo –   Showy Orchis – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) are one of my favorite spring wildflowers. I love just love the shape and colors of the flowers.  I photographed this showy orchis along the Cove Hardwood Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this past spring.

This photograph is available as either a 12X15″ or 20X26″ gallery-wrapped canvas.  You can order Showy Orchis from my website and I will have it available at shows.

Showy Orchis – Galearis Spectabilis

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

The Showy Orchis (galearis spectabilis) are one of my favorite spring wildflowers. Every time I see a cluster of them, I have to stop and photograph them. I first saw some showy orchis in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2008. Each year since then, I’ve gone looking for them, and had a wonderful time photographing.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

This year, I photographed Showy Orchis on the Little River Trail, Porter’s Creek Trail and Cove Hardwood Trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Showy Orchis are perennial members of the Orchid Family (Orchidaceae). They are native to the United States, found in every state east of the Mississippi River except for Florida. West of the Mississippi River, they can be found as far west as Nebraska, as far north as Minnesota and as far south as Arkansas. They are also native to the three easternmost Canadian provinces. Showy Orchis as listed as endangered in Maine and Rhode Island, threatened in Michigan and New Hampshire and Exploitably Vulnerable in New York.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Showy Orchises grow in clusters. The plants are usually between 4 and 8 inches tall. The have between 6 and 15 white and pink/purple flowers. The flowers have a distinctive white lower lip and spur with pink/purple petals and sepals. The flowers are between 3/4″ and 1 1/4″ tall.  Each plant has two green leaves. They bloom in April in the south and May/June in the north.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Showy Orchis prefer in partial shade with rich moist woodland soil. In the Smokies, I’ve found them along the sides of the trails in wooded areas.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

The only other name I’ve come across for Showy Orchises is Preacher in a Pulpit – which was used in the nineteenth century in Pennsylvania. I haven’t been able to identify any known medicinal or practical uses for Showy Orchis.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

OK – so I went a little overboard with all the photos in this post. What can I say – Showy Orchis is one of my favorite spring wildflowers !

If you’d like more information about Showy Orchis, you may want to visit the following sites

USDA Plant Profile

UW-Stevens Point Herbarium

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

eFlora.org

Connecticut Wildflowers

NC State University Wildflowers

The Native Ferns and Floras of the United States

Tennessee Wildflowers II

Just a quick post with some more of my wildflower photos from my trip to Tennessee. I spent a couple of days before and after the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage photographing in the Great Smoky Mountains National park
. GSMNP is my favorite national park – everytime I come here to photograph I fall more and more in love with it.

These first two photos were taken at Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. I spent a couple of hours hiking on Kiddie Trail in the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park.

Eastern Bluestar – Amsonia tabernaemontana

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Mayapple – Podophyllum peltatum

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

And here are my first few photos from GSMNP

Painted Trillium – Trillium Undulatum – photographed on Porter’s Creek Trail

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Rue-Anemone – Thalictrum thalictroides – photographed on the Cove Hardwood Trail

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

And finally a pair of photos of Showy Orchis – Galearis spectabilis. The first set was photographed on Porter’s Creek Trail, the second on Cove Hardwood Trail

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

I’ll be photographing wildflowers for a few more days in Tennessee – then heading home via Asheville. I’m hoping to stop at a few favorite spots in the Asheville area – the Asheville Botanical Garden and the North Carolina Arboretum. I’ll try to get one more post of wildflower photos up before the end of my trip. You can see my photos as I post them on Facebook on my BeautifulFlowerPictures.com Facebook Page.

Until then – I hope you enjoy the wildflower photos I’ve been posting

More Smoky Mountain Wildflowers

I just got back from another wonderful week of photographing wildflowers along the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I came home with about 130 GB of photos – so it’s going to take me a while to get them weeded and edited.

One of the wonderful aspects of spring wildflowers in the Smoky Mountains is the incredible combinations of wildflowers that can be seen growing together in the park. In January, I posted a few photos of wildflower combinations from my 2008 trip. Here are some of my favorite combinations of wildflowers from my April 2009 trip to Tennessee.

First is a hillside of yellow trillium (trillium luteum) and purple phacelia (phacelia bipinnatifida). The Yellow Trillium are found throughout the Smoky Mountains. I found this patch surrounded by purple phacelia along River Road.

Yellow Trillium and Purple Phacelia (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Next is a patch of crested dwarf irises (iris cristata)  and star chickweed (stellaria pubera) around the base of a tree. I photographed these flowers along the side of the road in the Greenbrier section of the Smokies, just before the start of the Old Settlers Trail.

Crested Dwarf Irises and Star Chickweed (c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Finally, a showy orchis (galearis spectabilis) in front of a patch of crested dwarf irises (iris cristata) along the Ash Hopper Trail.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I hope my photos can give you a sense of the incredible beauty of the wildflowers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I’ve fallen totally in love with the wildflowers and the park. And even though I’ve only been home for a couple of days, I’m already trying to figure out when I can get back to what has quickly become my favorite national park.