On Bloom
Spring wildflowers. GSMNP/Thom McManus photo
Mill Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia
Throughout our region, numerous sublime wildflower walks exist. Certainly one of those is Roanoke Virginia’s Mill Mountain Wildflower Garden (MMGC) says Whitney Feldmann.
“In 1970, Roanoke City asked our club to take over a weedy, overgrown 2.5 acres and turn it into a beautiful mountaintop garden park for the community,” she says. “Since that charge, MMGC has designed and reimagined this natural space into a native wildflower garden, maintaining it continuously during that time.
“We recently completed a campaign to renovate the garden. Through generous community support, the pathways are now Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, many invasive plants were removed, and views opened. Our mountaintop pond was completely renovated and rebuilt.”
Feldmann adds that additional native trees, shrubs, pollinators and of course wildflowers were planted and new informational signage added. May is a superb month to visit with blooming wildflowers including lady’s slippers, May apples, twin leaves, Virginia bluebells, marsh marigolds, and trilliums. The garden is always open and free.
Nearby are Mill Mountain Zoo and numerous trails which are part of the Roanoke City system of pathways. Niki Voudren, who is executive director of Mill Mountain Zoo, has hiked on the namesake peak since she was a child.
“Because of their proximity to the wilderness, the trails on Mill Mountain are part of what makes Roanoke a special city and a unique destination,” she says “Within minutes of Downtown Roanoke, you can immerse yourself in the woods where you are one with nature.”
For more information:
Mill Mountain Zoo | Non-Profit Conservation Zoo in Roanoke, VA
Appalachian Trail in Northeast Tennessee
Rob Horn has been hiking East Tennessee’s mountains for some 40 years and one of his favorite getaways for wildflowers is the Appalachian Trail excursion from Carvers Gap to Highway 19E (14 ½ miles).
“May is a good time to find white trilliums and Virginia bluebells along the Carvers Gap trail,” he says. “People can basically take this hike in two different ways. One is just to walk two or three miles out and back to Carvers Gap. The other is to turn the trip into an overnighter and camp out.
“I would rate the short, daytrip option at average difficulty. I rate the overnighter as a strong intermediate hike that will take people through some semi-rugged terrain with lots of vertical changes and ups and downs.”
For more information:
Mahoney’s Outfitters can supply information on local trails along with maps and gear.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Rhonda Wise, the Smoky’s Lead Park Ranger for Resource Education, relates that the national park boasts numerous quality wildlife walks, but she has a favorite.
“Kephart Prong from Hwy 441 to Kephart Shelter is a four-mile round trip, and the trail continues [from there] up to the Appalachian Trail,” she says. "I have hiked it in every season and always find it interesting and new to explore. I would classify it as a moderate hike, with a gradual elevation gain of approximately 900 feet. My personal spring wildflower highlights: wood betony and jack in the pulpit.”
For more information:
Wildflower Walks - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
On Bloom
Elaine photographing wildflowers along the Greenbrier River Trail.
Pocahontas County, West Virginia
Cara Rose, executive director of the Pocahontas County CVB, says the Greenbrier River Trail in downtown Marlinton hosts numerous species of spring wildflowers.
“My favorites along the Greenbrier River Trail are buttercups and native honeysuckle,” she says. “Adding to the appeal of the trail is that it follows an old railroad grade with a less than one percent grade as it goes through Marlinton. I think visitors will also enjoy seeing the original trestles and bridges. Another plus is that the trail is either paved or is gravel in this area.”
Elaine and I walked the GRT in late May, and the buttercups alone were worth the visit.
For more information:
Dirtbean: restaurant, bike rental and repair, box lunches prepared.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia
Mitchell Dech is a farmer and naturalist from Mount Hope and relishes trekking through the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
“There are no bad trails in the New River Gorge as far as seeing spring wildflowers,” he says. “But my favorite is one about six miles long, the Glade Creek Trail. I would rate it as easy to medium and early to mid-spring is the best time to go. Look for three species of trilliums: white, red, and toadshade, as well as forest phlox, downy phlox, and large flowered bellworts.”
For more information: