Discover a World of Wildflowers in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains

Posted by Jon Hoffman in National Park

Quick. Which national park is known as "the Wildflower Park"?

That's right: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visit this spring to see just why it has earned that name!

From early spring through mid-fall, more than 1,500 species of flowering plants bloom in successive waves throughout this popular park. That's more than you'll find in any other national park across the USA.

The earliest wildflowers pop up in late February, often peeking out through the snow. The last ones bloom in September and even into October.

But peak blooming time comes in April, when spring ephemerals like violets, ragwort, and buttercups unfold their pretty petals. That's also the time when the redbud and dogwood trees blossom. So, if you time it right, you'll find eye-popping color at just about every turn.

In fact, there's so much floral splendor in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains that the region hosts an annual Wildflower Pilgrimage, usually in April or May. This year, because of COVID-19, the Pilgrimage is strictly virtual. But you can still make your own in-person pilgrimage to view April's flowery spectacle.

Here's a small sampling of what you can expect to discover:

• Sweet White Trillium, large bell-shaped flowers that bloom from late March through early April in the lower elevations and a little later in the middle elevations. Look for three snow-white petals surrounding a golden center. As the plant ages, the petals turn pink.
• Columbines, colorful showoffs that bloom throughout April at middle and lower elevations. Look for their distinctive drooping blossoms with dramatic red and yellow "spurs."
• Foamflowers, known for their dainty white blooms spiking out from leafless stems. You'll find them all over the park during April's peak wildflower season.
• Cut-Leaf Toothwort, abundant throughout the park, especially at lower elevations. You'll know them by their clusters of four-petaled flowers – small, white, and oh-so-delicate – above deeply cut, bright green leaves.
• Bloodroot, multi-petaled blossoms that bloom in the lower elevations from mid-March through early April. Look for their showy white petals, which unfurl as the day warms up.
• Jack-in-the-Pulpit, a tall, shade-loving plant that flourishes in the Smokies' moist, fertile soil throughout the early spring. You'll know it by its distinctive curling hood enclosing a small green spike – the "preacher in the pulpit."
• Trout Lilies, eye-catching yellow flowers with vivid, drooping blossoms and distinctive mottled leaves that resemble spotted brook trout. (Hence the lily's name.) You'll find these gorgeous blooms throughout the park, often growing in clusters for an attention-grabbing display.
• Fire Pinks, which are actually a rich crimson red, with five notched (or "pinked") petals atop a long slender stem. These beauties thrive throughout the park during April and beyond.

... plus many more, including Dutchman's Breeches, with their pantaloon-shaped blossoms; large-flowered bellwort, known for their nodding yellow blooms; purple phacelia, magnificent blue-purple flowers that blossom in showy clusters; wild geraniums; wood anemone; and dozens of other species.

Top Trails for Viewing Wildflowers

Right in the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge area, you'll find easy-to-moderate trails where lovely spring wildflowers abound. Check out Little River Trail, Porters Creek Trail, Schoolhouse Gap Trail, Gregory Ridge Trail, Middle Prong Trail, Cove Hardwood Self-Guiding Nature Trail, and others.

Book Your Spring Wildflower Getaway Now

Don't miss your chance to see the Great Smoky Mountains ablaze with brilliant spring color. Contact Volunteer Cabin Rentals today to reserve your comfortable cabin, just minutes from all the breathtaking beauty in America's "Wildflower Park."

This content posted by Volunteer Cabin Rentals. Visit our home page, www.volunteercabinrentals.com to book your next vacation cabin today.

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