Dragons, Twentymile and Midsummer Flowers

Destination Yellow Fringed Orchid!

In late July of 2016 while driving US 129, otherwise known as the Dragon's Tail, we spotted a stand of lovely triplets! Perched amid the roadside shrubs and weeds three orchids posed for their portrait. I obliged!

So now in late July 2020 we decided a country drive along the Foothills Parkway and Dragon's Tail to the Twentymile Trail would not only take us past the roadside site but would provide an opportunity to check on other sites for the Yellow Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris).

We never quite know what to expect on a return to any site. We were disappointed to find that the steep banks along the highway had been skinned by the state's bush-hogging. I understand the need to cut back overgrown vegetation, but the bare slopes and banks were already starting to show severe erosion. 

I feared the orchid's habitat had been destroyed.

To my delight I spotted another yellow-orange blossom: Carolina Lily (Lilium michauxii) named for André Michaux, the French botanist who traversed the Appalachians [no long a's in the word] identifying plants.  

This striking flower is the state flower for North Carolina. 

It's easy to mistake the smaller Carolina Lily for its larger near cousin the Turk's Cap Lily (Lilium superbum), which is distinguished by a green star in the center of the flower. Also, Carolina Lily usually bears only 1-4 blossoms per stem where Turk's Cap's blossoms are displayed in a noticeable candelabra formation.   

At last we spotted what we came to see: the Yellow Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris). Most of the plants we saw, although abundant in a couple of spots, were small with sparse inflorescence. 

Patience paid off! 

Around a curve we spotted a pair of perfect orchids. 

I'm thankful that I didn't have to climb a bank or wade through chigger-laden weeds to photograph these beauties!

I cannot explain my fascination with these wondrous flowers. Wild orchids are contrary and unpredictable for the most part, so to find these two large flourishing specimens was encouraging. 

After photographing the orchids, we headed for the Twentymile Trailhead hoping to find Three-birds Orchid (Triphora trianthophoros). We spotted a spent Starry Campion (Silene stellata). 

Basil Bee Balm (Monarda clinopodia) was still hanging on.

Look closely to see the tiny pollinators on this Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata).

Identifying lichens, spleenworts and mosses will be my next task!

A lone Puttyroot Orchid (Aplectrum hyemale) seed pod from a previous year indicates another orchid thrives in this area.

Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) this size with this many seed pods indicate it is quite content to grow in this rich hardwood forest. Perhaps this spring I can check it out and capture its gorgeous blossoms!

Twentymile Cascades were flowing full this time of the year. 

Lush vegetation flourished from all the rainfall this season. 

Let's get a closer view of the cascades!

Cateby's Trillim (Trillium catesbaei) with a seed pod awaits ripening. Ants will carry off the seeds to their nests, feast on the elaiosome surrounding each seed, remove the stripped seeds outside the nest where they may produce new plants in 5 or 6 years. 

Alas, no Three-birds Orchid!

Slowing as we approached a steep curve along the Dragon's Tail, we allowed a small black bear to cross in front of us. We could not determine whether it was a scrawny juvenile or a young bear separated from its mother. It scurried up the mountain slope. 

What a rewarding day! On a spur-of-the-moment decision to check on a familiar flower, we encountered scenic beauty along the Foothills Parkway, spotted a variety of wildlife such as deer, bear and turkey, found our orchids, enjoyed the full cascades and a pleasant hike along Twentymile Creek. 

The only drawbacks to our exploring were two ticks and lots of chiggers...all a fair trade-off for the rewards of spending time in God's amazing creation! 

Botanizing in Clay County

Clay County, North Carolina Gentian

Clay County, NC offers some interesting opportunities for botanizing. Deep in the Nantahala National Forest are treasures worth seeking. 

A surprise awaited us at a roadside stop, Nodding Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes cernua).

Chris and I spent an entire afternoon enduring summer heat still lingering in early October [upper 80s] searching for Soapwort Gentian (Gentiana saponaria).

 We had very good directions from a friend, but when you are in a wilderness, coordinates and trail descriptions don't seem so specific! 

 We pushed through tall scrub trees, bushes, and climbing briers. Our goal? The illusive Soapwort Gentian a friend had photographed in abundance near a dry creek bed. 

 

Our efforts were rewarded with the sighting of one tiny plant, not the abundant plants we hoped to see and photograph. As I sat down prepared spend some time getting acquainted with my tiny gentian, the blossom began to twitch and shake. I witnessed a honeybee struggle to free itself from the blossom which imprisoned it. I am accustomed to seeing bumblebees struggling to get free, but I was pleasantly surprised to witness a honeybee free itself! Many of the gentians don't open fully, so pollinators, usually heavy-bodied bees, struggle to enter the bloom and then struggle to escape! Quite a marvel and feat!

This little fellow came out feet first!

 Near a large creek still flowing with a nice amount of water in spite of the drought we've experienced for the past 2 months, we spotted Monkshood (Aconitum uncinatum). The plants were past prime, but I managed to capture flowers and seed capsules. Named for the poisonous substance it contains, aconite, Monkshood is considered highly poisonous. 

 A naturalist acquaintance of ours laughingly stated, "Just brushing against the plant can kill you." I suspect he was exaggerating, but reportedly, Native Americans once applied the sap to the points of their arrows. 

 Canadian Burnet (Sanguisorba canadensis) was a delightful discovery! It is a northern plant common in Canada and northern reaches of the US but rarely found this far south. It's interesting that its name comes from the Latin sanguis, which means blood and sorbere which means to soak up. My understanding is that it was medicinally used to stop bleeding. 

We love exploring new areas and finding interesting plants! many times we go hoping to find what we're seeking, but often the serendipitous discoveries amaze us.  It's worth risking chiggers, brier scratches, encounters with critters and rough terrain to discover wonders in God's glorious creation!