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U.S. Fish & Wildlife photo
Painted trillium.
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Mason Brock/Creative Commons
Gray’s lily.
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Creative Commons
Oconee bells.
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife photo
Dwarf larkspur.
As the bare canopy of Eastern deciduous forests allows the sun to shine through and warm the fecund earth each spring, ephemerals push through the leaf litter toward the sun, and the grays and browns of the forest floor erupt in color. Spring ephemerals complete their entire above-ground growth—aka flowering and fruiting—before the canopy leafs out. Hundreds of species of wildflowers take advantage of this brief window.
In short: The season passes quickly and the flowers are many, so the key is, simply, getting outside. Areas across the Southern Appalachians renowned for their spring blossoms include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (with more than 1,500 species of flowering plants), the Blue Ridge Parkway, Roan Mountain, Grandfather Mountain, and more—your favorite wooded hike likely has plenty to admire, too. Remember that flowers will start popping at lower elevations first.
Early bird specials: In the Smokies, lower-elevations spots such as Cove Hardwood Nature Trail and the Chimneys Picnic Area feature early wildflowers such as spring beauty, Dutchman’s breeches, squirrel corn, bloodroot, white-fringed phacelia, yellow trillium, and trout lily. From mid to late April, a beautiful stand of dwarf larkspur flowers on the shoulder of the Blue Ridge Parkway across from the Waynesville Overlook. Adjacent to Jocassee Gorges in South Carolina, Devils Fork State Park gives guided tours for visitors seeking the rare endemic Oconee Bell.
More to explore: Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, points of floral interest include Tanawha Trail, Craggy Gardens, Graveyard Fields, and Heintooga Ridge Road. About 40 miles of National Scenic Byway between Robbinsville, North Carolina, and Tellico Plains, Tennessee, the Cherohala Skyway features pullouts, short hikes, and trailheads overlooking the Nantahala National Forest and Cherokee National Forest. Spring ephemerals abound on Roan Mountain—home to Rhododendron Gardens in North Carolina and Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee—with an opportunity to view Gray’s lily, a rare endemic plant. Grandfather Mountain State Park in North Carolina and Cloudland Canyon State Park in North Georgia offer guided wildflower walks.
Up, up, and away: Columbine can be seen at different spots along Little River Gorge Road in the Smokies in April and also at a mile high along Heintooga Spur Road off the Blue Ridge Parkway in May. In a reversal of autumn leaf-looking strategy, you can extend your spring color season by following the color up the mountainsides. Other high-elevation specialties like yellow bead lily, painted trillium, Canada mayflower, and northern white violet can be found in northern hardwood and spruce-fir forests across the region.
What to bring: If you’re planning on identifying ephemerals, you will want a hand lens and a field guide. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, with its dichotomous key and line drawings, remains the gold standard, but photographic guides have made great strides. Check out comprehensive books such as Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains and Southern Appalachian Wildflowers as well as local guides such as Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers. Bring a camera but also a sense of wonder—if you do, you will never be disappointed.