I went on a great hike yesterday (Wednesday, March 14, 2012) with my friend Dana.  We hiked from Elkmont up Jakes Creek Trail to Cucumber Gap Trail, to Little River Trail, to Huskey Gap Trail and out to Newfound Gap Road (Hwy 441) - just over 6 miles.  What a great wildflower hike!  Cucumber Gap and the second-half of Huskey Gap were the best wildflower spots!  So many flowers in bloom!

Sedges are some of the earliest blooming wildflowers.  They are wind-pollinated so it is beneficial for them to bloom early when wind is not blocked by leaves on the trees.  On the left is Seer-sucker Sedge, Carex plantaginea, named after the fabric its leaves resembles.  On the right is Fraser's Sedge, Cymophyllus fraserianus which has smooth, wide, dark-green leaves.

Alot of early spring wildflowers are pollinated by beetles.  Here is a beetle pollinating Star Chickweed, Stellaria pubera.

We saw one Trout Lily, Erythronium umbilicatum; the very first  I have seen in bloom this year.  The spotted/mottled leaves are thought to resemble brook trout, after which this flower is named.

Spring Beauty, Claytonia caroliniana.

Little River.

Squaw Root, Conopholis americana, contains no chlorophyll and so is not green.  Instead of making its own food like most plants, Sqaw Root is a parasite associated with Oak trees.  This is a popular early season food for bears.

Plantain-leaved Pussytoes, Antennaria plataginifolia, was found away from all the other wildflowers.  Instead of being in a cove hardwood forest, we found this early spring wildflower on a dry slope alongside Oaks, Galax, and Trailing Arbutus (which was not in bloom).  This flower looks a little different from the pictures in my field guide because it is just starting to bloom and is not yet fully open.

Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, is one of the earliest and most beautiful spring wildflowers!  These are both being pollinated by beetles.

These are the first Dutchman's Breetches, Dicentra cucullaria, I have seen in bloom this year!  They are so cute!  Don't they look like little pants on a clothesline?

  

Another first-of-the-year, Yellow Trillium, Trillium luteum.  These plants are beautiful even before they bloom.  I love the pattern on the leaves!

We came across a pair of Garter Snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis.  This one was sunning itself on a rock and didn't seem bothered by us at all.  The other was one of the fastest moving snakes I have other seen and made me a little nervous! 

Other wildflowers we saw on our hike included:

  Halberd-leaved Violet, Viola hastata

  Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia

  Early Yellow Violet, Viola rotundifolia

  Sharp-lobed Hepatica, Hepatica nobilis var. acuta

  Rue Anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides

  Bishop's Cap, Mitella diphylla

  Cut-leaved Toothwort, Cardamine concatenata

We heard lots of birds too:

  Ruffed Grouse

  Northern Cardinal

  Carolina Chickadee

  Black-capped Chickadee

  Tufted Titmouse

  Winter Wren

  Pileated Woodpecker

And...a couple first-of-the-years:

  Blue-headed Vireo

  Hermit Thrush