Buttercup Family Flower sepals may be blue, purple, pink, or white depending on the pH of the soil --- a "natural litmus test." Alkaline soils produce blue flowers, acidic soils produce pink, and neutral soils produce white. This plant was the first wildflower I documented in my Wildflowers of the Smokies book, way back on March 10, 1985! Hepatica is also called "Liverleaf" due to the color and 3-lobed shape of the leaves. These were photographed on the Bluff Trail at Norris Dam State Park. Perennial Where seen:Frozen Head SP, Norris Dam SP, Oak Ridge Greenways, Haw Ridge, Piney River Trail, Savage Gardens, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP, Ijams Nature Center
Orchid These leaves are included in the "spring purple and green" section because at this time of year only the leaves are visible. The lower side of the leaf is a brilliant purple. The brown orchid flowers (see Summer: Woodland - Pink, Red, and Brown Flowers) resemble several craneflies on the stalk. The leaves are gone by the time the flowers appear in late summer. A close relative, Putty-root, has similar leaves, however the leaves are strongly ribbed with parallel white veins. These are common at Big South Fork in Campbell County. Perennial Where seen:Oak Ridge Greenways, Frozen Head SP, Big South Fork NRRA
Madder Family These little pale blue flowers with white and yellow centers are a delightful surprise to find blooming on trailsides early in the spring. These were found on the trail to Piney Falls in Spring City. Perennial Where seen:Oak Ridge Greenways, Haw Ridge Greenway, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Piney River Trail, Ijams Nature Center {formerly known as Houstonia caerulea}
