Pink Family Height: To 16" April 5, 2005 This woodland chickweed has much larger flowers than the weedy Mouse Ear Chickweed. It is a very common wildflower; it blooms in late March and April. There are 5 petals which are so deeply-notched they look like 10. Perennial Where seen:Oak Ridge Greenways, Haw Ridge, Frozen Head SP, Norris Dam SP, Big Ridge SP, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP, Ijams Nature Center
Diapensia Family Height: 8" - 32" The leaves of Galax are thick, leathery, and evergreen. Mountain folk once gathered the leaves to make Christmas wreaths. A town in Virginia is named for this plant. This is commonly found in the Smokies in May. I found this one on the Cumberland Trail (near Cove Lake State Park) on the way to The Devil's Racetrack. Perennial Where seen:Great Smoky Mountains NP, Frozen Head SP, Cove Lake section of the Cumberland Trail, Stinging Fork Falls SNA, Warriors' Path SP {Also known as: Galax urceolata}
Hippocastanaceae April 22, 2005 This is a tree, but I added it because the individual flowers are pretty and interesting. They bloom in April. Buckeye trees are one of the few trees with palmately compound leaves (a helpful hint for students having to find such a leaf for a leaf collection!). This one was blooming near the Melton Lake Greenway Trail in Oak Ridge in April. Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge Greenways
