August 12, 2005 I finally got my good photo of the orchids! We went to Max Patch, NC where I saw a HUGE patch of them blooming along the road! I yelled my all too familiar, "Pull over NOW, I've got to get a picture of those!" It was a little un-nerving having fully loaded logging trucks rumbling down the road just a few feet away while I was perched on a steep bank to take the pictures! Why do these flowers have to be such a challenge?! The next photo is a detailed close-up of the beautiful fringed flowers.
Orchid family I'm not sure why this orchid is called "yellow" when it is very bright orange! This poor plant looks pretty pitiful because I rescued it from a hiking trail in the Smokies. It had been chopped down by a machete-wielding park trail crew and had been wilting in the middle of the trail for a day or two. :( Gee, can't those guys tell the difference between an orchid and a weed?!!! It was put in water for a few hours and revived just enough to get this picture. I'll try to get a better picture next year! I took the picture in mid-July 2004. ***Update*** See a nice photo taken in 2005 in the following frame. Perennial Where seen: Great Smoky Mountains NP
