John and I went hiking on the Chestnut Trail today. The trail is located across from the “Y” on the Townsend side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We hiked the trail several years ago on bitter cold, snowy day so we were thrilled to enjoy warm weather and sunny skies on this early spring Sunday!
A number of hikers with cameras and tripods were out on the lower part of the trail; a sure signal that the wildflower pilgrimage will soon begin. I don’t take to wildflower identification with the religious zeal that many do but I hope you don’t find a mistake in my identification below! 🙂
Yep! It really is this pretty. Note the snow capped ridge in the distance!
If you know much about me, you know that my favorite flower is the violet. I usually have 6 or more brightly colored “grandma violets” (African) blooming in house but I have a fondness for the delicate lavender and purple wild violets that bloom among the blades of grass in my yard. For a real green and lavender show, you can’t beat the wild violets blooming among ferns and moss in the Smokies in early spring.
Wild violets among the wild iris leaves. The iris will break out in mini blooms soon! Did you know that the wild iris is the Tennessee state flower?
Rue Anemone….I think!
Okay, another guess….Toothwart?
This is one of the solomon brothers…false solomon seal or solomon seal. 
We were a little early for the trillium but found lots of buds trail side, just days from opening.
This beautiful yellow trillium was one of two we found open.
