You should pass by both species as the elevation changes, so you will be able to see both lovely pink and white flowers. It can be found from the south of Maine down to northern Florida, and as far west as Indiana and Louisiana. Happy planting! The higher you go in the mountains, the later the bloom season. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The spectacular, colorful blooms provided by the plant can easily create gorgeous hues in any garden, and they are a fantastic choice for people who are interested in making their garden a bit more beautiful. When is the peak blooming of rhododendron in the Smokey's? Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains turns a day hike or drive through our nation's most beautiful and rugged expanse of forested . Many rhododendrons bloom when the snow is still melting, and the temperatures tend to fall relatively low during the nighttime. Even though these plants have a considerably higher blooming period when compared with other plants such as the cherry blossom, you should know that there are ways to ensure that the plant flowers for as long as it can. Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Rhododendron Creek Trail. Afternoon highs at lower elevations can often be above 90-degrees in the summer and humidity can make it feel much more uncomfortable. The best thing about these blooms is that they can actually last quite long. These plants have a considerably longer blooming period, as we have already discussed, and you should know that the plant expends a considerable amount of energy each day just to maintain the blooms. The summit of Gregory Bald is considered to have one of the finest displays of Flame Azaleas in the world. Please enter your username or email address. They like to grow on rocky slopes and in mountainous forest areas. Some might continue blooming all the way into the first weeks of summer as well. Purple umbels of sweet Joe-Pye-weed stretch towards the sky and can reach heights of ten feet. BLOOMING UPDATE: Dogwood trees are already coming into bloom in the Great Smoky Mountains. Mitchell, Mt. Occasionally the majority of the shrubs will all bloom during the same year, this is called a super bloom or a big bloom. This is a geolocation cookie to understand where the users sharing the information are located. I have seen people report that if you want to drive by a nice mix of both Catawba and Rosebays, you can drive on Newfound Gap Road from the Sugarlands Visitors Center to Oconaluftee Visitors Center. Unsubscribe anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of your email. Hi! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Another member of the Rhododendron family that blooms brilliantly in the park is the Flame Azalea. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors. Sunrise at Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Nature lovers and flower enthusiasts . Heres our guide to the pros and cons of visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park in every season. (And 3 Ways to Improve the Blooms), 4 Possible Reasons Your Venus Flytrap Is Turning Black. Found predominantly on grassy balds in the southern Appalachians. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Click into your cross-country skis and take in the breathtaking views from the top of Clingmans Dome. Craven Gap Trail to Bull Gap, part of the Mountains to Sea Trail, offers frequent sightings of violets, trillium, azaleas. There are, however, certain species that take a bit longer, so its important that you take that into account. The non-profit partner, Friends of Great Smoky Mountains, holds an annual " Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage " with seminars, guided hikes and wildflower programs. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. Rosebay rhododendron is in bloom at the lower elevations in June and at mid-elevations during July. Thank for giving me the chance to see them in such up close shots they are awsome. Get inspired with tips about where to go and what to see on your national park vacation, delivered right to your inbox. While spring can be beautiful in the park, the weather can also be unpredictable. What time of the year do rhododendrons bloom in North Carolina? 107 Park Headquarters Road Adding a bit of shade is going to keep them in bloom for a longer period of time as well. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Mountain laurel blooms in early May through June, according to the park. The hillsides are alight in reds, yellows and oranges and it feels like youve stumbled into a fairytale at every turn. Our mission at Wildlife Informer is to share free information and pictures of wildlife with our readers. Journal ARS Article. A few shade trees are compatible with azaleas and rhododendrons, most notably the red oak ( Quercus rubra ). They were absolutely beautiful. When hiking in the park, have a way to communicate. On Jun 22, 2021 June is a popular time of year to visit the Smokies! (Heres What to Expect). People. The deciduous varieties common in the Central Appalachian Mountains flourish in the higher elevations and cooler temperatures. Some of the largest are found in the Greenbrier section of the Park. In colder climates, the same can occur between the months of April and May. This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. Makes for a great family hike. Proudly powered by WordPress, Headway & Launch. ", RELATED: Pickers and pics hurt wildflowers in Smokies, Appalachian Trail: access at Newfound Gap or Clingmans Dome; 2-mile section between Newfound Gap and Road Prong Trail has good flowers from mid-April through May, Cades Cove: one of the most popular destinations in the park; on the Blount County side; several trails connect here, Chesnut Top: strenuous difficulty; 8.5 miles roundtrip; in the Townsend area; several species bloom throughout the spring, Chimneys Picnic Area: off Newfound Gap Road; closes at 8 p.m. April 30 - Aug 31 and at sunset on other dates, Cosby Nature Trail:easy difficulty; roughly 1.1-mile loop; near Cosby in Cocke County, Tennessee; March and April are peak months for wildflowers, Cove Hardwood Self-Guided Nature Trail: easy difficulty; less than 1-mile loop; begins are Chimneys Picnic Area on Newfound Gap Road; offers some of the best spring wildflower viewing in the park, Huskey Gap Trail:moderate difficulty; 10 miles roundtrip; near Gatlinburg; best wildflower viewing times between April and May, Kephart Prong Trail: moderate difficulty; 4.2 miles roundtrip; North Carolina side of the park, Little River Trail: easy difficulty; near Elkmont; first 2 miles of the Little River Trail provide good wildflower viewing from mid-March through April, Middle Prong Trail: moderate difficulty; 8.3 miles round trip; near Tremont on the Blount County side of the park; leads to Indian Flat Falls; first 2 miles you may see foamflower, toothwort, violets, wood sorrel and trilliums, Mingus Mill:near Oconaluftee Visitor Center; near Cherokee, North Carolina, Oconaluftee River Trail:easy difficulty; 3 miles roundtrip; near Cherokee, North Carolina; peak time to see wildflowers in April, Porters Creek Trail: moderate difficulty; 4 miles roundtrip; on the Sevier County side in the Greenbrier area; flowers peak in late March through April in the first 1.5 miles of the trail, Whiteoak Sinks:easy difficulty; 4.6 miles roundtrip; near Townsend, RELATED: Great Smoky Mountains temporarily limits group sizes for Whiteoak Sink, Andrews Bald:moderate difficulty; 3.5 miles roundtrip; near Clingmans Dome; Catawba rhododendron and flame azalea peak in early July, Gregory Bald:strenuous difficulty; 11.3 miles roundtrip; access in Cades Cove;one of the most popular and stunning wildflower displays typically in the summer around mid-June. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The rhododendron plant has more than a thousand species. Blooming time is April and May in the pine and oak forests at low to mid-elevations, but not until June or early July on the mountain tops. The Purple, or Catawba, variety is more often seen at high elevations along hillside trails. Craggy Gardens. It might take a year or two for you to figure out the exact times when the plant blooms. The trail was strewn with delicate blossoms knocked off by recent rains. At 3,500 ft the peak is about June 5th 15th, and above 5,000 ft the peak is about June 20th 30th. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. Wondering if the trails you want to hike are currently covered in snow? Many garden shops throughout the mountains have rhododendron varieties for sale. Reply. Great Smoky Mountains Association 2010.Catawba Rhododendrons, a favorite flowering shrub of park visitors, are blooming right now in the Great Smoky Mounta. Bugs come out when the weather warms up including mosquitos and ticks. As has been said, each year is different so YMMV, as they will bloom at different times in different elevations. Blooms normally begin around Mid-April at lower elevations. In other words, the flowers rarely appear at the same time every year. Get a free Great Smoky Mountains National Park trip planner for inspiring itineraries and essential information. The weather is cooler and less humid than the summer months, making it a great time to hit low-elevation trails. Mid-June to July is the bloom time for the wild Smoky Mountains Rhododendrons. The higher in elevation you go, the later the peak bloom time is. The rosebays are one of the parks most common woody plants. This cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos. Home When Do Rhododendrons Bloom? We rarely miss a June visit. Once the flower blooms, you should know that certain varieties can last up to two months, while there are some that can go all the way up to seven months. Needless to say, when you visit, you'll be getting the best Tennessee has to offer. The ephemerals exploit these conditionsthey flower, fruit, and their above-ground parts decay before summer gets into full swing. This cookie is set by Addthis to make sure you see the updated count if you share a page and return to it before our share count cache is updated. Each spring, the park hosts the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, a week-long festival of programs and guided walks and hikes that explore the wondrous diversity of life in the park. Rosebay Rhododendrons are native to the Appalachians in eastern North America from Alabama up through Nova Scotia. They emerge from February through April, and are gone (dormant) by May or June. This is also a time when soil moisture is high and soil nutrients are plentiful due to the decomposition of tree leaves that fell the previous autumn. The rhododendron thrives beautifully in climates that receive a higher amount of rainfall, and the plant does equally well during the moist summers. Rhododendrons in bloom on the Alum Cave Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Photo: Andrea Neal) Like most national parks, summer is the most popular time of year to visit Great Smoky Mountains. Last updated: October 21, 2022 Was this page helpful? And where can I see them? Or, for a more moderate winter adventure, hike to Laurel Falls. more, You seem to have JavaScript disabled. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Catawba rhododendrons magenta flowers appear to paint rhododendron-covered ridges with a beautiful, purple wash. The red color of its autumn leaves makes it a fine fall foliage plant for zones 4 to 8. "Take only pictures. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. They're known as "high mountain" blooms since they are found above 3,500 feet of elevation. Mountain laurel blooms in early May. Nearby, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the rhododendrons at the lower elevations flower in April to early May, but the higher elevations dont show their color until June. Wildlife Informer is reader-supported. Well for one, the park is home to some wild varieties that are not commonly found elsewhere. If you are looking for the very best place to be in a rhododendron garden, then north of the GSMNP in the Cherokee National Forest is Roan Mountain. These smaller flowers bloom before the trees' leave grow to take advantage of abundant sunlight on the forest floor. Not every rosebay rhododendron in the park blooms every year. Another great choice, as you can probably tell by the name, is the Laurel Falls Trail. In the Appalachians, the early arrival of the colorful blossoms is a harbinger of spring, a welcome and beautiful sight after a mountain winter. Head to Oconaluftee to tour the Mountain Farm Museum, a collection of structures from the late 1800s, or visit nearby Mingus Mill. In Cataloochee, you might hear the sounds of elk bugling or see bulls tussling during the annual elk mating ritual known as the rut. Harvest festivals abound in the nearby towns, and orchards around the park are awash in apples and pumpkins. As you drive across the mountains on Newfound Gap Road you will notice that the brilliant swatches of white and pink seem to be almost endless. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips shes gained over the years. I know that where I live, most houses on the street will have at least one bush in their yard. Rhododendrons. 37738, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, You can see where to find many of these flowers on the, n fact, the park is sometimes referred to as the . The main drawback of visiting in autumn is the crowds. At a Glance General Information Search out clumps of them in the park and take some pictures, use them as a backdrop for your family portraits or maybe even plop down and have a picnic at the side of a stream near a rhododendron in full bloom. The hillsides, valleys and peaks of the Smoky Mountains are covered with color in the late spring and early summer. If you're wondering when the best time to visit the Smoky Mountains is so you can see the wildflowers, start planning your trip soon! Different rhododendron species bloom at different times of the year, normally from late March to late June. Redbud and serviceberry trees are at their peak of bloom along Little River and Laurel Creek roads right now. Catawba rhododendron, which lives primarily at elevations above 3,500 . Little River Gorge is a great place to catch a glimpse at these beauties. Historical records show that the peak bloom for these Flame Azaleas is between June 13th and June 24th. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Autumn leaves drop in Lynn Prong Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Photo: Norman Lathrop. Thats much longer than any other kind of flower out there, and its a great way to keep your garden in beautiful condition. . The Catawba rhododendron is the source of the pinkish swatches of color that cover the high elevations. The Rhododendron in the Smoky Mountains fall to two types: Rosebay and Catawba. From February through April the flowers of red maples paint the mountains with a wash of brilliant red. Good places to see it include Andrews Bald, Alum Cave Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and above the Chimney Tops Trailhead. Maybe I should ask when is the best time for peak flower blooming of all flowers in the Smokey's.? 172 Smoky Mountain Rhododendron Stock Photos, Images & Pictures. Print/PDF map. This website may help in general terms https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/blooming-shrubs.htm#:~:text=Blooming%20time%20is%20April%20and,seen%20on%20Balsam%20Mountain%20Road.