by hankinslawrenceimages | Feb 4, 2012 | Flowers, Liliaceae Family, New Photos, Wildflowers
Bent Trillium © 2012 Patty Hankins
I’ve recently added a new photo – Bent Trillium – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.
Trilliums are some of my favorite spring wildflowers. I’m always on the lookout for new-to-me varieties to photograph – and to photograph favorite varieties in new ways. Last spring, I found several Bent Trillium (Trillium flexipes) to photograph at the Crockford Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area in North Georgia. I’d heard about Pigeon Mountain from Gerry Williamson (@USWildflowers on Twitter). It’s a wonderful place to visit (and photograph). This was my favorite photo of the Bent Trillium that I took that morning.
This photograph is available as either at 10 X 10″ or 20 X 20″ gallery-wrapped canvas. You can order Bent Trillium from my website.
by hankinslawrenceimages | May 12, 2011 | Flowers, Liliaceae Family, Virginia, Wildflowers
Trillium Grandiflorum (c) 2011 Patty Hankins
Last week, I had the chance to explore the G.R. Thompson Wildlife Management Area in Virginia. Located in Northern Faquier County, the Thompson WMA is less than 90 miles from Bethesda. So easy to visit in a day trip. I’d heard about this area from Elijah Goodwin (@Whimbrelphoto), another photographer in the Washington DC area. Elijah generously shared with me information about what wildflowers were blooming and where to find them.
Showy Orchis (c) 2011 Patty Hankins
Thompson WMA was established when George Richard Thompson donated 4,000 acres of land to the state of Virginia, so that hunters could continue to hunt in the area. What this has meant is that there are now 4,000 acres of land preserved in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Parkway. And in the spring – the woods are full of wildflowers.
Wood Betony (c) 2011 Patty Hankins
In just a few hours the other morning, I saw and photographed numerous species of wildflowers. There were some of the largest patches of May Apples (podophyllyn peltatum) that I’ve ever seen. There were thousands of White Trillium (Trillium Grandiflorum) in the area. I’ve heard that there may be millions of them at Thompson WMA – there are quite literally fields of them. I saw several groups of Showy Orchises (Galearis Spectabilis), as well as Wood Betony (pecularis canadensis), Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubis) and Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides).
May Apple Blossom (c) 2011 Patty Hankins
There are several parking areas that provide easy access to the area. I parked at Stone Ridge Parking Area and found plenty to photograph. I’m told that there are wonderful photographic opportunities at the Trillium Trail parking area as well. Numerous trails run through the WMA, including a section of the Appalachian trail. The trails I hiked last week were in excellent condition and easy hiking.
Trillium Grandiflorum (c) 2011 Patty Hankins
Based on how the peak bloom of wildflowers progresses in the Appalachian mountains, my guess is things will be blooming in the woods at Thompson WMA for a few more weeks. I’m hoping to get back there at least once more this spring to do a little more exploring – and will definitely head back there next year in search of the early spring wildflowers.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Mar 3, 2010 | Flowers, Liliaceae Family, New Photos, Wildflowers
Catesby’s Trillium II (c) 2010 Patty Hankins
I’ve just added a new photo – Catesby’s Trillium II – to my BeautifulFlowerPictures.com website. Catesby’s Trillium (Trillium catesbaei) is a wildflower I photographed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last spring. I found this particular flower as I was hiking on School House Gap Trail. The blossoms on the Catesby’s Trillium usually nods below the leaves. As the Catesby’s Trillium matures, the blossom turns pink. I photographed a pink Catesby’s Trillium last spring along GoForth Creek in Tennessee. Vasey’s Trillium, another nodding trillium found in the Smoky Mountains, has red petals.
This photograph is available as an 8X18″ and 14X30″ gallery-wrapped canvases. You can order Catesby’s Trillium II from my website and I will have it available at shows this year.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Aug 24, 2009 | Flowers, Wildflowers
In the spring, wild violets seem to be everywhere in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are several varieties of violets that grow in the Smokies. I’ve managed to photograph a few of them.
First, some sweet white violets (viola blanda) growing along Porter’s Creek Trail.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Some Northern White Violets (Viola macloskeyi ssp pallens) growing along the Middle Prong Trail
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Some Wooly Blue Violets (Viola sororia) also found along the Middle Prong Trail.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Some Marsh Blue Violets (Viola cucullata) growing along Porter’s Creek Trail
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
And finally some yellow violets (not sure which variety) growing among the Trillium, phlox and other wildflowers along the Cove Hardwood Trail.
Trillium and Blue Phlox (c) 2009 Patty Hankins
I’m hoping to photograph a few more varieties of violets next spring.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Jun 7, 2009 | Flowers, Liliaceae Family, Wildflowers
This spring, I photographed a type of trillium that I have been having a hard time identifying. I think I’ve finally got it tenatively identified as Trilllium Cuneatum. While several of my wildflower reference books had descriptions of similar trillium, the plants were referred to by several different names, including Toadshade Trillium, Sweet Betsy Trillium, Hugher’s Trillium and Toad Trillium. Usually I’m able to match my photographs with reference photos for a positive idenficiation – but this time I couldn’t find any that look just like my photos.
I finally found a post on the Rurality blog with photos of several differenct Trillium Cuneatum and in every photo, the plant is different. Given the variety of ways that Trillium Ceneatum appears – no wonder I was having trouble identifing it.
Here are a few photos of Trillium Cuneatum. They were taken in the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee near Bald River Falls earlier this year.
As you can see, the flowers on the trillium stand straight up, similar to the Yellow Trillium (trillium luteum). The leaves are shades of green.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
If I’ve got this trillium mididentified, please let me know. I’m pretty sure it’s Tillium Cuneatum, but it’s quite possible that it’s another type of trillium.
