Listen Along:
This time of year, visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway can expect to see many of the common late summer varieties of our beautiful blooming flowers.
In Virginia, at the far northern end of the Parkway, we are seeing Queen Anne’s Lace, Black-Eyed Susan, Red Clover, Spotted Knapweed, Yarrow, White Campion, Virgin’s Bower, New York Ironweed, Jewelweed, Evening Primrose, Wild Bergamot, Common Pokeweed, White Snakeroot, Flowering Dogwood, Rosinweed, St. John’s Wort, Horsenettle, Slender Dayflower, and Common Milkweed all blooming.
Near Peaks of Otter, blooming Bladder Campion, Fall Foxglove, Virgin’s Bower, Jewelweed, Bull Thistle, Flowering Spurge, Leaf Cup, Wild Potato Vine, Black-Eyed Susan, Boneset, Crownbeard, Evening Primrose, Goldenrod, Hoary Mountain Mint, Indian Plantain, Ironweed, Joe Pye Weed, Rosinweed, Tick Trefoil, and Woodland Sunflower have all been seen.
In North Carolina, from the Linville Falls area towards the Minerals Museum and Crabtree Falls, we have blooms of Black-Eyed Susan, Canada Thistle, Foxglove, Garden Phlox, Giant Sunflower, Goldenrod, Joe Pye Weed, Morning Glory, Obedient Plant, Sneezeweed, Tall Ironweed, and Jewelweed.
In the Craggy Gardens area through Asheville we have blooming Cutleaf Coneflower, White Wood Aster, Phlox, Filmy Angelica, Goldenrod, Heal-All, Joe Pye Weed, Yarrow, Bluets, Low Bindweed, Hawkweed, White Snakeroot, Pale Jewelweed, Stinging Nettle, and Calico Aster.
At the southern end of the Parkway, there are blooms of Coreopsis, Beebalm, Black-Eyed Susan, Cutleaf Coneflower, Joe-Pye Weed, Doddervine, Wood Aster, Indian Pipe, Goldenrod, Pale Jewelweed, Phlox, Hawkweed, Pink Turtlehead, White Snakeroot, Low Bindweed, Heal-All, Angelica, and Sourwood Trees.
The Parkway is a beautiful place to spend your summer, but it is not like most other roads, so take some special precautions while driving. Above all, slow down and take your time. Use the overlooks to let traffic that backs up behind you go by. Enjoy the view, but watch the road.