Oconee Bell

An endangered wild flower that grows in areas of the South Carolina mountains.   I drove up with my friend R to the state park today as I heard they were blooming along the creek there.  These flowers only bloom about two weeks or so.  The botanists have been trying to spread them in remote areas along the damp soil near creeks in hopes that they will become more common.  They are tiny little things.    

I missed the walk along the trail last year as they bloomed just at the beginning of the Covid lockdowns.   So I was glad to make the trip this year to see them.

In the extra is a red trillium that was growing along another area we visited.     We also saw some other wildflowers common in mountain areas and fiddlehead ferns.     It was a good day to be in the forest!

And while I was gone, Jerry got a phone photo of the first hummingbird to stop at our feeders!     Hope he comes back tomorrow!