Welcome to the Flat Hat Journal!
My name is Ranger Jonathan Bennett
and I am standing in front of a thicket
of mountain laurel.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is world renowned
for our huge variety of wildflowers.
We have more than 1250 species
of wildflowers in the park
but none draw more attention from our visitors
than the showy blooms on 4 species of our shrubs:
mountain laurel, catawba rhododendron,
rosebay rhododendron and flame azaleas.
These shrubs can form natural gardens
and often line the roadway for miles.
They bloom in the late spring and early summer
in the months of May and June
with the rosebays being the last to flower.
The exact time of year they bloom will vary
as it is affected by elevation
and local weather conditions.
As you can see,
the Mountain Laurel have pink and white
cup shaped flowers with small elliptical leaves.
You may hear some locals
refer to this plant as mountain ivy.
This is Catawba Rhododendron.
Catawbas have larger leaves
and deep purple flowers.
Catawbas are found above 3000 feet
and often prefer to grow on rocky outcroppings
and exposed ridges.
When the buds of these Rosebay Rhododendron
open in a few weeks
they will have light pink and white flowers.
Rosebays are the largest of these 4 species of shrubs
and you’ll see them most frequently on the slopes
along our mountain streams.
Flame Azaleas are also members
of the rhododendron family.
They have light orange to reddish flowers
and they have the sweetest aroma of the flowers
that we mentioned today.
Remember that picking wildflowers is not permitted
inside the park boundaries.
If you would like to have more information
about wildflowers along the Parkway,
please visit the Blue Ridge Parkway website
and you will find a bloom calendar
and other information about them there.