APRIL 2
ABRAMS FALLS TRAIL (B TO FALLS): MANY BLOOMS—Common Blue Violet*, Halberd Leaf Violet*, Plantain Leaf Pussytoes (various stages), Solitary Pussytoes (various stages), Star Chickweed*, Sweet White Violet*, Trailing Arbutus*.  SOME BLOOMS—Spring Beauty*.  FEW BLOOMS—Bleeding Heart*, Carolina Wood (JSB), Catesby Trillium (various stages), Little Brown Jugs (APB), Prostate Bluets*, Robins Plantain (JSB), Rue Anemone*.

MARCH 28
WEST PRONG TRAIL (B-E): MANY BLOOMS—Blood Root*, Halberd Leaf Violet*, Hepatica*, Long Spurred Violet*, Plantain Leaf Pussytoes (BP), Rue Anemone*, Seersucker Sedge (various stages), Spring Beauty*.  SOME BLOOMS—Blue Cohosh (JSB), Sweet White Violet*, Trailing Arbutus (JSB).  FEW BLOOMS—Common Blue Violet*, Common Cinquefoil*, Dutchmen’s Breeches (JSB), Star Chickweed*, Toothwort (JSB), Yellow Trillium (JSB).  NOTES—The first 1.2-mile section of the trail has massive numbers of blooming flowers on the embankments above the trail and below the trail. Much better viewing in full sun. When the Yellow Trillium are at peak bloom, there should be a massive display—both above and below the trail— along the first 1.2 mile of the trail. In full sun the Blood Root are striking. Some of the blooms are beginning to fall off, so get to the trail soon to see them at peak bloom.

MARCH 24
CURRY MOUNTAIN TRAIL (B-E): MANY BLOOMS—Halberd Leaf Violet (various stages), Trailing Arbutus (various stages), Yellow Trillium (various stages).  SOME BLOOMS—Plantain Leaf Pussytoe (various stages).  FEW BLOOMS—Rue Anemone (JSB), Star Chickweed (JSB).

MARCH 21
NORRIS RIVERBLUFF TRAIL: MANY BLOOMS—Bloodroot (various stages), Spring Beauty (various stages), Toothwort (various stages).  SOME BLOOMS—Dutchmen’s Breeches (various stages), Rue Anemone (JSB), Seersucker Sedge*, Trout Lily (ES), Wild Phlox (JSB).  FEW BLOOMS—Common Blue Violet (various stages), Hepatica (JSB).

MARCH 17
PORTER CREEK TRAIL (B TO FALLS): MANY BLOOMS—Halberd Leaf Violet (various stages), Hepatica (various stages), Seersucker Sedge (in bloom), Spring Beauty, White Fringed Phacelia (JSB).  SOME BLOOMS—Blood Root (ES).  FEW BLOOMS—Bishop Cap (ES), Dutchmen’s Breeches (JSB), Long Spurred Violet (ES), Rue Anemone (ES), Star Chickweed (ES), Sweet White Violet.  NOTES—Blooms appear to be a little late this year, in two weeks will likely be outstanding.

FERN FALLS: Fern falls, which gets its name from the abundant ferns growing in the area, is 45-feet-tall and is especially beautiful after the recent rainfall. It is reported that there are over 65 species of ferns and fern allies growing in the park. Fern Falls is located 1.8 miles up the Porter Creek Trail in the Greenbrier section of the park.  The Porter Creek trail starts four miles from US 321, about a mile from the Gatlinburg City limits on the right side coming from Gatlinburg toward Cosby.

MARCH 10
TURKEY PEN TRAIL (B-E): MANY BLOOMS— Halberd Leaf Violet (various stages), Plantain Leaf Pussytoe.  SOME BLOOMS— Long Spurred Violet, Trailing Arbutus (various stages).  FEW BLOOMS—Common Blue Violet, Common Cinquefoil, Hepatica, Rue Anemone.  NOTES—Plantain Leaf Pussytoe should be in full bloom with a few warm days.

MARCH 7
LUMBER RIDGE TRAIL (B TO TOP OF RIDGE): Two instances of Long Spurred Violet. Many budded Plantain Leaf Pussytoe—with the warm weather later this week they will likely be in full bloom by next weekend.

MARCH 3
CUCUMBER GAP TRAIL: More than three dozen Hepatica are in full, or almost full bloom along from the first half mile of the trail from Jakes Creek. One of the blooms was a beautiful lavender color.

FEBRUARY 26
LEAD COVE TRAIL (B-E): There are two blooming and eight budded—to where you can see the color of the bloom—instances of Hepatica a little over a mile up the trail on the right.

FEBRUARY 14
HUSKEY GAP TRAIL (US 441 TO ONE AND A HALF MILES UP THE TRAIL): Discovered one budded and three blooming rue anemone. Was unable to go further up the trail due to a large tree (38-inches thick) that had fallen across the trail with steep embankments both below and above the trail.

CHESTNUT TOP TRAIL (ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE UP THE TRAIL): There were a few blooming seersucker sedge and seven blooms of star chickweed.

FEBRUARY 10
PORTER CREEK TRAIL (B TO FERN FALLS): One star chickweed was found in bloom. Approximately one hundred feet beyond the long foot log bridge there were around a dozen white fringed phacelia blooming—all but one were on the right side of the trail.