How to Identify the 5 Most Common Flowers in The Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains are known for their abundant growth of wildflowers. But how do you identify them?

 

We have the answers! Here are the five most common flowers you’ll see in the Smokies and how to tell what they are.

 

1. Trillium

This elegant flower is most commonly found in white in the Smokies. It’s also easily identifiable. Just remember 3-3-3. Three leaves, three petals, and three sepals. 

 

2. Lady’s Slippers

Lady’s slippers are a beautiful, wild orchid, one that you wouldn’t think to see in the mountains. Despite this, they grow in abundance. Look for their unique, slipper-shaped pouch to identify.

 

3. Blood Root

Blood Root is another flower that’s easy to identify. These little wildflowers have seven white petals surrounding a yellow stamen.

 

4. Wild Geranium

These beautiful, colorful flowers often come in pink or purple and make for a bright display across the hills. They have five, deeply divided petals with palmately lobed leaves.

 

5. Crested Dwarf Iris

These are another flower you would expect to find in a cultivated garden instead of deep in the forest. The crested dwarf iris can be identified by its sword-shaped leaves and its love for growing along the banks of streams.

 

Now that you know the five most common flowers and how to identify them, go out and put your skills to the test! The Smokies are teeming with new flowers to identify and it’s your new task to try it. After that, head back to your Smoky Mountain cabin for a restful evening.