Tag Archives: Georgia Wildflowers & Native Plants

Cascade Falls Trail, Meriwether County

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Cascade Falls, F. D. Roosevelt State Park

The Cascade Falls Trail is part of the Pine Mountain Trail, located within the F. D. Roosevelt State Park. Several waterfalls punctuate the trail, and while they may be small compared to better known waterfalls in North Georgia, they nonetheless provide great views. This post focuses on the trail as hiked from the WJSB-TV tower parking lot, just south of Warm Springs. The round trip to Cascade Falls and back is approximately 4.1 miles and will take about 3 hours with stops.

I’ll share the waterfalls first, since they are the main attraction, and then images from the trail.

Waterfalls of the Cascade Falls Trail, FDR State Park

Csonka Falls, F. D. Roosevelt State Park

Csonka Falls will be the first waterfall you reach on the trail.

Big Rock Falls, F. D. Roosevelt State Park

Big Rock Falls will be the next point of interest. It’s a great spot to take a rest.

Slippery Rock Falls, F. D. Roosevelt State Park

The third waterfall is Slippery Rock Falls, and it is my favorite spot on the trail.

Slippery Rock Falls, F. D. Roosevelt State Park

It’s another good rest stop, but the rocks live up to their name and are indeed quite slippery.

Cascade Falls, F. D. Roosevelt State Park

About 2.1 miles from the trailhead, hikers are at last rewarded with the highlight of the trail, Cascade Falls. Like all the waterfalls along the trail, it’s marked with a wooden sign.

Cascade Falls, F. D. Roosevelt State Park

The pool below the falls is a nice place to cool your feet in the summertime, and to take a rest before returning to the trailhead.

Cascade Falls Trail, F. D. Roosevelt State Park

This easternmost section of the Pine Mountain Trail is popular with hikers for its waterfalls, but the landscape of this area is equally interesting. It’s the most mountainous section of Georgia south of Atlanta.

The first part of the hike crosses relatively flat land.

The topography changes as the trail winds it way toward the falls, following Wolfden Creek, also known as Wolfden Branch.

The creek runs mostly parallel to the trail, but it crosses it 13 times.

One of the interesting features of the trail are the large rocks that litter the woods.

They make good seats if you need to take a break from the walk.

You’ll also likely notice many fallen trees. They’re remnants of a 2011 tornado.

Past Slippery Rock Falls, the trail begins it highest rise.

For casual hikers, it can be a bit of a challenge.

Bumblebee Ridge is the highest point before reaching Cascade Falls, and offers nice views (and a bench).

Plants of Cascade Falls Trail, F. D. Roosevelt State Park

Early Spring is a great time to hike the trail, and you’ll encounter a variety of early wildflowers, and a reptile or two. Be careful of Copperheads, though, as this is prime habitat for the poisonous snakes.

Rhododendron canescens, light variety

Native azaleas were just beginning to bloom and were fairly common along the trail. I was here too early to see the Mountain Laurels, which reach the southern end of their range near here.

Viola pedata

Keep an eye out for one of my favorite native plants, the Bird-Foot Violet.

Oxalis

I found this Oxalis blooming in a crevice between two rocks. I believe it’s a Wood Sorrel, but am not positive as to which species.

Iris verna

A real surprise was this Dwarf, or Spring, Iris.

Purple-headed Sneezeweed, Berrien County

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I’ve preliminarily identified this as Purple-headed Sneezeweed (Helenium flexuosum). Sneezeweed doesn’t get its name because of allergens but because certain species were used in early medicinal elixirs to induce sneezing. Medicinal use is strongly discouraged today because the live plants are known to be toxic to humans and cattle.

Spreading Pogonia, Ware County

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Spreading Pogonia (Pogonia divaricata), also known by the prettier name Rosebud Orchid, is a rare terrestrial orchid found in Charlton and Ware counties in Southeast Georgia (other small populations likely exist). The Okefenokee region is one of the most biologically diverse in the state and spring is a great season to observe its abundant flora.

14th Street Dunes, Tybee Island

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Convenient beach access points can be found from the lighthouse all the way down the island. Just remember that parking is never free on Tybee, and in summer a spot can be difficult to find.

Due to heavy erosion, sand is constantly being replaced in certain areas. The dunes are predominately natural, though.

As on all of Georgia’s barrier island, Tybee’s dunes are protected as turtle habitat and for myriad other animals and plants which call them home.

I was amazed to find this dune wildflower blooming in January, but the micro-climate on the coast yields many surprises.

Winter is actually a wonderful time to visit the coast, as it’s always less crowded and to me, at least, the stark colors and hues give it an otherworldly feel.

Glade Lobelia, Glynn County

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Glade Lobelia (Lobelia glandulosa), though not overly common in this area, can be found along the Altamaha River.

Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve, Grady County

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Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve is one of the true natural wonders of South Georgia (all of Georgia, really). And about ten years ago, it was almost turned into a real estate development. It’s located just off US Highway 84 near Whigham and there’s no admission charge, though donations are accepted. A new sign at the entrance indicates the bloom time as being between late January and early March, though the lilies seem to almost always bloom in the middle of February. It’s essential to follow the Preserve’s Facebook page to get updates on the bloom time, as they can be quirky and sometimes bloom en masse and at other times be quite sporadic.

Trout Lilies (Erythronium americanum) are primarily an Appalachian species, favoring filtered sunlight on mountain slopes. So how did they end up here? Though there are a few anomalous populations in Southwest Georgia and North Florida, the Wolf Creek population is the largest in the world and thought to have appeared sometime during the last Ice Age.

If you came here and the Trout Lilies weren’t blooming, you’d still love this place. The gentle slope of the riparian forest makes for a good walk. I came this year about a week after the mass bloom and there were still quite a few scattered around the site.

Add to that the beautiful Spotted Trillium (Trillium maculatum) interspersed throughout and you basically have a mountain walk in deepest South Georgia.

The volunteer who greeted us at the entrance was so delightful and informative and we enjoyed talking with her. Grady County should be applauded for recognizing the importance of this resource and sharing it with the public. Instead of waiting for the state to recognize it and all the time that would take, Grady County took it upon themselves to promote and protect it. Highlighting important local resources like this isn’t just a win for the environment but a win for the local economy. We had lunch at a restaurant in Cairo, so yes, there is an economic impact, however small it may be.

Muhlenbergia, East Beach

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Muhlenbergia is quite common in Georgia and is known for its bright pink blooms in autumn. It’s particularly nice to see in masses on the dunes.

Dissected Beardtongue, Ben Hill County

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Also known as Cutleaf Beardtongue, Penstemon dissectus is a rare member of the beardtongue family and the only species in the region with deeply dissected leaves. It’s endemic to the outcrops and surrounding woodlands of the Altamaha Grit habitat; this population was discovered near Reuben’s Lake. There are only about 30 known populations, all in Georgia.

Lichens & Mosses, Irwin County

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The sandy ridges of the Alapaha River bottomlands are abundant with these lichens and mosses. On Crystal Lake Road, near the river, they blanket the right of way for nearly a mile.

I don’t know enough about these species to say much about their biology, but they’re a beautiful sight and seem almost otherworldly. The dominant blueish-green variety in most of these photos is known as Dixie Reindeer Lichen, or reindeer moss locally, (Cladonia subtenius). It’s widespread in protected areas throughout South Georgia.

The species seen above is known as British Soldiers (Cladonia cristatella), for the bright red “blooms”.

These often overlooked landscapes and the unusual life they support may seem trivial, but they’re highly important to ecosystems South Georgia has always depended on for recreation and survival. I hope they are always appreciated.

Piedmont Azalea, Ben Hill County

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Rhododendron canescens is a familiar harbinger of spring that can be seen blooming along wooded roadsides throughout the South this time of year. Its common names include Native Azalea (a general term for numerous native rhododendrons), Piedmont Azalea, Mountain Azalea, Honeysuckle Azalea, Sweet Azalea, Pinxterflower, among others.