Fall on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Smokey Mountain National Park

Fall is in the air in Asheville, North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Cataloochee.    I took a drive on the Parkway and also camped at Cataloochee a few days ago and here are some of the beautiful sights that spoke to my soul.  If you are near the Parkway, take a trip to see nature's beauty and fill your soul with the blessings of earth!

Fall Evening on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Sunset in October.

Fall Evening on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Sunset in October

Flowering Dogwood, 

Mountain Ash, Sorbus americana

Mountain Ash, Sorbus americana

Mountain Ash, Sorbus americana

Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica

Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica

Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica

American Mountain Ash - Sorbus americana

Rosaceae - Rose Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 83
American Mountain Ash
Sorbus americana

Spring

The American Mountain Ash is opening the leaves on her branches in April in Asheville; what a beautiful sight to see.  This American Mountain Ash lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.  www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org

 

American Mountain Ash - Sorbus americana

American Mountain Ash - Sorbus americana

The Mountain Ash tree usually only thrives at life at the higher elevations in the Southern Appalachian mountains. This tree lives near Mt. Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I took these photos on March 23rd, when the buds had not opened yet. I will go back soon and see the new leafs emerging.

Sorbus americana

Sorbus americana

Summer

The American Mountain Ash leaves have 11 - 17 narrow, pointed saw toothed edges that are stalkless and are pinnately compound.  These are the green green leaves of summer.

You will only find the American Mountain Ash at high elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. The beautiful white flowers will appear in Spring and the red berries in the summer.

This tree is worth a trip to the mountains to find it. Make your way up the blue ridge parkway or up to Clingman's dome in the Smokies to find this tree.

Fall 

Mountain Ash, Sorbus americana

Mountain Ash, Sorbus americana

This Mountain Ash Tree lives in the high country in the Smoky Mountain National Park.
  The red berries were all over the trees in September.

The American Mountain Ash is in it's full fruiting splendor in September near Devil's courthouse and Mt. Pisgah on the BlueRidge Parkway.

Sorbus americana, American Mtn. Ash

http://instagram.com/ayearwiththetrees

Winter

The American Mountain Ash

The American Mountain Ash

The Mountain Ash Tree in late fall and early winter.

This American Mountain Ash lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.  www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org .

The Champion American Mountain Ash Trees

The Champion American Mountain Ash Tree lives in Highlands, NC.  This tree is 52 feet tall and has a circumference of 47 inches. 

My favorite American Ash Tree

My favorite American Ash Trees lives at the Mt. Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway at a high elevation.  You can see them by the turn in off the parkway at the Inn.  This tree is spectacular all year long. 

Plant an American Ash Tree

Bears are often found in Mountain ash trees when the berries are ripe. Many other animals also enjoy the berries including moose, white-tailed deer and several species of grouse. Birds that eat the berries are said to become mildly drunk. When the fruits appear in September, fall colors are soon to follow.

An article from Audubon speaks well for why we must plant native.  I am putting a link here for it is so well written that speaks the truth.
http://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter

here is a brief quote from the article,
"Native plants are those that occur naturally in a region in which they evolved. They are the ecological basis upon which life depends, including birds and people. Without them and the insects that co-evolved with them, local birds cannot survive. For example, research by the entomologist Doug Tallamy has shown that native oak trees support over 500 species of caterpillars whereas ginkgos, a commonly planted landscape tree from Asia, host only 5 species of caterpillars. When it takes over 6,000 caterpillars to raise one brood of chickadees, that is a significant difference."

For more info on Doug Tallamy, http://www.bringingnaturehome.net/


For the love of the trees,
Becky

...from my journal

A Year With the Trees Walks Begin Now. Come and join me in exercise and observation.

The Mountain Ash Tree on the Blue Ridge Parkway in June.  

A Year With the Trees Walks Beginning Soon.  
Come and join me in exercise and nature observation.

We will walk two to three miles each way beginning at a public park.  At the end of the walks, you can join me in recording in your own journals, what we observed on the walk.  I will post our observations each day on this blog.  You can walk one mile and return if you are short on time or energy.  Or, you can walk the entire four to six miles.  You can point out the species as we go and I will as well.  At the end of the walk, we will look up the species in the books that I bring and make our observations in our journals.  So, bring your journal, some water, good walking shoes, a hat, and lets go get some exercise in nature.

I am starting this nature walk for three reasons:

One, as a way to complete the requirements for my teaching experiences for my North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program.

Two, as a way to get in and stay fit while enjoying the out of doors.

Three, as a way to encourage others to be observant and learn all we can about nature.  For by knowing about other life, we will care more about protecting other life on our earth.

So come on out and join me for these nature walks.  You will get your exercise and learn more about nature every day.  You can find yourself learning the names of many Southern Appalachian trees,  flowers, butterflies, moths, and herbs.

The walks are scheduled for starting at Weaver Park in Asheville, North Carolina at 200 Murdock Ave.  There is no cost for this series of walk while I am completing my teaching experiences; just bring your energy and desire to learn more about nature.

July 3, Tuesday at 9 am
July 5, Thursday at 9am
July 7, Saturday at 9am
July 9, Monday at 9am
July 11, Wed. at 9am
July 13, Friday at 9am

Come join me as we walk about and observe nature in all her beauty!

A Summer Field of Daisys

Rebecca