The Western North Carolina Orchid Society (WNCOS) and The North Carolina Arboretum will once again host one of Western North Carolina’s greatest annual plant shows: the 24th Asheville Orchid Festival “Orchid Arcadia” from March 28-30. The festival is an American Orchid Society sanctioned judging event. 

When seeking beautiful native wildflowers, I often travel and hike long distances to a special spot to see a rare beauty. Other times, it’s as easy as walking into the front yard.

I got stuck thinking about plants in the genus Smilax after writing about them last time out. It is such a great genus of plants, and as I discussed in my last column, most people only see them as a nuisance. I think they might be one rank below yellow jackets (Vespula spp.) and poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) as the most despised organisms in the woods.

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust (HCLT) announced the permanent conservation of 54.45 acres of forested land just two miles from downtown Highlands. Located along the majority of the lefthand side of Glen Falls Road, this pristine property is a vital part of the area’s natural beauty and ecological health. 

As days grow shorter in the Great Smoky Mountains, the colorful landscape hums with life. Creatures large and small scurry through the blanket of fallen leaves gathering nuts and berries, crafting intricate homes to wait out the winter, and preparing for the stillness of the season ahead. 

Please don’t get me wrong, I love the orchids of springtime. Love them. They tend to be as big and showy and beautiful as springtime itself.  Ladyslipper orchids, both yellow and pink (Cypripedium acaule and C. parviflorum) and showy orchis (Galearis spectabilis) are certainly beautiful and fun to see blooming in the woods in the spring.  

Charles Darwin was many things, but in the classic sense of the word, he was not an artist. Lacking in the ways of visual art, and with miserably bad handwriting, the scientist eventually enlisted the help of his sons in creating utilitarian illustrations of the plants and animals with which he worked.  

After a botanical survey identified the location of several invasive species in Jackson County’s Pinnacle Park, work has begun to manage the ecologically threatening pests. 

I wear a few different hats in my world. A big straw hat for working in the garden or walking out in the sun. Wool caps and toboggans for the colder mornings of spring. Party hats for the celebrations. I’ve even been known to wear a tricorne hat when visiting Colonial Williamsburg as a kid. 

On May 18, Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood Community College will lead a moderate 6-mile hike in the Sunburst area of Haywood County.