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May has come and gone and I'm not sure how it happened or where it went! It was a busy month and I'd like to thank everyone who attended the UNCA Wildflower Pilgrimage. We had perhaps the largest attendance in the ten years I've been working with the pilgrimage. I hope everyone had as much fun as David Clarke, the university's botanist, and I did.

The next week I was at a beautiful retreat center, Wildacres, which is located near Little Switzerland, NC. This was the fourth year I've gone up to do a program for the Blue Ridge Center for Lifelong Learning. My previous programs were all slide shows, but this year we took a walk around the property - always my preferred activity. The group was great, and despite a fairly heavy "mist" everyone seemed to have a good time.

Later in the month I was invited to accompany a group to the Nature Conservancy property at Bat Cave, something I've wanted to do for a long time! We had a great time and saw both a Peregrine Falcon, the subject of this month's trivia article, and the fairly rare Walking Fern! Both were real treats.

I'm sure you've noticed the change in flora as we approach summer. Now that the canopy has filled in and the forest floor is shaded, most plants are much taller than in the early spring. Most of us consider competition to be a factor in animal populations, but it applies equally to plants. The height of flowering plants at this time of year is a product of two primary competitions, one for light the other for pollinators. As the sunlight has become more diffuse and dim on the ground plants have to reach toward the light, trying to become taller than others in order to make the most of the available light. For attracting pollinators at this time of year, the plants need to get their blossoms up above the lower growing grasses and such. Having your flower up in open view is of obvious benefit.

Some of the wildflowers coming into prominence are: Beardtongues, Blackberries, Chicory, Black Cohosh, Day Lilies, Milkweed, Spiderwort, Day Flowers, Oxeye Daisy, and at higher elevations the Catawba Rhododendron and Flame Azaleas. You can see more of the flowers blooming at this time of year by going to my Late Spring and Summer photo pages.

The trip to Roan Mountain still has room for a few folks. This is a great trip with, in my opinion, the nicest views and showiest flowers to be found at this time of year. If you'd like to join us you can email me at Scott@wncnaturally.com