Whiteside Mountain Wildflowers

If you are planning to hike on Whiteside Mountain in the Cashiers Highlands Plateau near Stonefly, be sure to take note of the variety of wildflowers and different plant communities growing on the slopes.  The variety of soils, light, and moisture on the mountain create a mixture of plant habitats.

The north-facing, moist slopes have a northern hardwood forest, where you can walk under  yellow and black birch, Canadian hemlock, and Fraser magnolia trees.  Scattered in the forest understory are witch hazel, minnie bush, and wild raisin shrubs. On the forest floor, you can discover speckled wood-lily, white snakeroot, and Curtis’s goldenrod. At the summit is an old-growth northern red oak forest. Notice the shapes of the red oak.  Strong winds and ice storms shaped the trees into twisted forms. Growing in this forest understory, you will find serviceberry, false Solomon’s-seal, wild sarsaparilla, whorled aster, and white wood aster.

Across the southern slopes is a heath bald shrub community. Carolina rhododendron dominates these clusters of shrubs, which includes highly fragrant smooth clammy azalea.  Blanketing the southern slopes is a fragile rock-face community. Mats of spike moss and some wild flowers such as pale corydalis, dwarf dandelion, gray beard-tongue, and granitic-dome goldenrod carpet the mountain face.

The abundance of  flora is another reason the area around Stonefly in the Cashiers Highlands Plateau brings visitors from all over the country.  Many who come to enjoy the area decide to stay and make this garden paradise their home.

For More Information visit: www.stoneflync.com

Or email stoneflync@comcast.net