Spring Comes to Boone’s Cave

 

Boone’s Cave is a park in Davidson County, North Carolina.  The Boone’s Cave Park covers 110 acres of forested hills and ravines on the banks of the Yadkin River.  Squire and Sarah Boone were early white settlers in the region.  Their son Daniel went on to fame as a frontiersman and explorer in the 18 century.  The park boasts several small caves overlooking the Yadkin River and local lore has Daniel Boone using them to hide from hostile Native Americans.   Starting in March, 2022 Diane and I made regular visits to Boone’s Cave to document the plants as spring came forth. 

 

The mouth of Boone's Cave above the Yadkin River in
Davidson County, North Carolina.

The Boone Memorial at
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina.

As spring came on in March, temperatures were cool and slanting sunlight illuminated the forest floor. Early Saxifrage (Micranthes virginiensis) was growing on the wet cliffs near the cave and putting out its first tentative buds.  Later in the month these plants had grown new leaves and were producing many white flowers.    

Early Saxifrage (Micranthes virginiensis) in flower.
Boone's Cave Park. 

Aesculus sylvatica, Painted Buckeyes, were just opening their palmately compound leaves down by the river. 

Painted Buckeye (Aesculus sylvatica) leaf bud.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Young leaves of Painted Buckeye.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Buckeye leaves were expanding by the end of March.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Hepatica (Hepatica americana) flowers were emerging to take advantage of the early pollinators and by the end of the month Hepatica was in fruit.  Another early flowering plant of the understory was Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis).  They pushed up their white flowers and dissected leaves to reproduce before the trees leafed out and blocked the sunlight. 

Hepatica americana in flower.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Hepatica plant in fruit.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) leaf and flower.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Windflowers (Thalictrum thalictroides) with their bright white petals were also early bloomers in the ravines of Boone's Cave.  

Windflower (Thalictrim thalictroides) flowers.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Spring really took off in April with longer days and higher temperatures.  Trees were in flower including Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) and Carolina Silverbell (Halesia carolina).  

 

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) in flower.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Carolina Silverbells (Halesia carolina) flowers.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Cercis canadensis, Eastern Redbud was covered in pink flowers and Ulmus americana, American Elm had already set seed.  
                     

Redbud (Cercis canadensis) in flower.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

American Elm (Ulmus americana) fruits.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

The blooms of Pinxter Flower (Rhododendron periclymenoides) were stretched over the river and Leucothoe fontanesiana, Mountain Doghobble hung out its abundant white flowers.  Doghobble is usually found in the mountains, but the cool, wet microclimate on this bluff above the Yadkin River allowed this shrub to thrive.

Pinxter Flower (Rhododendron periclymenoides).
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Mountain Doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana) blooms
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

In April, the ravines leading to the river abounded with Christmas Ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides) unfurling their fiddleheads and the first Bluets (Houstonia caerulea) of the year raised their heads from beds of moss.  

Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) fiddlehead.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

 

Bluets (Houstonia caerulea) in flower.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Bloodroot plants had produced fruits by April and Uvularia perfoliata, Perfoliate Bellwort plants glowed in the leaf litter, with their pale green leaves and nodding yellow flowers.  

    

Bloodroot leaf and fruit in April.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata) has 
nodding flowers and perfoliate leaves. 

Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) were emerging in large stands and Foamflowers (Tiarella cordifolia) began producing their foamy white flowers. The Early Saxifrage, that we saw flowering in March had produced paired, pink fruits by mid-April.

A large stand of Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum).
 Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) in full flower. 
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Early Saxifrage with fruits.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Painted Buckeyes, displayed their pale-yellow flowers along the river and delicate Dwarf-crested Irises (Iris cristata) made their annual appearance. 

Painted Buckeye flowers.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Dwarf-crested Iris (Iris cristata). 
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Jack-in-the Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) was in full flower and False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum) put forth its flower buds at the tip of the stem.  True Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) was also blooming.  Its flowers emerge from the base of the leaves and hang down all along the stem.

Jack-in-the Pulpit (Arasaema triphyllum).
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina.
 

False Solomon's Seal (Maianthemum racemosum)
 with flower buds at the tip of the stem.

Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) in flower.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Perfoliate Bellwort plants had three-lobed, green fruits laying on the leaves and Mayapples were in full flower in April. Cynoglossum virginianum, Hound’s Tongue, with its large green leaves and small blue flowers were growing in the forest understory in April and had produced spiky, four-lobed fruit in May.  

Perfoliate Bellwort fruit.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Mayapple in flower.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Hound's Tongue (Cynoglossum virginianum)
plant with flowers.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina.

Hound's Tongue flowers.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Hound's Tongue fruits in May.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

May also found Kalmia latifolia, Mountain Laurel in full bloom.  These five-petaled flowers vary in color from pink to white.  Each flower has 10 stamens attached to the petals and the stamens are under tension.  When a pollinating insect enters the flower the stamens snap toward the insect, showering it with pollen.  In the forest understory, Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) flowers, called little brown jugs, were also out in May.  

Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) in full flower.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

A flower of  Asarum canadense, Wild Ginger.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Both Mayapples and Buckeyes were in fruit in May and Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), a large forest tree, was making a show with its large yellow flowers. 

Mayapple with fruit.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Buckeye fruits.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulpifera) flower.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

The orchid, Putty Root (Aplectrum hyemale), with its purple and white flowers made its appearance in May.  On the floodplain a robust, grass-like plant Carex grayi, Gray’s Sedge, put out abundant growth in spring.  This plant had long, bright green leaves and marvelous spiky seed heads.

Putty Root (Aplectrum hyemale) flowers.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

Gray's Sedge (Carex grayi) fruits.
Boone's Cave Park, North Carolina. 

By the middle of May the canopy had closed and the light in the forest was much dimmer and greener.  The plants continued to appear in flower and fruit.  But our project had to end, other projects and destinations called us away.  Our time in the woods, watching spring come on, gave us a more intimate understanding of the changes that happen on the cliffs and floodplains of the Yadkin River in the spring.