toadshade's Journal

This area is close to home - about 3 miles - so I visit it often. The part of it I hike is in the Xeric Sandhills which runs through the midlands and Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve. Basically the same types of flora is found in both - Long-leaf Pine, Turkey Oak, Sassafras, Sandhill Post Oak, Sandhill Rosemary, Sand Myrtle, Sparkleberry, Deerberry, Rayner's Blueberry, various Grassleaf Golden-asters (pityopsis), various St Johnswort (Hypericum hypericoides, H. Lloydii, H. gentianoides), Southern Oak-leech, Wireplant and Sandhills Gerardia. I'm finding a type of Hawthorn in both which will be added. If anyone can tell from the picture which type of Hawthorn it is I'd be grateful. The glands are black tipped. I'm thinking crataegus uniflora. Saw a few others on the hike yesterday also.

The first was part (4/17/16) was a hike with the Carolina Mountain Club that started in the valley of Hawksbill Creek and followed it up to a 400 bushwhack to Hawksbill Rock and from there to the Little Snowball Mountain Fire Tower and down the other side looping back to where we joined Hawksbill Creek. A total of 9 miles. The 2nd (4/23/16) was a solo hike from Beetree Gap on the road from the BRP to Craggy Gardens where the MTS trail connects with the Big Snowball Mountain Trail that joins with Hawksbill Rock in about 1.25 Miles and follow the same ridge trail I took last week to the Fire Tower. Elevations ranged from 2900 to 4900 feet. The area was full of Ramps by the creek and on the ridge. Dwarf Delphinium was everywhere along with both dicentras, Squirrel Corn and Dutchman's Breeches. Large flowered Bellwort and Trillium grandiflorum were were also present. The one I hadn't seen before was Spotted Mandarin which was a real treat. Bloodroots on the ridge were almost spent the first week and gone the 2nd week. This area is rich in wildflowers this time of year and I intend to visit it often.

The first was part (4/17/16) was a hike with the Carolina Mountain Club that started in the valley of Hawksbill Creek and followed it up to a 400 bushwhack to Hawksbill Rock and from there to the Little Snowball Mountain Fire Tower and down the other side looping back to where we joined Hawksbill Creek. A total of 9 miles. The 2nd (4/23/16) was a solo hike from Beetree Gap on the road from the BRP to Craggy Gardens where the MTS trail connects with the Big Snowball Mountain Trail that joins with Hawksbill Rock in about 1.25 Miles and follow the same ridge trail I took last week to the Fire Tower. Elevations ranged from 2900 to 4900 feet. The area was full of Ramps by the creek and on the ridge. Dwarf Delphinium was everywhere along with both dicentras, Squirrel Corn and Dutchman's Breeches. Large flowered Bellwort and Trillium grandiflorum were were also present. The one I hadn't seen before was Spotted Mandarin which was a real treat. Bloodroots on the ridge were almost spent the first week and gone the 2nd week. This area is rich in wildflowers this time of year and I intend to visit it often.

11/28/15 - This is a local hotspot for Xeric Sandhill species of flora. The tree cover is predominantly Longleaf Pine and Turkey Oak with Southern Red Oak, Sandhill Post Oak and Bluejack Oak. I'm trying to study Hawthorns and the same species (which I'm still trying to figure out) grows out here that grows at Fort Jackson 20 miles to the northeast that is the same Xeric Sandhill environment. There's plenty of Mountain Laurel and Sand Myrtle growing out here and some of the Sand Myrtle is still blooming due to the mild fall. Sandhill Golden-aster (pityopsis pinifolia) also grows out here along with Sandhill Rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides).

I used to go out here a lot and plan to start going back. The boardwalks are still flooded so I decided to do the Bluff Trail and even the part connected to the big boardwalk was closed. But I checked out the Longleaf and Bluff Campgrounds which are both nice. The Bluff Trail is mainly Loblolly Pines with an understory of Sweetgum and some Sassafras. A little Sparkleberry and more Deerberry both of the Vaccinium (Blueberry) family were growing along with a few shrubs of Wax Myrtle. The Partridgeberries were showing their red berries and there was plenty of American Holly and mushrooms. The National Park has a Lunch and Learn at noon on the first Wednesday of the month that I can attend. That meets at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. Colors were beautiful especially among the American Beech and Sassafras. One of my post-retirement goals is to learn more about Hawthorns (Crataegus sp). According to the Park Website they have 4 species growing: Cockspur hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galls), Littlehip hawthorn (Crataegus spathulata), Parsley hawthorn (Crataegus marshallii), and Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum). Didn't see any on the Bluff Trail but the park is huge and I have nothing but free time to explore it.

I've just retired at age 64 and am starting to spend a lot more time in the woods cultivating what has become a lifelong hobby of studying nature. I've recently joined the Audubon Society, the South Carolina Native Plants Society, and the Friends of the Congaree. I live in Columbia, SC, which is right smack dab in the middle of the Xeric Sandhills that go through the middle of the state and pretty much straddle the Fall Line of SC. The advantage of this is that I have Piedmont environments to the NW of Columbia and Coastal Plain environments to the east and the SC Mountains about a 100 miles to the NW. My favorite hikes around this area are Peachtree Rock, the Palmetto Trail at Fort Jackson, and Forty Acre Rock in Lancaster County 60 miles NE of here. Am intending to get more acquainted with Congaree National Park (which is pretty much flooded at present to to the recent flooding in the Midlands of SC) to learn trees better, especially Hawthorns. Am intending to be part of the Christmas Bird County this year also. Just gotta see where Nature takes me!!

James