Woody Plants Hike with Ron Lance

Sunny, warm but hazy weather greeted fourteen BRNN members at Bearwallow Mountain for our June 17 Woody Plants Hike with Ron Lance.  Ron is a native of the area who has been coming to Bearwallow Mountain for decades and shared his recollections of past visits and the evolution of the site.  Along the trail to the summit he pointed out less common species like Red Pignut Hickory (Carya ovalis) and Carolina Hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana) and we learned the stories of a number of other tree species.  At the summit we found ourselves surrounded by Shagbark Hickories (Carya ovata), resulting from the fact that the cattle that graze the mountaintop don’t like the taste of it, allowing it to outcompete other species at that site. 

We also saw at least three species of hawthorn (Ron wrote the book on those!).  And returning on the road along the north slope, we encountered interesting glacial period relics such as American Basswood (Tilia americana) and a stand of Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana).  

We also saw at least three species of hawthorn (Ron wrote the book on those!).  And returning on the road along the north slope, we encountered interesting glacial period relics such as American Basswood (Tilia americana) and a stand of Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana).  And although our focus was on woody plants, wildflower enthusiasts were delighted to find interesting species such as Small’s Ragwort, Whorled Loosestrife, Cliff Saxifrage, Carolina Rose, and Purple-flowering Raspberry.  All in all, despite our view from the top being obscured by the haze, our group had a lovely time and enjoyed Ron’s insights into the trees that have been his life’s work.