Rhodies grow wild along many of the mountain roads and when we moved here 12 years ago, I expected we would see them blooming everywhere. Surprisingly many of those roadside plants don't seem to have that many noticeable flowers. Several times we have driven to Roan Mountain to see the dark pink rhododendrons and flame azaleas in bloom at high elevations toward the middle and end of June. It's a long drive, not far from Mt. Mitchell and at a fairly high elevation, but well worth the effort.
Pisgah Forest is a mere half hour away, so I was delighted to find the pale pink Catawba Rhododendrons in full bloom this late in the summer. I guess it must be at a higher elevation than it seems and to see the most profusion right now you have to drive into the park several miles, just past Looking Glass Falls.
It's hard to capture from a distance, but the photo below shows some bushes on the other side of the stream to give you an idea of the profusion of plants and blossoms.
The thickets of plants are years old and they rise in the air probably 20 or more feet to catch the sun among the canopy of other trees. Their branches create a tangle of growth to negotiate on the trails. This photo of Russ ducking under the growth gives you a little idea of how they create tunnels over the trails.
So, here are some close up photos of some of the flowers. You can see the buds are a darker pink and the flowers themselves are so pale that many appear to be almost white.
And finally a lone plant in bloom near Looking Glass Falls.
It's really a spectacular display and we were lucky to witness it this year!
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