Forgetting the Big Picture

While hiking in the mountains of this great earth I have learned over many years of tripping over my toes to focus on both the big picture (grand vistas), the close-in picture (the path) and the small pictures...wildflowers at my feet.

First discovered in 1840 by Dr. Asa Gray this is Gray's Lily, Lilium grayi, and is somewhat rare and endangered according to one of my references. It grows along the open road side of the high mountains of West Virginia in June and July.

This appears to be a wild mint, but I don't know which one. It was prolific in bloom.


I think this is the Carolina Lily (Lilium michauxii). At first I thought it might be Lilium superbum. Isn't that a fun name? Actually superbum means superb. These flowers were almost 5 inches wide but only 3 per stem which made me guess it is not the rarer Turk's Cap lily or superbum which can produce many more flowers per stem.

And above I think is the carnivore Sarracenia purpurea or Pitcher Plant, although I did not see any pitchers with this clump. The flowers are so exotic and prehistoric looking. Our trip to West Virginia was most rewarding.