North Carolina State Flower And Tree – From the bleak hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the towering trees of the Pisgah National Forest to the countless waterfalls scattered throughout the area, it’s easy to surprise yourself with the scenery that greets you at almost every turn.
While North Carolina’s fall colors may make fall the most popular time to visit the region, spring is also a special time to see a dazzling array of NC wildflowers.
North Carolina State Flower And Tree
Whether you’re hiking North Carolina mountain hiking trails or exploring vistas along the Blue Ridge Parkway, visitors to my home state can see dozens of spectacular wildflower species from March through midsummer.
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Although these pollinators are hoping to attract these beautiful flowers, we are also reaping the benefits.
And while their Crayola-like color palettes offer their own rewards, learning a little about these flowers can provide a deep sense of joy.
With that in mind, check out our guide to North Carolina wildflowers and flowering trees, including some of the top spots to see them up close in the western NC mountains.
There are more than three dozen species of trilliums that are native to North America, and the mountains of North Carolina are a hotbed for them.
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They are beloved for their flowers, which usually have three petals and three sepals (special leaves that aid in reproduction).
These low plants are very popular. But they grow slowly, take seven years to reach maturity, and often fall prey to hungry deer.
Seeing them in the wild is a real treat, and the flowers come in a range of colors from deep burgundy to white to golden to pink.
Jack-in-the-pulpit grows in forests, preferring shady environments with lots of cool and organic matter (such as the forest floor).
Flowering Dogwood (cornus Florida). Called American Dogwood And Eastern Dogwood Also. State Tree Of North Carolina, West Virginia, Missouri And Virgin Stock Photo
They have a large, vase-like base (the female part of the flower), topped with a sweet cap (the male part).
These flowers are often striped, tending towards green and purple. Once you find one, keep looking for more!
Generally, phlox are low-growing perennial wildflowers that spread and roam the landscape, often pushing out carpets of colorful flowers in the spring.
There are many non-invasive species of phlox in the western NC mountains, especially meadow phlox (
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The perennial trout lily is a spring bloomer, meaning it grows, flowers and dies back early in the spring, disappearing by the time the next spring rolls around.
These unique plants grow in wooded areas, in partial or full shade, and are clustered near ponds or streams, where humidity levels are fairly constant.
Each has two leaves and yellow flowers with a stem that looks like, you guessed it, a lily.
Trout lilies get their fishy first name from their leaves. Their smooth, fleshy appearance is characteristic of trout swimming in the rivers that these flowers grow alongside.
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Neither large nor particularly abundant, the fire pink is a notable wildflower because of its striking red color that stands out against the forest floor.
Five vivid pink petals are narrow and half an inch long, and each sweet flower sparkles.
Fire pink is pollinated primarily by the ruby-throated hummingbird (which, like all hummingbirds, is highly attracted to the color red).
Another lesser wildflower that can work well as a ground cover in shady locations, the dwarf crested iris is native to North Carolina and is a miniature form of iris true.
Flag Of South Carolina
Dwarf crested irises like to live in rocky areas and forests. They grow no taller than nine inches, and thrive only in rich (but not too rich), well-drained soil.
These flowers have all the panache needed for a cultivated garden, but also the toughness and resistance to nibbling deer that a typical wildflower requires.
Bloodroots prefer to grow on forest floors where the soil is moist and rich in nutrients, and they are widely distributed in most states east of the Mississippi River.
Bloodroot gets its sickly name from the fact that the rhizome (underground stem) of the flower secretes a blood-red liquid when damaged.
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Although poisonous to swallow, the blood herb has been used medicinally for centuries and the rhizomes are still used today to make natural dyes.
What a wonderful feeling when we discover that many “weeds” are actually beautiful flowers, persistent enough to appear in clusters.
Ironweed is a wonderful perennial wildflower that easily makes its home in many situations. But it especially likes to live in rich, acidic soil, such as the borders of wetlands.
The herbaceous plant can grow up to eight feet tall, and has purple flowers that appear in clusters between July and September.
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Besides being beautiful and native to North Carolina, ironweed is deer-resistant, good for pollinators, and easy to grow, so it makes a great addition to the garden.
Part of the wonderful and widespread mint family, wild bergamot or bee balm (both terms are used for very similar plants) is both fragrant and beautiful.
Like many types of mint, bee balm tends to spread widely and take over space. But it is much larger and has more prominent flowers than the mint we thought.
Bergamot is capable of growing up to four feet tall. And depending on the species, it puts on a dazzling display of red or purple flowers.
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These plants grow in dry soil and are found along roadsides, vegetable fields and forest edges.
As its name suggests, the main flower has a fiery red bloom. But the “cardinal” in the flower’s name is a reference to the red robes of Catholic cardinals rather than the birds.
A species of Lobelia, the main flower has been named Wildflower of the Year three times in North Carolina, an honor awarded by the North Carolina Botanical Garden.
The main blooms are about four or five feet tall, and their vibrant red flowers appear in late summer and hang in mid-autumn.
North Carolina State Dogwood Flower Key Chain
The best places to see the main flowers are wetlands or streams and ponds. They need moist soil to survive, but can tolerate some shade.
Also known as the moccasin flower, the pink lady’s slipper is considered to be a non-critically ancestral species. Although not classified as endangered, climate change and human encroachment threaten the future of this beautiful orchid in the wild.
Pink lady’s slipper forms a symbiotic relationship with soil fungi that is vital to their growth. Without it, they will wither after three to five years, but with it they can live up to 20 years!
If you’re lucky, you might see hundreds of these flowers in a small area while hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
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What better flowering tree to start a wildflower list than the flowering dogwood, North Carolina’s official state flower!
Ironically, the “flowers” for which dogwoods are highly prized are actually the white (or sometimes pink) bracts that appear as a background to the less conspicuous and smaller green flowers.
Either way, blooming dogwoods are a specimen to behold, and they are common in western North Carolina.
One of several endemic members of the rhododendron genus found in North Carolina, Catawba rhododendron is a broadleaf, evergreen shrub that enjoys life in the forest understory.
Virginia State Flower
The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are famous for hosting this plant, and especially for the spectacular pink and purple flowers they produce each spring.
Unlike other members of its broader plant family – including blueberries, huckleberries and cranberries – rhododendron is highly toxic if consumed.
The plants are usually about 10 feet tall, and the flowers are funnel-shaped and appear in large clusters.
Another sprawling evergreen native to the Appalachian Mountains, mountain laurel is a relative of the rhododendron and one of North Carolina’s most spectacular flowering trees.
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Like rhododendrons, mountain laurels are multi-stemmed shrubs with showy clusters of flowers (white and pink) that appear in early spring.
Mountain laurel likes to grow in shady shade under large trees like oaks and poplars, and often grows in thickets that are too dense to navigate.
This is one of the many spring flowers you can see along the Blue Ridge Parkway or on countless NC hiking trails.
We can learn about the amazing Arecaceae family of flowering plants, and especially the Rhododendron genus.
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A plant similar to Catawba rhododendrons and mountain laurel, flame azalea is a small shrub with a large-looking stem and broad, evergreen leaves.
Flame azaleas love wooded hillsides, with a mix of sun and shade hitting the forest floor.
They are around, but a little more difficult to find than other wildflowers on this list.
Before the leaves emerge, clusters of tiny flowers cover the bare branches of the redbud tree, making the spectacular explosion of color even more striking.
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Once you learn to recognize them, they appear everywhere. They will often be the most visible part of the forest in March.
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