Red and white all over

 The rock outcroppings at Panola Mountain appeared to have been stained red since our last hike. Elf-orpine, a primitive little plant that grows on the rock faces, turns from green to red in early spring. Later, the plants will put on white flowers.

These plants are ancient. They are pollinated by ants, having evolved before bees did.

The change in color is one of the signs of spring.

The woods are streaked with red and white. The reds are from the red maples, which are native. The white is from Bradford pears.

Pyrus calleryana is from China, and the roadsides around Atlanta are spectacular with the white blooms. It’s one of the favorite trees of gardeners and landscapers. Birds have taken it into the forest.

Overnight temperatures are still at freezing. You see far more blooms in gardens than in the wild, the natives being slower than the imports. We did see some tiny bluet, Houstonia pulilla, which looks purple, rather than blue, to me. Also some yellow jessamine. The beech stands in the forest are still holding on to last year’s leaves.