Bluets

Bluets are one of my favorite wildflowers, and they are out in abundance in the southern Appalachians right now. There are several varieties of bluets that grow throughout their range from New York down to Georgia, and from Delaware across to Iowa. These pictured here are Mountain, or Creeping Bluets that I found growing on the bank of Deep Creek in Smoky Mountain National Park. While some varieties of Bluets prefer drier habitats, these Mountain Bluets prefer moist areas like stream banks, rich woods, and wet slopes. What bluets lack in size, they make up for in abundance as they grow in clusters, often attaching themselves to moss covered rocks, or cracks in a damp cliff face. Their purplish-blue color makes a striking contrast against the green moss, or dark colored rocks where they grow.