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[Captioning sponsored by THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION] ♪♪ Jim: THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK WITH A HALF MILLION ACRES OF LAND HAS 800 SQUARE MILES OF MOUNTAINOUS FOREST 600 MILES OF STREAMS AND LUSH GREEN VALLEYS, SUCH AS THIS ONE AT CATALOOCHEE NORTH CAROLINA.

HELLO, AND WELCOME TO NATURE SCENE.

I'M JIM WELCH, WITH NATURIST RUDY MANCKE AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY.

AND WE'RE IN WHAT SOME WRITERS, RUDY CALL THE CRADLE VEGETATION FOR NORTH AMERICA.

WELL, THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS IS REALLY A VERY SPECIAL PART OF THE UNITED STATES OF COURSE, A PART OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CHAIN.

A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MOISTURE HERE AVERAGING, OH, 55 INCHES OR SO A YEAR AND THAT'S VERY NICE.

WE CAN HEAR THE CREEK, AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY IN A MINUTE.

OLD MOUNTAINS... SOILS THAT ARE VERY RICH AND IT WAS REALLY A HAVEN DURING ICE AGE TIMES FOR LOTS OF PLANTS THAT WERE PUSHED SOUTH BECAUSE ICE FURTHER NORTH OF HERE.

THIS CLIMATE HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND THAT'S THE KEY TO THE DIVERSITY OF PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE HERE.

SO WE'LL HAVE FUN, I THINK, LOOKING ESPECIALLY AT PLANTS TODAY.

IT'S A LITTLE COOL STILL IN THE SPRING BUT MAYBE WE'LL GET SOME ANIMAL ACTIVITY, TOO.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS... LET'S JUST TURN AROUND AND TAKE LOOK AT THE THIS.

ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE APPALACHIANS AND THE SMOKIES, PARTICULARLY THAT ARE SO INTERESTING IS THAT THEY'RE OLD MOUNTAINS THAT HAVE BEEN ROUNDED DOWN OVER A LONG, LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO THESE MOUNTAINS THAT WE LOOK AT NOW.

REALLY, I GUESS THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE SMOKIES IS A LITTLE OVER 6,000 FEET.

BASICALLY A HARDWOOD FOREST AND YET YOU SEE ON THE SIDE OVER HERE SOME WHITE PINES COMING IN BUT LOOK AT ALL THOSE PATCHES OF WHITE ALL AROUND THE SIDE OF THE FIELD THERE THE DOGWOODS.

THE DOGWOODS.

THIS IS BASICALLY A HARDWOOD FOREST WITH SOME CONEFIRS-- THE WHITE PINES AND THE HEMLOCKS THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT A LITTLE LATER AND OF COURSE MAN HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE HERE.

THE INDIANS WERE HERE FIRST.

AS YOU KNOW, THIS VALLEY WAS CLEARED OUT BY PEOPLE IN THE EARLY... WELL, LATE 1800's, EARLY 1900's-- CATALOOCHEE VALLEY.

THAT WHY THE GREEN GRASS HERE.

OF COURSE, THE MAGIC IS IN THE WATER.

THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TAKE A LOOK AT FIRST SO LET'S HEAD OFF TOWARD THE STREAM.

ONCE YOU GET CLOSE TO SOME OF THESE SEEPAGE SLOPES THE WORLD REALLY CHANGES WITH THE EXTRA MOISTURE.

FLOWERS POP UP EVERYWHERE.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TOAVE FUN SEEING THE DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN PUT TOGETHER A FLOWER.

LOOK AT THE WHITE ONES RIGHT ON THAT LITTLE LEDGE, JIM.

THE COMMON NAME FOR THAT IS TOOTH WORT.

THE GENUS NAME IS DENTARIA.

GUESS IT'S NAMED THAT BECAUSE THAT DOES RESEMBLE SMALL TEETH TO SOMEBODY.

FOUR PETALS YEAH, FOUR PARTS TO THAT FLOWER.

USUALLY YOU THINK OF FLOWERS AS HAVING THREE OR FIVE BUT HERE'S ONE WITH FOUR.

AND THREE PARTS TO THE LEAF-- THREE LEAFLETS THERE.

PRETTY GOOD HABITAT FOR IT.

AGAIN, SEEPAGE AREA'S A LITTLE BIT OF A SLOPE.

SMALLER LEAVES THERE.

LOOK AT THIS GIANT LEAF THING KIND OF DOWN IN FRONT US THERE.

UMBRELLA LEAF IS ONE NAME FOR IT AND THAT KIND OF MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THE SHAPE OF THE LEAF.

THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE LARGEST LEAVES ON HERBACEOUS PLANTS THAT WE COULD FIND HERE.

AND A FEW FLOWERS COMING UP-- ONE OF THEM OPEN THERE, NICE AND WHITE.

AND SPEAKING OF WHITE FLYERS...

CLUSTER OF FLOWERS ON THIS MOSS- COVERED BANK.

YEAH, IT'S KIND OF PUFFY LOOKING FLOWERS.

FOAM FLOWER IS THE COMMON NAME FOR THAT.

AND IT DOES LOOK FOAMY, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU SEE ALL THOSE CLUSTERS.

FIVE PARTS TO THE INDIVIDUAL FLOWERS UP ON THAT LITTLE STALK TYPICAL OF THESE MOIST ENVIRONMENTS.

AND THEN RIGHT ABOVE IT ON THE BANK.

OOH, I LOVE THAT.

THE BIG THREE.

THE BIG THREE.

TRILLIUM-- THREE LEAVES THREE SEPALS-- THOSE LITTLE GREEN THINGS BY THE PEDALS S AND THEN THREE PETAL EVERYTHING ON THAT PLANT COMES IN THREES OR A MULTIPLE OF THREE AND THAT'S THE LARGE-FLOWERED TRILLIUM.

THE FLOWER LOOKS A LITTLE OLD BUT STILL KIND OF NICE.

A LOT OF DIVERSITY IN THAT PLANT ALONG HERE.

NOW LOOK ON THE LEAF RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.

THERE ARE ANIMALS ACTIVE HERE, TOO, BY THE STREAM THAT'S A STONE FLY.

SPENDS MOST OF ITS LIFE AS A NYMPH UNDER ROCKS IN THE CREEK AND THEN HATCHES OUT GROWS WINGS AND FLYS OVER TO THESE THINGS.

PAIR OF ANTENNAE UP FRONT AND ALSO A COUPLE OF PROJECTIONS ON THE BACK END.

BUT A VERY PRIMITIVE INSECT TROUT WOULD FEED ON IT.

TROUT WOULD FEED ON IT AND PEOPLE WHO FLY-FISH, OF COURSE GET TO KNOW STONE FLIES VERY, VERY WELL.

AND THERE'S A TREE OVER HERE, NOW THAT'S SO TYPICAL OF THE SMOKIES.

IT USUALLY GETS LARGER THAN THIS.

EASTERN HEMLOCK-- ONE OF THE CONIFERS THAT DOES WELL HERE I LOVE THAT NEW SPRING GREEN ON THE TIPS OF THOSE BRANCHES COMING OUT.

OF COURSE, IT GETS TO BE MONSTER HERE; JUST BEGINNING IN THIS SITUATION AND ABOVE US, A MAPLE WITH FLOWERS.

OVERHEAD, YEAH, THAT AN INTERESTING MAPLE.

OPPOSITE EAVES-- TYPICAL OF MAPLES AND THEN THE LOBES REMINDING US OF THE MAPLES.

AND LOOK AT THE TASSEL-LIKE FLOWERS.

STRIPED MAPLE IS ONE OF THE COMMON NAMES FOR IT.

SCIENTIFIC NAME, AC ER PENNSVANICUM WHICH REMINDS US, NOW OF THE CONNECTION NORTH OF HERE BECAUSE THE APPALACHNS, OF COURSE RUN ALL THE WAY UP TOWARD CANADA.

AND DURING ICE AGE TIMES THAT PLANT AND PROBABLY MANY OTHERS WERE PUSHED SOUTH BY THE COLDER WEATHER.

INTERESTING WORLD HERE.

WHY DON'T WE WORK OUR WAY TOWARD THE CREEK AND MAYBE EVEN GET ON THE OTHER SIDE.

SEE IF WE CAN GET OVER THIS OLD LOG BRIDGE... AND TAKE A LOOK.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

ISN'T THAT SPECTACULAR?

I LOVE STREAMS, WHEREVER THEY ARE.

ROUNDED ROCKS.

YOU SEE THE WAY WATER IS CHANGING THE WORLD.

INDIVIDUAL ROCKS AND MOUNTAINS EVEN CHANGING.

YOU CAN IMAGINE THE TROUT OUT THERE.

THE STONE FLY SPENT SOME OF HIS LIFE THERE.

ONE TREE THAT' KIND OF NEAT-- LOOK AT THE TREE OVER HERE WITH PALMATELY COMPOUND LEAVES.

FIVE LEAFLETS COMING OFF FROM THE SAME POINT KIND OF LIKE THE PALM OF A HAND.

AND THAT'S YELLOW BUCKEYE.

IT CALLED THAT... WELL, LOOK AT THE FLOWERS.

YOU SEE, THEY ARE KIND OF A YELLOWISH COLOR.

AT GETS TO BE A PRETTY GOOD SIZED TREE HERE IN THE GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK.

AND ONE OTHER ONE OVER HERE-- BARK PEELING OFF JUST A LITTLE.

ONE OF THE BIRCHES, RIGHT?

YELLOW BIRCH-- COMMON NAME FOR IT.

AND THE'S A SWEET BIRCH.

YEAH, AND BOTH OF THEM ARE VERY, VERY FRAGRANT WHEN YOU BREAK THE BRANCHES.

BOTH THESE TREES DO VERY WELL WHEN THERE'S LOTS OF MOISTURE.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY GLORIOUS.

LOOK AT THAT WATER, THE WHITE OF THE WATER.

RUDY THIS IS THE MOST VISITED NATIONAL PARK IN THE ENTIRE NATION.

YEAH, AND THE FLOWERS...

THE QUIET HERE IN CALOOCHEE.

THE FLOWERS ARE ONE OF THE REASONS THAT BRING PEOPLE HERE IN THE SPRING.

WE'RE GOING TO START LOW IN THE VALLEY.

WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS.

LET'S JUST FOLLOW THE ROAD ON UP A LITTLE HIGHER AND SEE WHAT WE CAN SEE ALONG THE WAY.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ANCIENT ROCKS A LITTLE WHILE AGO AND THERE'S A NICE OUTCROP HERE THAT WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT.

BUT A COUPLE OF FLOWERS CATCH MY EYE AS WE WALK IN.

AND ONE LOOKS LIKE A GERANIUM.

LOOK AT THE LEAF ON THAT.

CLEARLY ONE THE GERANIUMS-- COMMON NAME, WILD GERANIUM.

DOING WELL IN OPEN AREAS LIKE THIS.

IT REALLY SEEMS TO ENJOY A LITTLE MORE SUNLIGHT.

BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS.

EVEN SOME UNOPENED BUDS ON THAT.

AND THERE ARE SOME OTHER LEAVES, NOW THAT WHEN YOU FIRS LOOK AT IT, GLANCE AT IT IT LOOKS LIKE FERN LEAVES.

SEE THAT OVER THERE?

IT SURE DOES.

BUT YOU SEE THE FLOWERS ON THERE.

FERNS, OF COURSE, WOULDN'T HAVE FLOWERS.

SO WHAT IS IT?

COMMON NAME FOR THAT PLANT IS LOUSE WORT SOMETIMES ALSO CALLED WOOD BETONY.

AND IT GETS THE ME LOUSE WORT FROM THE FACT AT EUROPEANS HAVE A SPECIES OVER THERE THAT THEY BELIEVE, WHEN AN ANIMAL ATE THE PLANT IT CAUSED LICE.

SO LOUSE WORT WAS THE NAME GIVEN TO THE PLANT.

AND THIS IS THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF IT.

PEDICULARIS IS THE GENUS NAME.

PEDICULUS IS THE GENUS NAME FOR THE LOUSE SO YOU SEE THE CONNECTION THERE.

IT, TOO, LIKES THESE OPEN AREAS AND LEDGES, ESPECIALLY.

THESE ROCKS, THOUGH, RUDY CATCH ONE'S ATTENTION CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE SMOKIES ARE MADE UP OF...

THE APPALACHIANS.

YEAH, SOLID ROCK, SEDIMENTARY ROCK AND THEIR METAMORPHIC EQUIVALENTS.

PROBABLY BEING LAID DOWN IN A BIG DEPRESSION USUALLY CALLED A GEOSYNCLINE.

IT WAS JUST ACCEPTING SEDIMENTS FROM EVERY WHICH-A-WAY.

AND AS THE MATERIAL WAS PACKED IN IT CAUSED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE.

ROCKS FORMED.

AND THIS STUFF IS PROBABLY 500 MILLION TO A BILLION YEARS OLD AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED UH, LITTLE MORE RECENT TIMES WELL, PRETTY GOOD WHILE AGO.

270 MILLION YEARS AGO WAS THE DATE THAT THESE MOUNTAINS SUPPOSEDLY WERE RAISED UP.

YOU SEE, THE BEDS WERE ONCE FLAT.

NOW LOOK AT THEM.

TILTED ON THEIR SIDE.

OF COURSE, GRAVITY BEGINS TO PULL ON THEM.

THEY FRACTURE, WATER GE DOWN AND IT FREEZES AND EXPANDS AND BIG BLOCKS JUST SLIDE LOOK AT THIS, RIGHT DOWN THE HILL.

IN A SENSE OLD OCEAN FLOOR MATERIAL.

IT'S NOW BEEN FORCED UP AND BREAKING DOWN AND BEING ERODED AWAY.

WELL, THESE MOUNTAINS ARE AT LEAST FIVE TIMES AS OLD AS THE ROCKIES.

OH, YEAH, THESE ARE VERY, VERY OLD MOUNTAINS.

ANCIENT MOUNTAINS FOR NORTH AMERICA; REALLY FOR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

AS SOON AS THEY WERE FORCED UP THEY BEGAN TO BREAK DOWN AND ERODE AWAY.

THE PAST IS ALWAYS INTERESTING BUT WHEN YOU COME TO THIS PLACE THE PRESENT IS EXCITING,TOO.

TAKE LOOK AT THE TREES ACROSS THE WAY, THERE.

BEAUTIFUL MAGNOLIAS.

YEAH, ONE OF MY FAVORITE TREES AND TYPICAL OF THE GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS.

FRASIER MAGNOLIA, NAMED AFTER JOHN FRASIER WHO WAS A SCOTTISH PLANT COLLECTOR.

BIG LEAVES ON IT AND TREMENDOUSLY LARGE FLOWERS.

VERY PRIMITIVE PLANT.

WE'VE FOUND FOSSIL RECORDS GOING WAY BACK IN TIME.

AND MAYBE THAT WAS ONE OF THE EARLY IDEAS ON FLOWERS-- YOU HAVE TO MAKE THEM BIG.

OF COURSE, MOST FLOWER SPECIES TODAY ARE A LOT SMALLER.

BUT A VERY PRIMITIVE PLANT.

RIGHT NEXT TO IT, THE FLOWERING DOGWOOD.

YEAH, AND THAT'S A NICE CONNECTION BECAUSE ALL THE WHITE ON THE FRASIER MAGNOLIA IS ACTUALLY FLOWER.

BUT THOSE WHITE THINGS THE FLOWERING DOGWOOD ARE NOT REALLY PARTS OF THE FLOWER AT ALL.

IF IT'S NOT A FLOWER, THEN WHAT IS I THAT'S REALLY A CLUSTER OF FLOWERS THAT HAVE FOUR MODIFIED LEAVES AROUND THEM USUALLY REFERRED TO AS BRACKS.

SO THOSE AREN'T REALLY PETALS AT ALL.

YOU LOOK CAREFULLY IN THE CENTER THERE YOU'LL S THOSE YELLOWISH-LOOKING TRUE FLOWERS ON THE FLOWERING DOGWOOD.

AND THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, TEN OR 15 OR SO WITH THOSE WHITE MODIFIED LEAVES AROUND THEM.

AND IT THE STATE FLOWER OF NORTH CAROLINA.

RIGHT-- BEAUTIFUL, ISN'T IT?

ALLY INTERESTING THE WAY NATURE PUTS TOGETHER THESE FLOWER PARTS AND EVEN MODIFIED LEAVES.

WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR THAT AS WE WALK ALONG THE ROAD HERE.

LET'S JUST HEAD ON AND SEE WHAT'S AROUND THE BEND.

WE'RE KIND OF WALKING IN A LITTLE MORE SHADE HERE, NOW-- DARKER, COOLER THIS IS ONE OF THOSE NORTH-FACING BLUFFS AND THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO LOOK FOR DIVERSITY OF WILDFLOWERS BECAUSE LESS SUNLIGHT MEANS, YOU KNOW MOISTURE NOT EVAPORATING AWAY AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE TRILLIUMS, JIM.

SO MANY KINDS OF TRILLIUMS VERY DIVERSE HERE.

THIS ONE HAS THE PERFECT NAME, THOUGH, I THINK.

IT'S CALLED PAINTED TRILLIUM.

AND LOOK AT THE REDDISH MARKINGS ON THE BASES OF THOSE PETALS.

ISN'T THAT GORGEOUS?

AND AGAIN, THE NAME BECAUSE OF THREE, THREE, THREE.

YEAH, THREE.

TRILLIUM, OR YOU COULD EVEN SAY "TRY-LIUM" I GUESS, BECAUSE OF THE THREE PARTS THERE.

ANOTHER INTERESTING PLANT HERE.

JUST LOTS OF LEAVES, AND YOU CAN SEE A FLOWER STALK COMING UP, OPENED BUDS ON IT.

THOSE WOULD BE WHITE FLOWERS A LITTLE BIT LATER.

SPECKLED WOOD LILY ONE OF THE COMMON NAMES FOR THAT-- CLINTONIA.

AND AGAIN DOING VERY WELL IN THIS KIND OF A SITUATION.

THAT EXTRA MOISTURE AND THAT LITTLE BIT SHADE MAKES, YOU KNOW... MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD AND IT'S DOING FINE.

THERE'S CLUMPS OF IT ALL OVER THIS HILLSIDE.

ONE OTHER THING THAT GETS UP A LITTLE BIT HIGHER... SEE THE EARLY FLOWERS ON WHAT'S CALLED OFTEN TIMES BUFFALO NUT OR OIL NUT, MAYBE, IS ANOTHER NAME FOR IT.

I WONDERED WHY BUFFALO NUT BUT OIL NUT-- IT IS OILY.

WELL, YEAH, IT IS VERY OILY, WAXY LIKE MATERIAL ALMOST LIKE A TALLOW-LIKE MATERIAL.

BUT AN EXTREMELY POISOUS PLANT.

THE FRUIT IS POISONOUS ON IT.

THOSE, AGAIN, ARE JUST EARLY FLOWERS JUST GETTING STARTED.

THERE USED TO BE BUFFALO OR BISON IN THIS PARK SO MAYBE THEY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS PLANT NEVER GETS TO BE VERY LARGE AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE PLANTS THAT SEEMS TO BE PARASITIC ON THE ROOTS OF OTHER PLANTS UP HERE-- RHODODENDRONS AND OTHER TREES.

SEEMS BE PARASITIC.

MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO ALL RIGHT ON ITS OWN BUT WHEN IT'S GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY IT DOES CONNECT WITH SOMETHING ELSE.

RHODODENDRON-- VERY COMMON IN THE PARK.

WELL YEAH, RHODODENDRON RIGHT HERE CLOSE TO IT.

YEAH, BIG LEAVES ON , LARGE BUDS.

YOU CAN SEE SO OF LAST YEAR'S FRUIT ON IT DOING VERY, VERY WELL SOMETIMES SO THICK ON THESE MOIST, SLOPING, SHADED HILLSIDES THAT YOU JUST HAVVE THICK RHODODENDRON THICKETS.

OFTEN YOU SEE RIGHT NEXT TO RHODODENDRON THE MOUNTAIN LAUREL.

AND HE IT IS RIGHT OVER THERE.

SMALLER LEAVES ON , A LITTLE MORE SHINY LEAF TOO.

FLOWERS WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT IF THEY WERE ON.

YOU SEE THE NEW GROWTH ON THE MOUNTAIN LAUREL.

BUT THE LAUREL AND THE RHODENDRON TOGETHER FORM WHAT ARE CALLED SLICKS UP HERE, OFTEN TIMES-- AREAS WHERE YOU JUST FIND THESE EVERGREENS GROWING VERY, VERY THICKLY TOGETHER.

THE MAY APPLE HASN'T FLOWERED YET, BUT THAT'S MAY APPLE.

NO, EARLY BUD ON MAY APPLE.

THE LEAVES, IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE LEAVES IT'S GOING TO REMIND YOU OF THAT UMBRELLA LEAF THAT WE SAW EARLIER LOOK AT THAT-- SAME FAMILY, VERY CLOSELY RELATED.

INTERESTING, THE WAY THESE RELATIONSHIPS CAN BE SEEN IN THE FLOWERS AND T FRUIT AND , OFTEN TIMES THE LEAVES ON THE PLANTS.

DOING VERY WELL HERE.

BELL WORT DOWN THERE.

THERE'S ANOTHER ONE WITH YELLOW BELL-LIKE FLOWERS HANGING DOWN.

SO THE NAME BELL WORT.

AND WORT JUST ALWAYS REFER TO PLANT SO IT LOOKS LIKE A BELL WORT ON IT.

SO BELL WORT'S A PRETTY GOOD COMMON NAME.

REALLY LIKING THESE SHADED AREAS A LITTLE BIT, TOO.

1,400 TO 1,500 DIFFERENT KINDS OF FLOWERING PLANTS IT'S AMAZING... YEAH, IT REALLY IS PHENOMENAL.

IN THE SMOKIES.

LOOK, TOO, RIGHT UP HERE.

COMING DOWN THE MOSS, OR ACROSS THE MOSS.

A LITTLE ANIMAL.

MILLIPEDE.

AGAIN, WHEN YOU' GOT LOTS OF ORGANIC MATERIAL AT'S WHAT THIS THING FEEDS ON.

AND THE DIVERSITY OF MILLIPEDES HERE RATHER GREAT.

AGAIN, THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS-- A STOREHOUSE FOR A GREAT DIVERSITY OF PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE.

LOOK AT E WAY THOSE LEGS MOVE IN WAVES.

WAVES, YEAH.

SEE THE ANTENNAE ON THE FRONT, THERE.

BUT AGAIN, NOT A POISONOUS ANIMAL AT ALL.

SUCH COORDINATION, THOUGH.

INTERESTING THE WAY THEY DO BUSINESS.

ONE OTHER PLANT, AND LET JUST LOOK INTO THE SUNLIGHT TO SEE IT.

HERE'S A TREE THAT IS REALLY DOMINANT HERE.

THIS IS AN EASTERN HARDWOOD FOREST AND THERE IS THE LARGEST DECIDUOUS TREE IN NORTH AMERICA.

TULIP TREE IS ONE NAME FOR IT.

THE LEAVES ARE TULIP- SHAPED A LITTLE BIT.

THE FLOWERS REALLY DO RESEMBLE TULIPS YELLOW POPLAR IS ANOTHER NAME BECAUSE THE LEAVES DO CHANGE TO YELLOW IT'S REALLY NOT A POPLAR, THOUGH.

IT'S ONE OF THE MAGNOLIAS.

IT'S RELATED TO THAT FRASIER MAGNOLIA THAT WE SAW A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.

BUT A DOMINANT TREE HERE.

USED TO BE TEAMED UP WITH CHESTNUTS, OF COURSE WHICH ARE NOW GO.

LOTS OF OTHER THINGS, I'M SURE, RIGHT UP THE ROAD.

LET'S KEEP WALKING.

IT'S SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO WALK ALONG A PLACE LIKE THIS AND GET A GOOD VIEW OF THE SIDE WITH ALL THE WILDFLOWERS.

MAN, THE DIVERSITY CONTINUES.

LOOK AT THE LARGE CHICKWEED THERE, JIM.

SOMETIMES CALLED GIANT CHICKWEED OR STAR CHICKWEED.

LOOK AT THE PETALS ON THAT.

AND WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT SHAPES OF FLOWERS.

NOT A VERY LARGE FLOWER.

ALMOST LOOKS LIKE TEN PETALS BUT ERE ARE REALLY JUST FIVE.

EACH ONE OF THEM, THOUGH, IS DEEPLY CUT.

AND LEAVES OPPOSITE, BUT ALL OVER THE HILLSIDE.

FOR CHICKWEED, THAT'S A LARGE FLOWER.

SO GIANT CHICKWEED WOULD MAKE SENSE.

HERE'S ANOTHER ONE RIGHT DOWN IN FRONT OF US NICE AND YELLOW.

VERY WAXY WAXY YELLOW, BUTTERY YELLOW.

SO, TAKE A GUESS AT THE NAME FOR THAT ONE.

, BUTTERCUP.

BUTTERCUP-- THERE'S A GREAT DIVERSITY OF THOSE PLANTS.

USUALLY IN A LITTLE WETTER AREAS BUT AGAIN, ALL OF THESE HILLSIDES HAVE, YOU KNOW A GOOD BIT OF MOISTURE.

FURTHER BACK, UP IN THE WOODS A BEAUTIFUL SHOWY WILD PLANT.

OH, YEAH, AND THAT'S.. LOOK AT THAT THING.

THAT IS E OF THE ORCHIDS-- COMMON NAME SHOWY ORCHIDS CAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE MOST SHOWY OF THE ORCHIDS THAT ARE USUALLY GROWING LOW TO THE GROUND.

REALLY BRILLIANT COLORS ESPECIALLY EARLY IN THE SPRING WHEN THERE'S NOT A LOT OF REALLY BRIGHT COLOR CLOSE TO THE GROUND.

AND ALL FLOWERS ARE PRETTY BUT THAT IS... HAS A SPECIAL BEAUTY.

ORCHIDS ARE SO DIVERSE, TOO.

THAT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS.

AMAZING STUFF.

LET'S WALK ON JUST TO GET ANOTHER LOOK BECAUSE I THINK THE WOODS OPEN UP JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE UP HERE.

SHOWY ORCHIDS NICE, THOUGH.

I' TELL YOU THAT.

ANOTHER PLANT THAT COMES IN.

YOU SEE THE LITTLE PLANT WITH THE DISSECTED LEAVES MANY LEAFLETS ON THE LEAF AND TINY LITTLE FLOWERS STICKING UP ABOVE ALMOST YELLOWISH IN COLOR.

BLUE COHOSH IS THE COMMON NAME FOR THAT.

LOOKS LIKE IT'S VERY, VERY COMMON HERE COMING UP A LITTLE BIT OFF OF THE FOREST FLOOR BEFORE IT FLOWERS.

WHERE DOES THE BLUE ENTER INTO THE NAME?

THE FLOWER'S FRUIT ON THAT WOULD BE BLUISH EVENTUALLY.

BLUE COHOSH, AND.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

LOOK UP THERE AT THE TWO ORCHIDS, NOW YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPER ORCHIDS.

AND WE HAVE SEEN THOSE BEFORE.

THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL BUT SOMEWHAT RARE, AREN'T THEY, RUDY?

OH, THEY'RE REALLY UNCOMMON TO SEE.

AND YOU SEE THE WAY THE FLOWERS COME UP ON THAT FLOWERING STEM AND THEN THE SINGLE FLOWER THERE.

D LOOK AT THE MODIFICATION ON THAT FLOWER THAT SLIPPER-LIKE OR MOCCASIN-LIKE PETAL THERE.

ISN'T THAT AMAZING THE WAY THAT IS MADE?

AND THAT GIVES IT THE NAME.

MOCCASIN FLOWER IS ANOTHER NAME, OR YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPER AND THE TWISTED PARTS OF THE FLOWER IN THE BACK ALMOST LIKE TWISTED HAIR-- PIGTAILS OR SOMETHING-- OFF TO THE SIDE.

AND IT STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF LEAVING BEAUTIFUL PLANTS IN THE SMOKIES ALONE.

OF COURSE, IT IS PROHIBITED.

WELL, YES, THEY'RE EXTREMELY DELICATE THE ORCHIDS ESPECIALLY, EXTREMELY DELICATE AND EASILY DAMAGED SO YOU WANT BE CAREFUL AROUND THEM.

BUT THAT IA BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL FLOWERING PLANT.

NOW, I SEE SOMETHING ELSE HERE.

THIS IS NOT A FLOWERING PLANT ALL BUT THIS IS ANOTHER PART OF THE STORY HERE.

ALL THE DEAD MATERIAL ON THE GROUND CERTAINLY YOU DON'T WANT IT JUST TO STAY THERE YOU NEED SOMETHING TO DECOMPOSE IT, TO BREAK IT DOWN TO RELEASE THE NUTRIENTS BACK INTO THE SOIL.

THE MOREL THERE IS DOING THAT.

EDIBLE MUSHROOM, ONE OF THE SAC FUNGI YOU'LL SEE THOSE LITTLE SACS, OR SPACES, ALL INSIDE OF THAT.

THAT IS AN EDIBLE MUSHROOM THAT MANY, MANY PEOPLE COME OUT LOOKING FOR IN THE SPRING.

AND AGAIN, MOIST, SLOPING HILLSIDES LIKE THIS WOULD BE THE PERFECT PLACE FOR IT.

BUT DECOMPOSERS HAVE THEIR PART IN ALL OF THIS.

THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR, IN MAY, TO SEE IT.

YEAH, SPRING IS THE TIME WHEN YOU SEE THAT MUSHROOM POKING ITS HEAD UP ABOVE THE DEAD LEAVES.

MOST OF THESE PLANTS WE'RE SEEING, OF COURSE ARE PRODUCERS, MAKING THEIR OWN FOOD.

THAT'S ONE OF THOSE DECOMPOSERS, BREAKING THINGS DOWN.

NOW, THERE'S ANOTHER LITTLE SLIVER OF A PLANT HERE.

LOOK AT THIS.

THE LEAVES ARE KIND OF LARGE BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH LEFT OF THAT AMERICAN CHESTNUT.

AND REMEMBER THAT TULIP TREE WE SAW A WHILE BACK.

TULIP TREES AND AMERICAN CHESTNUTS USED TO DOMINATE THESE WOODS.

OF COURSE, THE BLIGHT FROM EUROPE WAS BROUGHT OVER THAT KILLED BASICALLY ALL OF THE CHESTNUTS, AMERICAN CHESTNUTS.

AND NOW ALL YOU SEE ARE LITTLE SAPLINGS LIKE THAT.

LOOK AT THE LEAF, SHARP EDGES ON THAT LEAF-- EASY TO IDENTIFY.

BUT MY GOODNESS THIS WAS A DIFFERENT FOREST BACK WHEN THE CHESTNUTS WERE DOMINATING.

ONCE A GIANT OF A TREE AND NOW RELEGATED TO BE NO MORE AN JUST A SHRUB.

YEAH, SAD TO SEE THAT.

THAT HAPPENS, AND AGAIN, A NON-NATIVE FUNGUS COMING OVER AND KILLING OFF THOSE GIGANTIC TREES TINY THINGS CAN AFFECT LARGE ORGANISMS VERY QUICKLY.

AND NOW LOOK UP IN THE SKY OVERHEAD.

BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BELL-LIKE FLOWERS.

SILVER BELL, COMMON NAME FOR THAT-- HALESIA CAROLINA, AND DOING VERY WELL IN NORTH CAROLINA WHERE WE ARE NOW, AND SOUTH CAROLINA AND ALL UP AND DOWN THE MOUNTAINS.

MOIST AREAS IS WHERE IT DOES BEST.

AND LOOK AT THOSE FLOWERS.

SOMETIMES THEY'RE ACTUALLY PINK BUT USUALLY THE SILVERY WHITE WHICH GIVES IT THE COMMON NAME, SILVER BELL.

THIS HAS BEEN A GLORIOUS LITTLE WALK LOOKING AT THE DIVERSITY PLANTS HERE.

WHY DON'T WE HEAD ON AND TRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF ALL OF THIS.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF MAKING THESE AREAS ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.

SMOKIES HAVE TWICE AS MANY VISITORS EACH YEAR AS YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK YEAH, ALWAYS SOME FOR THOSE BEAUTIFUL VIEWS AND AGAIN, THE DIVERSITY OF ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE HERE DRAWS A LOT OF PEOPLE, I'M SURE, TOO.

HERE'S SOME MORE OF THAT MOUNTAIN LAUREL.

YOU REMEMBER WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SIZE OF THE BUDS RHODENDRON BUDS BEING SO BIG FLOWER BUDS?

LOOK AT THE FLOWER BUDS MOUNTAIN LAUREL.

MUCH SMALLER.

MUCH, MUCH SMALLER, AND CLUSTERED TOGETHER, SEE?

THEY'LL BE OPENING UP A LITTLE BIT LATER.

AND THEN, ONE TREE THAT WE SAW AT A DISTANCE WHEN WE BEGAN THE PINE THAT REALLY IS FAIRLY COMMON HERE-- WHITE PINE, FIVE NEEDLES IN A BUNDLE.

LOOK AT THE WAY THE BRANCHES OFTEN COME OUT AT THE SAME POINT ON THE TRUNK.

IT'S KIND OF A WHIRL OF BRANCHES AROUND.

VERY UNIFORM.

YEAH, SOME CONES IN THE TREE OVER THERE HANGING DOWN.

BY THE WAY, IT'S A STATE TREE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

YEAH... IS IT REALLY?

I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT.

BUT THE WHITE PINE IN THE SMOKIES DOING VERY, VERY WELL.

ANOTHER ONE THOSE CONIFERS.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST CAN'T MISS THE FLOWERS HERE.

YELLOW AND WHITE.

YELLOW AND WHITE.

THE WHITE FLOWERS THERE-- FIVE PETALS ON THE FLOWER-- IS WILD STRAWBERRY.

YOU CAN ALSO SEE THREE PARTS TO THE LEAF THERE.

OF COURSE, THE FRUIT IS EDIBLE VERY, VERY TASTY.

DOING VERY WELD ALL OVER THE SMOKIES AREA.

AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, THE YELLOW ONE THAT YOU SAW BRILLIANT YELLOW, KIND OF LIKE THE BUTTERCUP.

BUT YOU LOOK CLOSELY LOOKS BASICALLY LIKE THAT STRAWBERRY FLOWER.

FIVE PARTS TO THE LEAF, THOUGH INSTEAD OF THREE.

IT'S CALLED FIVE-FINGER, COMMON NAME FOR IT.

POTENTILLA IS THE GENUNAME.

ANY FRUIT?

YEAH, BUT NOT SOMETHING THAT'S EDIBLE LIKE THE.. LIKE THE WILD STRAWBERRY.

AND THEN LITTLE SHRUB RIGHT OVER HERE.

KIND OF NEAT WIND BLOWING THE LEAVES JUST A LITTLE BIT.

SERVICE BERRY IS ONE OF THE NAMES FOR THAT PLANT.

A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL IT SARVIS.

AND A SHRUB, AGAIN, DOING VERY WELL IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS.

LET'S HEAD ON UP.

THIS HAS BEEN KIND OF A NICE WALK STARTING LOW BY CATALOOCHEE CREEK IN THE VALLEY THERE AND THEN COMING ON UP.

AND THE WORLD'S CHANGED A LITTLE AS WE'VE BEEN WALKING.

THE WORLD CHANGED AND THE VIEWS ARE SPECTACULAR.

YEAH, ISN'T THIS PHENOMENAL, REALLY THIS IS ABOUT AS GOOD A VIEW AS WE'RE GOING TO GET TODAY OF THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS GOING OFF IN THE DISTANCE.

RIDGE AFTER RIDGE AFTER RIDGE.

AND IT'S SO PRETTY IN THE SPRINGTIME WITH THAT NEW SPRING GREEN LEAVES ON THE TREES.

A LITTLE SMOKY LOOK TO IT.

RUDY, MORE KINDS OF TREES IN THE SMOKIES THAN IN ALL OF EUROPE.

WELL, AT GREAT DIVERSITY MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD IT REALLY DOES.

AND SOMETIMES, EARLY IN THE MORNING, YOU KNOW THERE ARE FOGGY CLOUDS DOWN THERE THAT ALSO LOOK LIKE SMOKE COMING UP FROM THE VALLEYS.

OLD MOUNTAINS, NOT STEEP AS THEY ONCE WERE BUT ROUNDED DOWN TO THESE MOUNTAINS THAT WE HAVE LOVED FOR SO LONG.

WHAT SIGHT.

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND SUCH A WRONGFUL WAY TO SPEND THE FIRST PART OF MAY RIGHT HERE IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK.

NOTHING LIKE SPRINGTIME IN THE MOUNTAINS.

WE'VE HAD A GOOD-DAY.

THE DIVERSITY HERE IS OVER WHELMING, ISN'T IT?

AND WE'RE CLOSE TO MAGGIE VALLEY, NORTH CAROLINA.

WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS EDITION OF NATURE SCENE AND JOIN US AGAIN NEXT TIME.

LET'S TAKE ONE MORE LOOK.

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