Whether its skunk cabbage blooming in the late winter chill, columbine and phlox bursting with color in the summer heat, or witch hazel blossoms patiently waiting for the cool of late fall, the flowers of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains put on a spectacular show for all but the coldest months of the year. Whether on a dayhike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park or winding through 469 miles of mountain beauty along the Blue Ridge Parkway, appreciating the wildflowers along the way, using Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains as your guide, adds a level of enjoyment that has no price. ...glossy, full-page color photos...as valuable for its visual appeal as for the abundant information it provides. -- Catherine Harden, Our State: North Carolina, August 2005 ...informative and beautifully written descriptions alongside stunning full-page color photographs... -- The Appalachian Quarterly, September 2005 ...merits a ride in your knapsack...Cook's work is as good as you'll find on the subject. -- The Roanoke Times, May 5, 2005 ...much more than a field guide...easy to use...lush full-page color photos...in-depth profile of each plant. -- Connie Krochmal, BellaOnline Full-color photographs are stunning and allow you to easily identify each of its 120 flowers. -- Danny Bernstein, Rapid River Art Magazine Whether its skunk cabbage blooming in the late winter chill, columbine and phlox bursting with color in the summer heat, or witch hazel blossoms patiently waiting for the cool of late fall, the flowers of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains put on a spectacular show for all but the coldest months of the year. Whether on a dayhike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park or winding through 469 miles of mountain beauty along the Blue Ridge Parkway, appreciating the wildflowers along the way, using Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains as your guide, adds a level of enjoyment that has no price. Flower Identification Tools for each flower include: Full-page, color photos Summary description of flower Bloom Season Leaves and stem description Areas of growth Designed to be a companion volume to the award-winning Wildflowers of the Appalachian Trail, this wildflower guide features informative and beautifully written descriptions of each flower, by author and naturalist Leonard Adkins, alongside stunning full-page color photographs by seasoned wilderness photographer Joe Cook. When he isn't writing about his experiences or delivering multi-media presentations to hiking or wildflower clubs, Leonard Adkins is hiking. In fact, Adkins, a resident of Fincastle, Virginia, has explored over 16,000 miles of wilderness throughout North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. He is a board member for the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club which helps maintain a section of the trail in that area. As an Appalachian Trail Natural Heritage Monitor, he helps the Appalachian Trail Conference and the National Park Service oversee the welfare of wild and endangered plants. Since 1991, Joe Cook has traveled more than 3,500 miles by foot and by canoe documenting the Appalachian Trail and Appalachian rivers originating along the famous footpath. Recognized with numerous awards and collected throughout the country, his images have been published in many national and regional magazines including National Wildlife , Backpacker , Blue Ridge Country , Southern Living , Outdoor Traveler , and Blue Ridge Outdoors . He currently resides in Rome, Georgia in a 110-year-old home in the historic district with his daughter and three cats. WILDFLOWERS BLUE RIDGE SMOKY M