Flower Power

Mountain camelias a big hit at Land Trust gathering
By Colin McCandless, Staff Writer

More than 25 people gathered Friday in the early morning hours at Queen Branch to catch a glimpse of the rare mountain camelias (Stewartia Ovata) in bloom.

The free hike, sponsored by the Land Trust for the Little Tennesee, took place at the Needmore Tract in Swain County.

The LTLT works to conserve the landscape of the upper Little Tennesee by accepting donations of land, promoting conservation easements and buying at-risk properties when its resources allow.

Jack Johnston, a naturalist and expert on the subject of mountain camelias (who modestly referred to himself as a “hobbyist”), led the walk and answered questions. Johnston grows 150 plants of the two varieties of stewartia found in the United States, mountain and silky camelias. Prior to the hike, Johnston demonstrated birding by song, as he identified the calls of warblers, yellow-breasted chats and other feathered denizens of the area.

Before the group carpooled to the Needmore Tract, Johnston distributed a mountain camelia hand-out detailing the precise conditions needed to cultivate the flower. To help the uninitiated understand the big deal behind Stewartia Ovata, he discussed the niche habitat requirement of mountain camelias - excellent drainage and adequate light - that explain why they are such an elusive find in the wild.

Johnston said the timing was perfect for the tour due to the short window of mountain camelias in peak bloom, which generally occurs between the third week of June and the end of the month.

To the delight of the camera-toting group, Johnston brought everyone to two different locations where stands of mountain camelia bloomed.

One of the plants occupied a steep slope, good for drainage, as Johnson informed the group earlier. Clusters of four and five camelia enthusiasts at a time clambered up the mountainside to claim their reward. People oohed and aahed at the uncommon, aesthetic white wonders. For those who did want to brave the climb another mountain camelia blossomed on more level ground adjacent to Saw Mill Creek.

To reach the second spot of mountain camelias, the adventurers had to balance their bodies across a rickety wooden bridge spanning the Little Tennessee that resembled something out of an “Indiana Jones” set. A sign hanging above the bridge entrance wisely advised a four-person capacity, a limit quickly understood after spending a few seconds swinging and swaying over the rain-deprived rocky waters below.

The precarious crossing deterred no one though, as each person sought the mountain camelias waiting on the other side.

Most of the group had never seen mountain camelias blooming in the wild while others confessed to failed attempts at rearing them in their gardens or yards.

Art Zoeckler of Ormond Beach, Fla., who has summered the past 15 years in Swiss Colony, said he never even knew mountain camelias existed before the hike and enjoyed the whole experience so much he plans to revisit this protected area. “I'd come again,” said Zoeckler, a member of the Nantahala Hiking Club. “I might just walk down here (Needmore Tract) again.”

Brad Sanders, author of the book “A Guide to William Bartram's Travels,” participated in the walk. Bartram, often referred to as America's first native-born naturalist and ornithologist, recorded an important natural history narrative in the 1770s detailing the flora and fauna he observed on his trek through the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.

Sanders, a high school teacher in Athens, Ga., who hiked a significant amount to collect information for the piece, said he has not seen mountain camelias in eight years, when he found some growing near Helen, Georgia.

Meta Carswell of Savannah, Ga., said it was her first time seeing mountain camelias. She carried along a magnifying glass to enhance the viewing pleasure.

“I think people need to take more time to experience things like I did today,” said Carswell, who added with a laugh, “But they need to fix that bridge though, it's dangerous.”

Throughout the day, Johnston offered potted silky camelias for sale to those people feeling adventurous enough to try and grow the challenging flower. “There is no guarantee they make it out of the parking lot alive,” Johnston quipped. He also sold pens he had crafted from mountain and silky camelias.

The LTLT will offer a canoe trip on the Little Tennessee River on Sat. July 15. The four-hour gentle paddle trip will begin at the Great Smoky Mountain fish camp north of Franklin and end at McCoy Bridge. For more information contact Brent Martin at bmartin@ltlt.org.

July 15 also marks “ Support Your Local Land Trust Day,” a fundraising event where Franklin businesses will be donating a percentage of their sales to the LTLT conservation cause. Current participants include the Frog and Owl Mountain Bistro, Rathskeller, Nina's Lingerie, R. Jams Desserts, Primrose Lane, The Nash's Nest, From the Vine and YARN @ Silver Threads and Golden Needles. Contact Kate Parkerson at kparkerson@ltlt.org for more information.