North Carolina Native Plants Society

Chapters

Asheville Chapter

Western North Carolina

At right: Roan Mountain

Monthly Meetings

No meetings for the summer.

The Asheville Chapter thanks Mitch Russell for starting the chapter in 2007 and leading it for the last five years. Mitch has stepped down from the chapter chair position to spend more time with family and to focus on career obligations. Native plants still hold a special place for him and he hopes to continue participating in chapter activities moving forward.
Please join us in thanking him for his service!

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Chapter Activities

Come on a hike with us! On Saturday, November 5, join the NC Native Plant Society-Asheville Chapter for a hike in the Pisgah Forest at John's Rock.with Ed Schwartzman. For those of you who may not know Ed, he is one of our excellent local botanists. Ed did the Natural Heritage Survey for Transylvania County and other near by counties.

John Rock is a dome shaped mountain, i.e. granitic pluton, with a diverse array of natural communities. High Elevation Granitic Dome community cover areas of the summit and edges of the mountain along with Carolina Hemlock Bluff. Cliffs and seepage areas are present. A large expanse of the forested slopes is covered with Chestnut Oak Forest. Coves are dominated by Acidic Cove Forest. Two Montane Semi-permanent Impoundments occur in broader valleys where beaver have constructed dams and altered hydrology. We may see some rare plants species like the granite dome bluet (Houstonia longifolia var. glabra), and a couple of sedges (Carex woodii), and Bailey’s sedge (Carex baileyi).

Who: You, 18 years and older, you will need to sign a waiver release
Where: John Rock
Cost: Free
Time: 9:00 am at EarthFare at Westgate to carpool; approx. one hour drive from Asheville. We will leave promptly or meet at 10:00 am at John Rock.

Directions: From Asheville, take I-26 to the Asheville regional airport exit, exit #40. Turn right off the ramp onto NC 280 West for 16 miles. Turn right onto US 276 North for 5.3 miles. Bear left on FS 475 to the Pisgah Wildlife Center (instead of continuing up 276 towards Blue Ridge Parkway). Go 1 mile and turn left into the Wildlife Center. We’ll leave from the parking lot.

Duration: 4+ hours, 4-5 mile loop, including lunch break; option to leave sooner if needed

Difficulty: moderate;

What to bring: sturdy hiking boots/trail shoes, sunscreen, insect repellent, lunch, water, walking stick: NO PETS

Leader: Ed Schwartzman

The Native Plant Society creates opportunities for education, enjoyment and appreciation of native plants in their natural habitat. No collecting of plants is permitted on the hike under any circumstances. This is a Wilderness area with very strict requirements for entry.

Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to RSVP or request more information.

Extra Stuff

Other Activities in the area.

Picture Albums

Chapter Contact(s)

Asheville chapter contact information