Galax adorns the winter hillsides
By JOHANNE KITTLE Plant Rescue

Photos by Bill Oswald The Galax plant leaves turn a beautiful burgundy in the winter.

The woods are beautiful this time of year- more open vistas when the leaves are off the trees and no snakes, yellow jackets, and bugs to bother you. You may see one of the prettiest plants, the Galax, as it turns a beautiful burgundy color. The hillside just north of Indian Grave gap on the Appalachian trail is blanketed with a ground cover of Galax. The early settlers used the Galax for floral arrangements in the winter, especially for winter funerals. Poaching became prevalent with a threat that they could become depleted. Fortunately, as other plants are being used by florists, the Galax seems to be surviving. I had to get down close to the Galax so I could show you its size.

In the late spring/early summer, Galax has a tall white flower two to four inches long but eight to 32 inches high. Last summer the flowers were prolific and seemed to tower over me (much higher than 32 inches). The picture with the flowers was taken the end of May so you can see how their beauty varies with the seasons.

Summer blooms on Galax plants.

Another winter evergreen that is fun to see is the Rhododendrons. Some people think they are dead when they curl up their leaves. But that is just what they do when the temperature goes below freezing. Some say they can tell the temperature by how tight the leaves are curled.

The plant rescue team wants to encourage you to get out and enjoy nature in the mountains. We have so much beauty worth protecting for future generations. For more information on the Plant rescue team, contact Jennifer Cordier (706-745-9317) ivylog@alltel. net or you can contact me, Johanne Kittle (828-389-0814) billjokitt@dnet.net. The Plant Rescue Team's motto is "An earth friendly approach to land usage without restricting property owner rights."