Events Calendar

Join us with our special guide botanists/ecologists Alaina Krakowiak and Dr. Joey Shaw. Alaina Krakowiak, BS, MS, recently completed her thesis at Colorado State University after her undergraduate degree at UT Chattanooga unit. She is an avid hiker and botanizer, speaker and author on several papers. Joey Shaw, PhD is a botanist/ecologist and professor of biology at UT Chattanooga unit, hiker, speaker and author, and for 10 years, he has also been the lead organizer for the GSM Wildflower Pilgrimage.

Orchard Knob Reservation, a 2.5 ha branch of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, is a rare remaining example of a previously more widespread xeric limestone prairie habitat within the Ridge and Valley physiogeographic province. It is one of only two sites in Tennessee of the S1 classified Fremont's leather flower. In total, there are at least 8 Tennessee rare plant species present. Four of these rare, state-ranked species should be in bloom and include: Fremont's leather flower (Clematis fremontii), a new species of groundsel/ragwort (Packera nova. sp. - previously thought to be P. paupercula var. appalachiana), Eastern prairie wild blue indigo (Baptisia aberrans), and Eggleston’s violet (Viola egglestonii). The other rare species, glade St. Johnswort (Hypericum dolabriforme) and round fruited St. Johnswort (Hypericum sphaerocarpum) bloom late spring or summer. Another S1 species, the white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides), as well as the unranked, but also rare, Kentucky aster (Symphyotrichum kentuckiensis), will bloom mid to late fall. During the spring, the asters will only be found as new growth from overwintering rosettes.

Several other limestone endemics are established here. We are likely to find hoary pucoon, eastern prickly pear cactus, wild hyacinth, false aloe, nettleleaf sage, small skullcap, wild strawberry, yellow pimpernell, meadow parsnip, whorled milkweed, green milkweed, butterfly milkweed, little and big bluestem grasses, panic and indian grasses, orange coneflower, euphorbia species, grey headed coneflowers, two species of passion vine, hairy sunflower, lespedeza, chinkapin oak, starry rosinweed, obedient plant, and some great history plus civil war monuments.

Previously a site of random herbicide applications, frequent mowing, rare clean up and few if any exotics removal efforts, the Knob is now being recognized for what it is and its potential to shine as an example of a rare remnant ecosystem. As such, park managers and volunteers have been steadily improving the maintenance regime in the past six years to accommodate the ecological and botanical importance and not just visualization of monuments. Many species have recovered due to this annual attention and herbicide restraint, including native warm season grasses and forbs such as the above asters and clematis.

Our guides will discuss their published inventory study of the area as well as the ongoing genetic research into the relationships between other disjunct C. fremontii and its primary populations in a few U.S. prairie states. Alaina will additionally be presenting her work in more depth this fall at our September 11, 2023 free public program.