This is the Blue Ridge Parkway wildflower report for July 20th, 2007. If you’re coming to the highlands for a relief from the heat of the piedmont, here is some of what you may expect in mid July. Don’t think that wildflower observations end in the spring because to many folks the summer blooms are just as delightful. The high plateau that begins south of Roanoke, Virginia and continues into North Carolina around Daughton Park is in full display as the agricultural scene there comes alive with Queen Anne’s Lace and Yarrow, and Butterfly Weed. Milkweed is now in full bloom in this area. If yellow is your color of choice then you will enjoy the bays and the fields that are filled with Ox-Eye Daisies and Coreopsis and Black-Eyed Susans in peak bloom in many areas around Rocky Knob. Look for an especially nice patch between Mabry Mill and the exit to Meadows of Dan. In North Carolina near the Grandfather Mountain area look for nice displays of Bee Balm and common Milkweed. Taking a stroll through the Linville Falls picnic area you will be rewarded with displays of Bee Balm, Green-Headed Cone Flower, and Healall. For those spending the weekend at Crabtree Meadows campground look for some remaining Butterfly Weed, Black-Eyed Susan, and Flowering Spurge in the fields behind the amphitheatre. The high elevations in North Carolina, south of Asheville, the summer blooms are in abundance. Rosebay Rhododendron is in peak bloom near Mount Pisgah and Waterrock Knob, along with some white Azalea and some remaining Mountain Laurel. Also look for Fire Pink, Bee Balm, Turkscap Lily, Columbine, and Wild Bergamot. Phlox and Jewelweed are also in abundance. Weekly updates at 828-298-0398 will keep you informed of what’s being reported throughout the Parkway. Have a safe parkway visit! Enjoy the view, but watch the road.