Category: Rhododendrons

Newest report is always on top! July 18, 2022 The Rosebay Rhododendron peak week has officially passed. Blooms can still be spotted at Price Lake, Broyhill Park, and all along the Blue Ridge Parkway. However, they will be on the decline and very soon gone for the rest of the year. This is the last call to go out and enjoy them for 2022! We’ll start our report back up in 2023. July 5th, 2022 It’s peak Rosebay bloom viewing right now! The pale pink blossoms can be seen around the area in all of their glory. We recommend taking a walk at Broyhill Park, located right behind Main Street, Blowing Rock. The Legacy Trail, located at the South end of Main Street, is also a great place to view the blooms. This hard surface trail is accessed at the driveway into Village Green Condominiums, and follows Main Street. If you feel like going for a drive, or getting into a canoe, Price Lake always offers great Rosebay viewing as well. Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway (milepost 296.7), with a walking trail, as well as canoes and kayaks for rent, you can view the blossoms and get a little sporty at the same time. No matter your viewing speed, now is the time to see the Rosebay Rhododendron in bloom! June 29, 2022 Rosebay blooms are becoming more prominent now! Little clouds of pale pink are especially plentiful at the north view of Thunder Hill Overlook today. You can see a lot of Rosebay blooms along the Blue Ridge Parkway, just driving through Blowing Rock from Aho Gap to Price Lake (milepost 288 to 296). The rhoddies along North Main Street by Chetola Resort and McCoy Minerals are starting to pop as well. There should be lots of blooms to enjoy over the 4th of July holiday! June 24, 2022 A few showy, pale pink blooms are starting to pop along the Blue Ridge Parkway! Most buds are still waiting to open, but they are plentiful. It looks like we can expect a very good display this year. The north side of Thunder Hill Overlook has a number of shrubs already showing plenty of blooms. While just south along the Parkway at Cone Memorial Park and Julian Price Park, there are more buds than blooms today.

Most recent report is on top! July 2, 2021: Peak bloom is just around the corner. Many of the Rosebays are now blooming! A few individual shrubs have hit their peak, branches laden with fully-open blooms. However, most plants are still on their way to full bloom. The show is definitely starting, and this holiday weekend will be great for viewing blooms in the area, particularly at Price Lake. The next 10 days or so should offer lovely views of this native flower. We highly recommend a hike around Price Lake, or a canoe/kayak trip across the lake. Here are photos from around Julian Price Memorial Park today. Rosebay Rhododendrons surround Price Lake Hike among the blooms! June 24, 2021: Some buds have just started to break! While there will be a few blooms this weekend, it won’t yet be peak viewing time, as many buds are still shut tight. This photo was taken Wednesday, June 23, and it was one of a handful that we found at this stage around the boating area at Price Lake. Here’s another image, one of the few clusters ahead of the pack. You can see a couple of tightly closed buds behind it: