After seeing Patrick McMillan's show on the Steven's Creek Heritage in McCormick County I just had to go see this place. It was only a short 90 miles from Columbia in the Carolina Piedmont near the Savanna River. This particular Gooseberry grows only in a county in Florida and here in SC. The place had a lot of what I consider mountain wildflowers, Dutchman's Breeches, False Rue Anemone, Spring Beauties, Lanceleaf Trillium (and two other Trilliums), Lanceleaf Anemone, Green and Gold, Buttercups and Ragwort. Shooting Star grows there but hadn't bloomed yet. The hike may be about 3 miles or more and goes down the ridge to Steven's Creek then loops back around the top of the ridge and rejoins the path above near the start for a perfect loop trail with points of interest on all parts. The ridge sports a Witchbroom Tree that was of interest as was the star of the hike - the Gooseberry pictured. It hasn't quite bloomed and hopefully I can get back down there when it does. It seemed to grow on the slopes with the Dicentra and False Rue and also, which was a little surprising, on the ridge. It's a thorny plant which I first mistook for a Hawthorne until I saw the buds. Heard a Black-and-White Warbler, Northern Parula and Blue-headed Vireo.
It's an easy trip. I left at 8 am, took my time on the road and trail, and was back in Columbia by 2:30 pm.
toadshade
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