A sign at the Pruitt end of the Buffalo River Trail proudly informs, “Along the way, look for some of the more than 800 species of flowering plants that bloom between February and October.” It promised wildflower publications with illustrations at park information stations. Unfortunately those stations appear to be closed, and nobody we talked to has seen them. Even the National Park Service website lists only 62 flowers.

But we are here to attest that this rugged river valley, with all its tributaries, springs and seeps, has produced such a dizzying diversity of habitats that supports a wider variety of wildflower species than we have ever seen on a single hike. Enjoy!

Let us know if we’ve misidentified anything.