Oconee Bell bloom season

Truly a rare southern belle, these petite wildflowers grow in very few places.

You can find them blooming in just the right conditions here in Oconee County!  The bloom season is the middle of March through early April.

Wow!

• Oconee Bell, Shortia galacifolia, and sometimes Acony Bell, is said to be one of the rarest wildflowers in the United States.
• Discovered by French botanist Andre Michaux in 1787, the Oconee Bell grows only in a few isolated locations in the southern Appalachians.
• In fact, Oconee County, SC is one of only seven counties in the whole country where the delicate flower is found growing wild.
• 90% of all Oconee Bells bloom in the Jocassee Gorges region.
• Our Native American ancestors, the Cherokee, considered Oconee Bell to be a lucky omen since it grew close to the waters edge.
• According to Cherokee legend, it was the Oconee Bell that led them to the valley of the “Lost Maiden,” otherwise known as Jocassee.
• Gillian Welch honors the Acony Bell in a song on her album Revival.
• In 2012 the Oconee Bell was highlighted in a special publication of National Geographic magazine.

You can see Oconee Bells at Devil’s Fork State Park which is located within Jocassee Gorges.

Here’s a neat illustrated plant guide from Friends of Jocassee for use along the Oconee Bells Trail at Devils Fork State Park.

Heads up: Devils Fork State Park is very popular.  Expect long lines when entering the park from 11:00am-4:00pm on weekends and holidays.

Once the parking lot is full, visitors are turned away. The park opens at 7:00am.  ARRIVE EARLY for the best chance of park entry.