Carolina Environmental Diversity Explorations
Elevations and forest types · By Dirk Frankenberg
Rhododendron shrub bald
Figure 9. Rhododendrons and laurels grow in this mountain bald. (Photograph by the author. More about the photograph)
Figure 9 shows the interior of a rhododendron shrub bald at about 5500 feet. Note the close spacing of the rhododendrons and the herb layer of ferns and wildflowers. These thicket habitats are attractive both from a distance and up close when the flowers are blooming. The abundance of rhododendron and laurel thickets along the Blue Ridge Parkway is a major reason for its recent history as the most-visited component of the National Park System.
