Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Walking: Lansford Canal Water Lilies


I am fortunate to belong to a wonderful group of lady hikers!  We went to the Lansford Canal in South Carolina.  The spider lilies were in bloom, and so beautiful. They really should be called star lilies, the white of their petals seem to sparkle against the dark water. I was able to capture a brief video with my camera phone, and few photos, but neither really do them justice.  

About the lilies (from park sign)
" Lansford Canal State Park hugs the last free flowing stretch of the Catawba River, and includes the largest known stand of rocky shoals spider lilies. 
The Spider Lily (Hymenocallis coranaria) found in South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, requires
clean free flowing water with uneven, rocky bottom to root.  Peak blooming occurs May through June.
These tough plants known for their spring blanket of white blooms are named for the shallow rocky stretches of river they need to survive.  As shoals such as this found along the Catawba have vanished, primarily because of damming of rivers, the rocky shoal spider lily likewise has become rare and endangered.
Much of the free-flowing rocky shoals habitat along the Catawba River has been lost to hydroelectric dams built along the rocky elevation drops to take advantage of the natural water power.
The future of such unique habitats depends on their continued wise management by private, corporate, and public partners in conservation and preservation. "