There are 7 occurrences of Oconee Bells in McDowell County. I was working on a nature preserve with one of those occurrences. We were asked not to reveal the location as they have had unwelcome visitors. I was told there were a dozen cameras with cellular connections to alert the preserve manager. These Oconee Bells are a different species that the Oconee Bells found elsewhere. This species, Shortia brevastyla has smaller flowers and leaves than galacifolia and are confined to McDowell County NC.
The leaves are glossy and very similar to Galax. They grow alongside streams in shaded areas. We saw quite a few but I was told, we were at the tail end of the bloom.
I believe we were close to the historic occurrence which Asa Gray visited. In 1788, Andre Michaux found the plant west along the Keowee River, now under Lake Jocassee. In 1839 Asa Gray saw that unidentified specimen at Micheaux's herbarium located in Paris, France. He tried for years to find the plant. In 1877, a 17 year old George Hyams located some in McDowell County along the Catawba River. Two years later Asa Gray visited and found it. That occurrence was lost to over collecting.
After the workday at the preserve, I visited Flat Creek falls. I did not see any Oconee Bells here. The sides of the creek have recently been scoured in Sept 2024 by TS Helene.
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