Springtime blooms in eastern Alabama didn't wait on April's showers. This roadside cemetery is all decked out in the finest collection of flowery blossoms at the first sign of spring. The dogwood and azaleas grace this backcountry byway just outside of Steele, on Mt. Chandler Road. Steele, better know for a Motocross Track, lies just west of I-59 and is greatly influenced by nearby Appalachians and Lookout Mountain.
     The showy flowering dogwood (cornus florida) is a springtime favorite in the eastern section of the United States, with a range from northern Florida to lower Michigan. The small tree adapts well to a residential setting, and grows wild throughout a broad range of forest lands. Its seeds and fruit, poisonous to humans, feeds a variety of birds and mammals.