Why is the Blue Ridge “blue”?
According to “A Naturalist’s Blue Ridge Parkway” by David Catlin, “it can be legitimately claimed that trees put the “blue” in Blue Ridge, for hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere by the forest contribute to the characteristic haze on these mountains and to their distinctive color.” The entire Appalachian Chain is extraordinarily diverse and rich in its vegetation, so there is perhaps more “blue” to the Blue Ridge and more “smoky” to the Great Smoky Mountains.
