Poor Mountain

Poor Mountain, a high ridge spanning Roanoke and Montgomery counties in southwestern Virginia, dominates the edge of the Roanoke Valley and stands out as the tallest mountain in the immediate area. It is especially significant for its rare plant life, supporting the largest known population of piratebush, which depends on Eastern Hemlock roots and is otherwise scarce in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee; the Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve was created to protect it. The summit also serves as a major regional broadcasting and public-service communications site, and proposals for wind turbines there have fueled continuing debate over the mountain’s future use.

Virginia · United States