Dog Hobble is only found in the Southern Appalachians
according to the Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers book.
These photographs of Dog Hobble were all taken in the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park April 18, 2009.
I think the flowers are so pretty, but the shrub isn't much to look at.
The book says "In pre-Park days, when bear hunting was practiced, the heavy bears could escape pursuing dogs by forcing their way through dense thickets of these shrubs, whereas the dogs became 'hobbled' by the tangled growth."