Spring ephemeral describes a life habit of perennial woodland wildflowers which develop aerial parts (i.e. stems, leaves, and flowers) of the plant early each spring and then quickly bloom, and produce seed. The leaves often wither leaving only underground structures (i.e. roots, rhizomes, and bulbs) for the remainder of the year. This strategy is very common in herbaceous communities of deciduous forests as it allows small herbaceous plants to take advantage of the high levels of sunlight reaching the forest floor prior to formation of a canopy by woody plants.
As winter draws to a close and the days gradually lengthen in January, gardeners grow increasingly eager for the earliest spring flowers in our woodlands - Spring Ephemerals. They are a wonderful lure into the woods before the trees leaf out. They poke up through the dried leaf litter and bask in the sun when woody plants are just bare limbs. By the time leaves unfurl overhead, these delicate beauties have disappeared.
Spring ephemerals are triggered to grow with the first hint of warm weather. Once hot weather takes hold, ephemerals usually die back on top, but their roots continue growing under the soil, although there will be years when some plants that are usually ephemeral decide to surprise you and stick around.
The natural habitat for most spring ephemerals is a woodland, particularly damp areas like stream banks. Not all ephemerals are widely dispersed and your area may have its own distinct wildflowers, but here a few popularly grown spring ephemerals to consider for your garden.
Some favorites include, Bloodroot, Bluets, Lady slippers, Celandine Poppy, Jack-in-the-pulpit, May apple, Rue Anemone, Sagebrush buttercup, Spring Beauty, Trillium, Twinleaf, and Virginia Bluebell. A friend shared some Lady slippers with me last year and I anxiously await their bloom.
Deer and land development are driving these native spring ephemerals to near extinction in many areas. That’s another good reason to plant some in your shade gardens.
Take some time to stroll through the woods and search for some of these beauties but DO NOT DIG FROM THE FOREST. It can be challenging to get a wildflower to survive transplanting into a garden. Some landscape nurseries have Ephemerals for sale especially if you go to a nursery that specializes in Native Plants.
Spring is a favorite time of year. There’s nothing like walking through the garden and watching new growth emerge from the dirt to take in the suns light and warmth. It’s a time of fresh starts as the garden literally changes daily.
A wonderful place to see diverse wildflower treasures is the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail located in the Laurel District near Lafayette, Ga. Flowers can start as early as February. The trail covers about a quarter of a mile. A boardwalk allows visitors to view the wildflowers without destroying the plants.
Take your garden club on a field trip to Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail. Be sure to take a jacket, umbrella and camera. This is one of the finest areas in the state for viewing Ephemerals and wildflowers. |
