Spring Ephemeral Plants

The spring ephemerals shown here were photographed on April 28-29, 2007 in The Mile-Around Woods and on the Short Aldrich Trail in North Bennington, Vermont. There are many healthy appearing beech trees on the site, and the soil is rich and moist.

Spring ephemerals are best enjoyed in their natural habitat. If you'd like to try some in your garden or woods, be sure to obtain them from a reputable supplier or nursery like New England Wildflower Society, where plants are not collected in the wild and the number of seeds collected in the wild is small so that natural regeneration in the habitat continues to occur.

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			Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana) One of the first plants to flower in the spring, this edible tuber is spread by seed, often creating impressive, large patches.
	Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) A member of the bleeding heart family, Dutchman's breeches as so name for the flower that looks like pantaloons hanging on the washline. A similar plant, squirrel corn (D. canadensis) has less pronounced, more rounded "leggings."
			Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) Another early spring bloomer, hepatica comes in shades of white, blue and lavender. Its name comes from its leaves, the lobes of which are thought to resemble the liver, and early herbalists used it to cure ailments of the liver. The hepaticas pictured here are all H. acutiloba. H. americana has more rounded lobes. The two species share a similar habitat and range and will hybridize.
					Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) This short-lived flower might be easily confused with hepatica, but the single basal, lobed leaf is distinctly different. Its 8-10 petals drop off as the flower opens. Native Americans used its red-orange sap for dye and as an insect repellent.
	Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) The brownish mottling, similar to a brook or brown trout, easily identify this plant, even when it's not in bloom.
								Wakerobin (Trillium erectum) This member of the lily family is also known as stinking Benjamin for the unpleasant odor of its flower, which smells like carrion and attracts the flies that polinate it.