Spring Woodland Flowers

Spring woodland flowers are a special treat to winter weary eyes and souls.  I have no way to express the longing for the sight of green and the smell of fresh moist dirt, but I know I’m not alone in my delight at the sight of the first spring woodland flowers. 

The time is near.  In some places there is bare ground and the soil is starting to thaw.  If you’d like to enjoy spring woodland flowers in their native environment look for wildflower sanctuaries in your area.  There are many good ones located from Maine to Iowa and south through the Carolinas.  Many offer tours in the spring.  Bring a good wildflower identification book and your camera with you and prepare to enjoy your day. 

If you choose to explore by yourself, try to stay on paths- the ground might be very damp, and the delicate wildflowers you are trying to enjoy won’t appreciate the soil being compacted beneath your feet.

Some spring wildflowers have subtle colors and are quite tiny. The beauty is in the details so look closely, but do not pick!  Others are brilliant in their colors and exuberance and carpet whole acres of forest floor.

All have adapted to the woodland around them and thrive in dappled shade. Many will go dormant when summer arrives and the leaves from the canopy make the shade deeper, so early spring is the best time to fully appreciate them.

Some of the common spring woodland flowers to look for are bird’s foot violets, wild bleeding heart, wild columbine, coltsfoot, hepatica, trilliums (several varieties), Virginia bluebells, bloodroot, Dutchman’s breeches, Jack in the Pulpit, wild geranium, wild blue phlox, and shooting stars.

coltsfoot

Jack in the Pulpit

Jack in the Pulpit

Many hardy ferns will also be making their appearance in the early spring woodland. To see their prehistoric looking fronds pushing up from the earth is a special treat for me.  Some to look for are fiddleheads, cinnamon fern, interrupted fern and maidenhair fern.

Many bog plants are also early spring woodland bloomers.   Look for skunk cabbage, yellow and blue flag, golden club, swamp pink, lady’s slipper, and blooming later, cardinal flower.

 

Yellow Flag

If you’d rather enjoy spring woodland flowers in your own garden, you can, but don’t obtain your plants from the wood itself.  Order them from a reputable local nursery and look for the words “nursery propagated.”  “Nursery grown” is not a synonymous term either.  That might just mean that the nursery dug it up in the wild and put it in a pot.

Before you decide to invest in spring woodland flowers and ferns it would be a good idea to make sure you have a growing environment that is favorable for their growth. In general they need moist, rich humus and filtered shade to grow well. 

Taking a walk in the woods in early spring to enjoy the spring woodland flowers is a wonderful way to spend a spring afternoon, and it might quickly become one of your favorite traditions.  It is one of mine.

If you have more time, take a road trip and spend several days exploring the many wildflower preserves and woodland sanctuaries scattered across this fine land of ours. 

Do you have a favorite woodland wildflower location to visit?  Share it with us! I’d love to promote it!

Enjoy the spring and thanks for reading Julie's Garden Journal.