Spring ephemerals are just that
It’s the most exciting time of year for wildflower enthusiasts, native plant gardeners and botanical photographers in the Ozarks – the few weeks in which we get the abundant floral display of spring ephemerals. As the name implies, spring ephemerals are mostly perennials (or short-lived annuals) that come-up in the spring, flower, then quickly return to dormancy, or produce a less-showy vegetative display for the rest of the growing season. These are the harbingers of spring that make a walk in the woods particularly exciting at this time of year for those of a botanical bent.
This is also a great time of year to hook-up with an Arkansas Native Plant Society field trip. Just go to their website to see what’s available for spring field trips. Also check out their Facebook page.
Another great Facebook page to visit at this time of year is the “Arkansas Wildflowers and Native Plants Photography” page, a botanist-curated page that features images of some of the best wildflower photographers in Arkansas, where you will find plant images correctly identified and named.
I like the fact that you can anticipate what might be blooming in the next week or two by seeing what wildflowers’ enthusiasts in south and central Arkansas are posting now knowing that many of those same plants will soon be blooming in northwest Arkansas. It also whets ones appetite to take a field trip down toward any of the trails in the Buffalo River valley or the Boston Mountains, an hour to the south, which have more spring ephemerals associated with rich, riparian forests than we generally find around Eureka Springs.
It all depends upon where you are, however. A north-facing slope in rich woods will bring you plants such as the delicate white-flowered bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), the ubiquitous spicebush (Lindera benzoin), toothwort (Cardamine concatenata), Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) and many more.
In limestone glades, a more barren habitat commonly of south- or west-facing slopes, the vibrant orange-yellow hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens) and rich-purple-flowered, low-growing rose verbena (Glandularia canadensis) are in their full glory.
These are just a handful of the great floral bursts of spring ephemerals that can enjoyed in our forests and prairie-like glades at this time of year. It’s one of the best times to get out to look at, enjoy, and photograph wildflowers. See you on the trail.