Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa)

Another one of spring's earliest native wildflowers here in Kentucky is the harbinger of spring (Erigenia bulbosa). This spring ephemeral is one of, if not always, the first to emerge from the ground and add a splash of color to an otherwise drab winter landscape. As the name suggests, the emergence of this plant is surely a sign that spring has officially begun. A member of the carrot family (Apiaceae), this diminutive species ranges from an inch to ten inches in height. This species can be found growing in rich, wooded forests in association with other spring ephemeral wildflowers such as toothworts (Cardamine sp.), sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. acutiloba), spring beauties (Claytonia virginica), dwarf crested iris (Iris cristata), etc.

With the recent warm stretch of weather we've been having, I went for a hike the other day to check on the progress of the spring ephemerals at a local nature preserve, Anglin Falls State Nature Preserve (also referred to as John B. Stephenson Memorial Forest SNP). This relatively unknown and hidden gem is one of my favorite haunts in all of south-central Kentucky and a place I frequent often. Anglin Falls is a moist, rich wooded ravine and has one of the best spring wildflower displays that can be found in the region. I found many harbingers of spring in flower and this provided a great opportunity to test out my new macro lens. This plant is tiny, and all of the specimens I found were only about an inch tall and had just freshly emerged from the ground. The collection of flowers, referred to as an umbel, were smaller than a fingernail. This wildflower is also called pepper-and-salt by some people due to the red anthers which turn black and the flower petals which are white. As with most spring ephemerals they are pollinated by various species of bees and flies.

Harbinger of spring (Erigenia bulbosa)

Harbinger of spring (Erigenia bulbosa). A close-up showing the red-ish anthers.

Near the entrance of the trail to Anglin Falls a vivid burst of purple stopped me dead in my tracks. I was shocked to see another native spring wildflower already in bloom, a dwarf iris (Iris verna). This species typically shouldn't be flowering for another couple weeks but this eager individual just seemingly couldn't wait any longer. However, this was the only one I found in flower on my hike. This species inhabits drier areas and prefers to grow on more open and sunny areas along ridge tops. This area where this individual was flowering was rocky and in full sun, perhaps the soil temperature in this area was just enough to trigger this individual to flower. Anyways, I took advantage of the opportunity to get some photos of it on this occasion but I'm certain to run across many more dwarf iris over the coming weeks as I visit some of my other favorite wildflower hotspots in eastern Kentucky.

Dwarf iris (Iris verna)

Dwarf iris (Iris verna)

Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale)

One of the earliest wildflowers to awaken from winter's dreary grasp is the snow trillium (Trillium nivale). This tiny, half-dollar sized plant can be found growing on select limestone bluffs and wooded slopes along streams and rivers here in central Kentucky. This plant is currently known to only grow in two counties and is considered a state-endangered species. This trillium is intolerant of human disturbance and is considered an indicator of higher quality habitats. This plant typically blooms in early March and can sometimes be found flowering when there is snow still on the ground, hence the appropriate common name. This is the smallest of our native trilliums and can be distinguished from other trilliums by it's short stature (2-4 inches), early blooming period, and white flowers.

This weekend I ventured up to Adams County in southern Ohio as I had high hopes of finding this beautiful and rare life species in bloom. I knew it was a long shot considering this past week was very cold and snowy, but as luck would have it, the recent warm temperatures had triggered about a dozen or so eager individuals to flower. It was still a bit early for this species as I counted about a hundred or so still in tight bud. The site that I visited is known to harbor a very large population of Trillium nivale and they can number in the thousands at peak bloom!

I ended up spending a couple hours in quiet solitude at this site taking photographs while admiring their ornate beauty and soaking up the warm sunshine. My excitement for spring can hardly be contained anymore as I constantly have visions of all the spring wildflowers that are going to be blooming in the near future! It felt fantastic to finally be able to get outside to do some botanizing and hiking and I'm starting off the 2013 botany season with a bang as I crossed off a major species from my life list today. I love the trilliums and I hope to share and highlight some of the other species that can be found in Kentucky as they begin to flower throughout the spring.