Early Spring Flowers  Spring Trips  Fall Top Ten  Fall Trips  Carnivorous Plants

	Blue violets (Viola) are among the best-known of our wildflowers, commonly appearing in mythology. Small-flowered and reddish blue in color, they bring to mind the Greek myth of Zeus and his love affair with the nymph, Io. To hide Io from his wife, Zeus changed the nymph into a white heifer; her tears he transformed into violets. In Greek, io means violet. This common wildflower may be growing in your back yard -- check it out in early spring before mowing begins.
	Bloodroot (Lachnanthes caroliniana) also is more common to the North, growing with trillium on the floor of rich hardwood forests. It is a fragile, ephemeral flower with star like blooms on short stems that rise from within a large, curled leaf. Its name comes from the dark-red sap of the root, which the Indians used for war paint and fabric dye. Pioneers claimed that a drop of sap on a lump of sugar made good cough medicine.
	Blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) carpets the ground of rich deciduous woodlands in early spring with its cheerful blue to lavender flowers. Its language is that of sweet dreams and a proposal of love; in earlier days, a bouquet containing phlox meant the sender had serious intentions. Phlox leaves often were crushed and added to water to cure such ailments as an upset stomach and sore eyes. This wildflower is not difficult to find at nurseries, and after you have established a plant, it will spread its seed around and colonize for you.
	Trout lily (Erythronium) is also an early bloomer in this area, beginning in mid-February. It's more common to the North, but some excellent rare colonies take root in our area. The beautiful yellow blossoms are accompanied by a pair of spotted leaves, patterned somewhat like the scales of a trout. Identified as the sacred flower of motherhood, it's the symbol for the Greek goddess Hera and the Roman goddess Juno.
	Trillium (Trillium) is another northern species of wildflower that has found a home in our beech-magnolia forests. It's also an early bloomer, easily recognizable by its three large, spotted leaves and erect central dark-red flower. Indians used its juice as an eye medicine, and the roots were used to ease pain during childbirth. Women commonly boiled the root as a love potion, and superstition says that picking trillium will bring rain.
	Rain lily (Zephyranthes atamasco) is one of the most beautiful wildflowers, often covering woodland hillsides with a spectacular display of large, white flowers sometimes tinged with pink. Its species name, atamasco, comes from an Indian word that means "stained with red." The blossom grows on a fairly short stem, and its narrow, grass-like leaves give it a lovely green setting.
	Lady lupine (Lupinis villosus) has spikes of furry lavender, pea like flowers with dark purple spots in their centers. The long, gray-green oval leaves are downy and reminiscent of a rabbit's ears. The plant likes open, sandy conditions and grows in clumps along dry roadsides. Although it may be tempting to dig up this plant for your yard, it is almost impossible to save the long taproot it puts down for survival in arid conditions.
	Yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is one of the earliest, most prolific and beautiful flowers of spring. Sprays of fragrant, trumpet-shaped blossoms adorn the evergreen vines that twine in tree tops and along roadside fences. This is a popular vine for planting in yards and is readily available at nurseries. (Click here for a longer article on this flower.)
	Wild pink azalea (Rhododendron canescens) is common to our area and begins its bloom in March. A large shrub growing to 10 feet, it prefers damp areas with enough sun to encourage the bloom. As you ride along, watch for it where streams cross under the road. Its sweet smelling, pale pink blossoms bloom before the leaves come out; it is sometimes called wild honeysuckle. Many nurseries carry this popular plant and it is easy to grow in your yard if you give it the right conditions.
	Wild columbine (Aquilegia candensis) is a woodland treasure with its delicate red and yellow flowers nodding on long, graceful stems surrounded by lacy foliage. The genus name of this plant, aquilegia, is from the Latin word for eagle because its long spurs suggest an eagle's talons. The plant was used by medieval herbalists as a cure for jaundice and measles. This wildflower may be found at nurseries. It is a prolific producer of tiny seeds that produce many plants for next year. In our area, these plants tend to be biennial, blooming the second year and then dying back.

Photographs Copyright © 1998-2008 Eleanor Dietrich
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