Spring Ephemerals

Trilliums, like the one shown here, along with other ‘spring ephemeral’ wildflowers, bloom for a short period of time in early spring. Following the blooming period, they essentially hunker down for the rest of the season, storing what nutrients they can garnish from the limited sun in their root systems - to be used for the next season's blooms. But what a welcome show they put on each year, after we’ve been seeing nothing but snow for months! Before the tree canopies fully leaf out , the forest floor is briefly carpeted with flowers.

Please enjoy them where they are found – in their native woodland habitat. Tempting as it may be to transplant some to your garden, most of these plants don’t survive and they are becoming increasingly rare in the wild. Trilliums are in bloom – why not use this as an excuse to go for a walk in the woods to see them in all their spring glory?

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