Early spring flowers started popping out of the grass around the Farm in March. Did you know that any flowers blooming this early in our area are not native wildflowers, but originally from Europe and Asia? They must have been planted by the people who used to live on the property. Although the original inhabitants of the houses are gone, these flowers live on as tiny pieces of their history. It’s easy to imagine the Browne family planting yellow Winter Aconite around their house, the Bartels planting white Snowdrops, and the Hornschmeiers planting purple Crocus.
Early spring wildflowers are called Ephemerals because they are above ground for such a short time. They have to grow, bloom, and store energy underground for next year all before the trees leaf out and block the sunlight. For this reason, they don’t put energy into growing big or tall. They tend to be short and have small flowers. They need to make sure their pollen is available for insects to spread, so they have developed ways to protect it. Snowdrop flowers droop down so rain and snow can’t wash out their pollen. Winter Aconite and Crocus both close up when it’s cloudy or rainy. Interestingly, our native bee species are still hibernating, but you will often see honey bees feeding on Winter Aconite. Honey bees are originally from Eurasia, so they are primed to come out and feed when those flowers are blooming. Soon these ephemerals will disappear until next year, and we will start seeing a succession of native wildflowers in the wooded areas of the Farm. Make a point of getting out in the woods during April to enjoy this fleeting beauty of spring!