What's in Bloom?

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APRIL
Please scroll down to see more plants that may be featured this month.

Claytonia virginica - Spring beauty
In early spring, visitors to our woodlands eagerly look for a special group of wildflowers, the spring ephemerals. These plants emerge, bloom and fruit before the forest canopy closes, taking advantage of unfiltered spring sun and reduced competition for pollinators. The spring ephemerals complete their life cycle before summer's heat and droughts and then rest below ground until another spring. The diminutive ephemeral spring beauty (Claytonia virginica), with its grass-like leaves and delicate, white, open-faced flowers, is found throughout the Preserve. Pink lines on the petals are 'nectar guides', which point the way to the sweet nectar that as many as 50 insect species sip in exchange for carrying pollen between plants.

Mertensia virginica - Virginia bluebells
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are a welcome sign of spring, blooming from late April to early May. Although the flower buds are pink at first, they turn blue when they open to form drooping clusters of funnel shaped flowers. Bluebells prefer rich woods and forested floodplains, and are abundant along Pidcock Creek at the Preserve. Look for them along the Parry, Audubon and Bluebell Trails. But don't delay! This perennial plant is a spring ephemeral and will disappear without a trace, typically by mid-May. For the gardeners among you, bluebells usually are offered at our Spring Native Plant Sale.

Trillium spp. - Trillium
There are nine species of trillium native to Pennsylvania. As a group, they are easy to identify. All species have a single stalk with three whorled leaves and a single flower with three petals. In contrast, flower color varies widely with species. Flowers may be white, yellow, green, pink or maroon. Trillium grandiflorum, the pictured species, is a curious case with flowers that start white but turn pink with age. Trilliums are slow growing palatable plants that are particularly prone to deer damage. Nevertheless, none of our native species are so rare as to be in danger of extinction. The Preserve has a wide diversity of species, although few are abundant. Fine specimens can be found on the Parry, Harshberger, Medicinal, Wayside and Naturalized Trails.