It's April and there are now serious hints of spring - gusty breezes, warmer temperatures, and longer days. Especially those longer days, which mean that the sun is finally high enough in the sky for its rays to reach the forest floor and warm the earth. It's time to look for spring ephemerals - those fleeting, woodland beauties that pop up, bloom, and then disappear until next year, all within a very short time period. The yellow Trout Lilies, for example, emerge about now, bloom, set seed, and then totally vanish by May. That's only about two months. Most of the ephemerals are very tough plants. They have blooms and leaves designed to withstand the harsh nights, cold winds, and heavy rains of early spring. They tend to grow low to the forest floor so that they can withstand temperature extremes. Some, like Spring Beauties, even have special colors to attract early insects.

Let's take a walk around the Farmville area and see how many we can find. Down by the river, near where the First Friday Concerts are held, there are several treasures, including Spring Beauties and Virginia Bluebells. Spring Beauties are small unassuming plants with grassy leaves and pink and white striped blooms. They tend to grow in huge colonies, however, that look like fanciful woodland carpets. The flower petals glisten in the sun and their pink stripes serve as beacons for bees and flies looking for pollen. Pink is especially attractive to bumblebees. When the sun isn't shining or there is rain, Spring Beauty blossoms close to conserve heat and prevent rain drops from washing away their pollen. Their grassy leaves are designed to bend towards the sun and capture as much energy as possible. Native Americans were especially fond of Spring Beauty corms as snacks. They were eaten raw or boiled and are said to taste like chestnuts.

Because of their intense, sky blue flowers, Virginia Bluebells, or Languid Ladies as they are also known, are truly one of nature's most unforgettable plants. They have been described as “not plants at all, but delicate clumps of sky, thinly disguised.” They grow in low moist areas. There may be just single plants or a huge expanse of them. When the leaves emerge, they are dark purple, but gradually change to a light gray-green. The flowers also change color. The buds vary from lilac to cerise and then become sky blue when they open. As the blooms age, some become light pink.

The General Wilson Trail at Hampden Sydney offers other treasures - Trout Lilies, Wild Ginger, Blood Root, and Hepatica. The last three, although often grouped with ephemerals, aren't true ephemerals because they don't lose their leaves as quickly as the others. They're just included because they bloom at the same time and don't last very long.

The Trout Lily has many different names -Adder's Tongue, Yellow Snowdrop, Amber Bell, Rattlesnake Violet, Deer's Tongue, and many more. Other than Hepatica, it's the earliest of the ephemerals to emerge and bloom. The Trout Lily has yellow trumpet-shaped flowers with petals that curve back away from the red stamen. The leaves are dark green with brown speckles and silver splotches - like the markings on some species of trout. They generally grow in very large colonies that help stabilize delicate woodland soil and enrich it by returning unusually large amounts of phosphorous to it. Trout Lilies live for many years and established patches in protected habitats can be over 100 years old.

In addition to providing nutrients for the woodland soil, Trout Lilies provide both nectar and pollen for emerging queen bumblebees that are intent on establishing new colonies. The nectar serves as an energy source for the queen and helps glue together the pollen she collects to take back to the nest. The larvae that feed on the Trout Lily's pollen later mature to pollinate clover and other crops. Thus the Trout Lily is an essential link in the chain of plants that rely on the same pollinator.

The Trout Lily also has a number of traditional medicinal uses. Native Americans used the leaves as a poultice to treat ulcers. They also use the corms in stews.
Wild Ginger has broad, heart-shaped leaves that grow close to the ground. The bloom is brown, shaped like a cup with three points, and hides close to the ground under the leaves. This “shyness” is very practical because it is pollinated by insects, creeping along the forest floor looking for carrion or rotting flesh. The brown color of the bloom helps trick the insects into believing that they have found their preferred dinner, while the shape of the bloom provides shelter from cold spring breezes.

Although the roots of Wild Ginger taste similar to true ginger, it is not related to the tropical plant that we use for making gingerbread. In fact, during the 1700 and 1800s, native ginger was often used as a substitute for the more expensive imported spice. George Washington Carver wrote about sprinkling powdered Wild Ginger root in hot tea. Native Americans used Wild Ginger to flavor their food, particularly fish, and to relieve upset stomachs. They also used it to enhance fish bait when they were trying to catch catfish. Unlike true ephemerals, Wild Ginger leaves remain green throughout fall and winter and don't die down until the following spring when new leaves appear.
Bloodroot is such an early emerging plant that the 19th century naturalist John Burroughs wrote that “It would seem as if some influence must come on in advance underground and get things ready, so that, when the outside temperature is propitious, they at once venture out. I have found the Bloodroot when it was still freezing two or three night a week.” The bud stalk and the leaf emerge from the ground with the leaf wrapped around the bud like a protective cloak. When the bud is ready to open, it pushes a bit above the leaf and then opens into a white flower with 7 to 12 petals. The Bloodroot has one of the largest, most delicate blooms of any of the early spring flowers.

Bloodroot gets its name from the bright, blood-red color of the juice in its roots. Native Americans used Bloodroot juice to dye baskets, paint their faces, and decorate clothing. They noticed that when cut the plant bled like a human and concluded that it was good for treating ulcers and skin disorders. British physicians used it for similar purposes. In the 1980s, an extract of Bloodroot was used in a tooth paste that was touted as being especially effective in fighting plaque.

Other than the Skunk Cabbage, Hepatica is the first spring flower to emerge. The stems of new leaves and flower stalks are very fuzzy, almost furry, and the delicate flowers can be white, pale lavender, or even pale pink. These hairs probably help keep the plant warm and prevent ants from climbing into the blooms and stealing nectar. Later, however, the plant relies on ants to collect and bury their seeds.

Hepatica leaves are evergreen and last for an entire year; that's why they're not considered true ephemerals. The long-lasting leaves help the plant manufacture and store enough food that it can flower well before other plants. Native Americans used hepatica to treat convulsions and to prevent nightmares.

These early spring flowers are a double treat. They cheer us up with their perky blooms and also remind us of nature's ability to adapt to difficult growing conditions. They are true survivalists. So…take some time to walk around the Farmville area and see how many you can find. I promise, you'll feel better!