More flowers are blooming daily now and it’s getting a little harder to keep up with them. Here are just a few that I’ve seen.
This striped sqill (Puschkinia scilloides, variety libanotica) was a big hit the last time I showed it here so I thought I’d give readers a little more information about where to find it. First, it is a spring flowering bulb that is planted in the fall, so it shouldn’t be ordered until mid to late summer. The only place I have been able to find it for sale is Brent and Becky’s Bulbs’ spring / fall catalog, which you can view online by clicking here. Our friends in the U.K. can order them through Kevock Gardens by clicking here. If you order these bulbs you should remember to specify the variety, which is Libanotica. I’m sorry to say that I wasn’t able to find a European supplier, but I’d bet that there is at least one out there.
Daffodils have just started blooming. These were the first ones I’ve seen.
This is the first magnolia blossom I’ve seen. It was very fragrant, with a scent that reminded me of cabbage roses or peonies. The temperature might drop as low as 25 degrees tonight-I hope the petals don’t get nipped by frost.
In the forest bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is all ready to bloom. This plant gets its common name from the way its root “bleeds” red sap when it is cut. Native Americans used the colored sap for decorating baskets, as war paint, and even as an insect repellant. Each plant has a single leaf and flower growing on separate stems.
False hellebore (Veratrum viride) has just come up over the last 3 or 4 days. Though it was used by Native Americans in various ways including medicinally, this plant is one of the most toxic n the New England forest. Unfortunately at this time of year it is also one of the most interesting, and big enough to make it hard to miss. Most people who eat it mistake it for ramps and eat the root, which is its most potent part.
I like the patterns made by the deep pleats in the leaves of false hellebore. Its small green flowers are interesting, but not very pretty. I went looking for them last year and never found them, so I’ll have to try again.
Yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum ) isn’t blooming yet but I they are very close. Each pair of leaves sends up one stalk which bears a single yellow, nodding flower. This plant is also called dogtooth violet because of the underground bulbous root that looks like a tooth. The name trout lily comes from the way the mottled leaves resemble a trout’s body.
Spring beauties (Claytonia virginica) grow among the trout lilies. Each flower consists of 5 white, pink striped petals, 2 green sepals, 5 pink tipped stamens, and a single tripartite pistil, which means that it splits into 3 parts. Two days ago I didn’t see a single spring beauty blossom and now the woods are full of them.
It seems early for trilliums here but these plants were growing out of a crack in a boulder, so maybe the sun-warmed stone gave them an extra boost. These were very near a popular trail so I’m hoping nobody picks them before I get back to see the flowers.
These leaves might not look like much but they cause quite a stir each spring, even causing entire towns to close down to have festivals in this plant’s honor. These are ramps (Allium tricoccum,) also called ramson, wild leeks, wood leeks, wild garlic, and spring onions. Ramps are native and considered a vegetable. Note the difference between these plants and false hellebore, above. Ramps are said to have a strong, garlic like odor and a strong onion taste. I can only vouch for the odor-they do smell a bit like garlic, but more like onion to me. Native Americans called the plant chicagou and, since it grew there in abundance, the city of Chicago was named after it.
The white, swollen lower stem of ramps is what all the fuss is about. Ramps remind me of the fiddleheads from ferns that are available for just a short time in spring. Both plants are considered great delicacies and are served in upscale restaurants at astronomical prices. I haven’t seen any fiddleheads yet and was surprised at the size of these plants.
This dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) blossom is barely bigger than an acorn cap so it won’t win any prizes, but it’s the first one I’ve seen this spring. It seems like they are late this year.
We may have as many as nine different willow species here in New Hampshire and they all bloom at different times. This, one of the earliest, just started blooming. I believe the photo is of the male flower of Salix discolor, known as pussy or glaucous willow, but it could also be Goat Willow (Salix caprea.) Willows are one of my favorite spring flowers.
I hope you can stand another look at skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus.) I wanted to show people in places it doesn’t grow what the leaf looked like so they could see how much they really do resemble cabbage leaves at this stage. The leaves are the stinkiest part of the plant, so it’s doubtful that anyone could ever eat one by mistake. I had a woman stop while I was taking this picture and tell me that she was glad that these plants weren’t growing outside her bedroom window.
Blossom by blossom the spring begins~ Algernon Charles Swinburne
Thanks for stopping in.
New Hampshire Garden Solutions 
Thank you. Yes it is quite interesting where the wild leek would grow and that probably depending on the condition it would differ.
Is there any specific area in NH you could recommend to look for ramsons?
No, I’m sorry. I know two places where maybe a hundred or so plants grow but no place in numbers big enough to survive foragers picking them. They are out there though and often foraging sites can be helpful.
Hello. This is a beautiful overview. I am especially interested in the wild garlic you found. Where was it? I’m from Germany where wild garlic grows all over the forests and haven’t found any here yet. So I’d be happy if you could give me a hint. Have you even seen Allium Ursinum/bear’s garlic/Baerlauch anywhere in NH??
Thanks so much.
Sarah
Thank you Sarah. Every time I’ve found wild leeks they’ve been growing in mixed hardwood forests of maple, oak and beech where the soil stays damp. They grow in areas that are very shaded once the leaves come on the trees.
I checked the USDA database and Allium Ursinum doesn’t grow naturally anywhere in North America. It flowers while the leaves are showing and our Allium tricoccum doesn’t flower until after the leaves have died, so I think yours is probably much easier to find.
A good collection of spring blooms- I just saw some blooming trillium last weekend here in Ohio. We haven’t quite shook off the cool weather yet.
It has to happen eventually. Have you seen the blog “The Natural Wonders of Ohio” by A.L. Gibson? It’s a great look at your local plants. http://floraofohio.blogspot.com/
Pleased winter is releasing you at last, Allen. Interesting about the ramsons – here they certainly do smell of garlic. Reminds me of garlic salami – perhaps different conditions produce differing scent.
I wonder if the common name “ramsons” applies to two (or more) different plants. As you say, different conditiond could produce differing scents, but I’m not a chef so it could jut be my sense of smell!
Your flowers are so beautiful and different from what I am used to. I was quite happy to see the willow and dandelion at the end, it was nice to see some things in common.
I think as spring goes on you’ll see that we have quite a lot of plants in common. You might be a warmer than we are though, and so can grow things we can’t.
Beautiful flowers, Allen, all last spring I checked through skunk cabbage for false hellebore but never found it. To me the leaves look quite a bit different and I’m pretty sure I would notice. I’ll keep looking.
I hadn’t heard of ramps, but I do know wild leek, I’ll have to pull one up and see if it looks like the ones in your photo. Such a pretty photo of the willow flower.
We had snow of the ground this morning, but then some sun.
🙂
I remember that you had trouble finding false hellebore last year Chris. I find it growing in wet places but not near skunk cabbage. It grows near spring beauties and trout lillies here. rams are also called wild leeks, but I agree that the small bulb will tell you if it’s the same plant. It has a real strong odor. I hope you’ve seen all the snow that your going to see this spring!
Veratrum viride is rare and expensive if you can find it in Europe. I love the large leaves and would love to have it in my garden. I saw it the first time at Sissinghurst Castle in the nuttery. Christina PS (you could link to Foliage day tomorow with just this image if you like).
I like the leaves at this time of year too. Later on it begins to look very ragged though, because a lot of insects feed on its foliage. I wonder why it is so hard to get in Europe? I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean about linking to foliage day, but I’ll look into it.
I love this time of year when flowers and other plants can spring up overnight. All it takes is a couple of warm days. Our bees are loving life right now!
Spring has always been my favorite season. Trying to find all the new flowers blooming is like going on a treasure hunt!
Your Springbeauties are blooming but ours haven’t show up yet, but the trout lilies are just budding while the glacier lilies here are in full bloom (in some places). False hellebore there grows at (I assume) low elevations, while I’ve seen it here only between 5500 feet and 6500 feet. Interesting differences across the continent!
They are interesting differences-especially the different elevations. Here, False Hellebore likes low places that are wet for part of the year. It’s amazing that it will also grow at 8500 feet!
There is so much to appreciate.
I agree. At this time of year it’s almost impossible to see it all.
Your wonderful photos of the flowers had me all fired up to go off in search of a few around here to shoot. But, looking out my window, what isn’t flooded is covered in snow, so I guess I’ll be shooting birds again today.
I’ve been hearing about the nasty weather out your way. The storm track has to shift its position eventually. Somehow I don’t think you’ll mind shooting birds!
You are ahead of us… We’re having another cold snap today… Temps in 40s, wind chill to 30s…
It cooled down here last night and we’re not supposed to get out of the 50s all weekend. That’s okay though-the flowers will bloom a little longer than they would if it was 75 each day.