Keep an eye out this March and April for spring ephemeral wildflowers beginning to bloom in Maryland forests.  As their name suggests, these flowers bloom for only a short period of time each spring, tucking into the narrow window between the winter forest floor thaw and the summer canopy.  Once the forest leafs out, the forest floor will be in nearly full shade for the summer months.

These wildflowers, like Virginia bluebells, white trillium, bloodroot, and trout lily, offer a respite from the browns and grays of winter, their color foreshadowing spring’s beauty.  Additionally, these blooms are crucial to the health of the forest ecosystem.   As pollinating insects emerge from winter dormancy, spring ephemerals are an important nectar source when food is otherwise scarce.  These short-lived wildflowers thrive in forests with few invasives and ecosystems with trees at diverse stages of maturity.

Pictured below: Bloodroot ( Sanguinaria canadensis ), photo by Mark Dwyer

Virginia bluebells ( Mertensia virginica ), photo by Sue Dingwell

Trout lily ( Erythronium americanum ), photo by The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education

White trillium ( Trillium grandiflorum ), photo by Richard Crook