2020 Spring Ephemerals in Southern WV 3-24-2020

#364 - Harbinger-Of-Spring

Harbinger-Of-Spring is a wildflower that I've known about and can identify, but had never came across it before. So it becomes the 364th new West Virginia wildflower for my attempt to photograph and record every wildflower that I can in West Virginia. 

Bluebells

Red Trillium

Trout Lilly 

Hepatica 

Hepatica 

Blue Cohosh

Sessile Trillium

Dutchmen's Breeches 

Blood Root 

Bee on Cutleaf Toothwort

In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move. H. Rollins

Bluebells 

And so it begins. Ephemeral season has started early this year. With four years of data from this blog, I can see this is the earliest that I have found Hepatica and Bluebells. I was out running today on Glade Creek Road and Trail today and kept a eye on the road and trail sides during a six mile run. This is my favorite ephemeral location and I had only faint hope of seeing anything. First it was the Hepatica, Liverwort. It has many color variations and the first was white then blueish and finally a pink and white one. On up the trail I found Bluebells just beginning to open and a sedge that was in bloom. This week is calling for colder weather, snow and and a variety of winter weather so it was good to see these wildflowers. So, the rush begins; I have several locations that I call my favorite location and several that I want to get to this spring. So, I'll be busy, but loving every minute of it.

Hepatica-Interesting White and Pink Color

Slightly Blue Hepatica

Slightly Blue Hepatica

Sedge

White Hepatica

February Warm Day Blooms

One of the advantages of keeping a blog like this is that I now have four years of data showing weather trends and bloom times of many wildflowers. While looking through the past four February posts, I noticed that there were almost no blooms, wildflower or domestic. While I noted some warm trends, most of the time it was March before I commented on the first Crocus or Spring Peepers. This year, I saw Crocus at my 3050 foot elavation home on February 23rd and the first Daffodils were today.

I heard the first Wood Frogs peeping on February 21st just across a field from my home. We have had two weeks of beautiful 60-70 degree days and a lot of rain. A lot of spring emerging flowers and animals are starting early, but I am afraid they are in for a surprize. Tonight it will be 28 degrees and the trend is cooler into the weekend
       

And I saw my first new wildflower of the year for my attempt to photograph and record every wildflower that I can in West Virginia. I had saw a Facebook post about American Hazelnut blooms, so I checked the ones near my home. And, they were there..... Tiny and very pretty. But, so small, it explains why I have overlooked them until now. So it makes 360 wildflowers I have found and photographed in West Virginia, and I probably have many to go....I hike many miles looking for something new, chase leads from many sources and do a lot of research to find these flowers. Most are native but many are not. But I record them if they are now a part of the landscape of West Virginia. 

# 360 - American Hazelnut
(male flowers in catkin)

# 360 -American Hazelnut
(female flower)

In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move. Henry Rollins