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What’s in Bloom | Yellow Trout Lily
April 11, 2022 Yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is among the many early-blooming spring ephemerals found in moist deciduous forests and woodlands across the Eastern US. The flower can be found blooming in April and May in most counties of Virginia and is relatively common in the mountains and Piedmont, though less common in the Coastal Plain. The plant is […]
What’s in Bloom | White Trillium
White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is a perennial herbaceous wildflower found across the Eastern USA and in Canada.
What’s in Bloom | Sassafras
April 12, 2021 Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a deciduous tree between 35-60 feet tall, with yellow-green flower balls during spring.Many uses for bark and roots including flavoring, medicine, scents, and dyes; Safrole found in oils is mildly carcinogenic, thus commercial use has been largely banned.Suitable for planting in disturbed, infertile soils.Attracts fruit-eating birds and hosts various pollinator species. Sassafras (Sassafras […]
What’s in Bloom | Wild Strawberry
April 24, 2020 Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)* Though most well known for its delicious tiny fruit, this plant is a true delight to find any time of year. Its small red fruits are much more flavorful than cultivated strawberries** (and in fact, cultivated strawberries were created by hybridizing this species and another from South America) and its white flowers are […]
What’s in Bloom | Pawpaw
April 14, 2020 Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) As we wander through the woods these days, we have spent a lot of time looking down, captivated by the spectacular spring ephemerals popping up on the forest floor. But our native pawpaw trees are a great reminder to look up too!Pawpaws, well-known for their tasty fall fruit, are blooming right now in our […]
What’s in Bloom | Serviceberry
April 13, 2020 Serviceberry or Shadbush (Amelanchier canadensis) Serviceberry is a small tree 20 to 30 feet tall that is native to the United States from Maine to New York to Mississippi to Georgia. It is flowering now in southeastern Virginia and usually flowers before its leaves and the leaves of other trees in the forest emerge. It got its […]
What’s in Bloom | Virginia Bluebells
April 6, 2020 Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) Virginia bluebells bloom in mid-spring, quickly going from purplish-pink buds to sky blue flowers with a sweet fragrance. There are even some variants with pink or white flowers! The flowers are pollinated by bumblebees and other long-tongued bees, as well as several types of butterflies, skippers, moths, and hummingbirds. The bloom period only […]