Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Spring wildflowers

It's spring wildflower time in the Eastern U.S.

In our (relatively undisturbed) woodlands (rich cove forests, acidic cove forests, oak-hickory forests, alluvial forests, and others), spring empherals are striking this time of year from late February through May.

It's a peak time in the Woodland Wildflower Garden (at the South Carolina Botanical Garden, where I work).  It's a lovely tapestry of Trillium spp., Hexastylis spp. (wild ginger), Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple), foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia), a variety of ferns, and Atamasco lily.

Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea)