Sunday, March 29, 2015

Plant Photo Album--Flowers of Early Spring

Spring flowers! All over the northern hemisphere, the weather is warming and we look forward to enjoying the first flowers.

What flower means spring to you?

In central North America where I live, the first native to flower is pasqueflower, Anemone patens.


pasqueflower
pasqueflower, Anemone patens
Of course, native plants are mostly confined to reserves these days.


Often the first flower of spring that I see is the snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis). This is an early spring flower in Europe.

snowdrops


Crocuses (Crocus spp.) are perhaps the classical herald of spring. Native to Europe and the Middle East, they have been planted all over the world. 

crocuses
crocuses, Crocus spp.
Also a first spring wildflower of Europe is the common primrose, Primula vulgaris. The prim- in the scientific name is based on primus, first in Latin. (my posts about primroses: folklore, botany, words )

primrose
common primrose, cowslip, Primula vulgaris
In much of North America, the first native shrub to flower is serviceberry, also called saskatoon and shadbush, Amelanchier alnifolia.

serviceberry
Amerlanchier alnifolia, service berry, saskatoon, shadbush
And soon after, plums and cherries are flowering. My flowering plum photos are from Taiwan, where, as in the rest of Asia, they are beloved signs of spring.

plums Taiwan
Flowering plums and photographers n Taiwan
plums Taiwan
in the mountains of Taiwan
And by the time the daffodils have opened, it is truly spring!

daffodil


One more pasqueflower photo

pasqueflower


Happy Spring!


Comments and corrections welcome.


Kathy Keeler

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