Right now, hardwood forests are the place to see Spring Ephemerals.
In May and June we eagerly watch for the return of the spring ephemeral wildflowers to our deciduous woodlands. These hardy beauties, such as trout lilies, trilliums, and bloodroot, bloom soon after the snows melt and fade away before the heat of summer arrives.
Hi, this is Iain MacLeod from New Hampshire Audubon, bringing you Something Wild.
Trillium. (Photo courtesy Alan Perkins)
Spring ephemerals, so-called due to their brief flowering season, have evolved to take advantage of the short time in the spring when sunlight is available. They grow, bloom and set seed all before the trees leaf out and block the sunlight from reaching the ground. They do this while it is still too cool for most plants to grow. If these flowers were to wait for warmer months, the trees would block the needed energy from the sun.
So how do these tough flowers manage to survive the frosty nights of early spring? It seems that there are advantages to being short. The moist ground holds enough heat from the day to act as a buffer against the cold overnight temperatures.
Another advantage to blooming so early is that they have little competition for pollinators. The flies and solitary bees of early spring have few other choices for nectar. This helps to ensure good pollination rates.
Some of these flowers, such as the lovely bloodroot, even use the help of ants to disperse and plant their seeds. The seeds are coated with a tasty, nutritious oil that the ants find particularly irresistible. The ants carry the ripe seeds into their underground storage areas where it is moist, warm and perfect for sprouting. Many of these seeds will then germinate and grow before the ants have a chance to feast on them.
The early bloom of spring ephemerals can benefit us, too! If you are lucky, you can get out and enjoy them just before the worst of the dreaded black flies and mosquitoes arrive!
Something Wild is a joint production of New Hampshire Audubon, New Hampshire Public Radio, and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
For Something Wild, I'm Iain MacLeod.
If you have a natural history question that you would like answered on Something Wild, email us at somethingwild@nhpr.org.
