Flower Power
Bloodroot in Montpelier, Vermont.
Yes, a plant is far more than its flowers. But today I photographed the sexy parts of a few spring ephemeral wildflowers here in Vermont. These are the plants, often in calcium-rich hardwoods, that bloom before the leaves break out in the forest canopy. While I was shooting Hepatica flowers, a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterfly (which overwintered as an adult) stop by for a visit (which you’ll see in the final shot below).
Hepatica in Plainfield, Vermont.
Beaked Hazelnut (pistillate flower) in Marshfield, Vermont.
Spring Beauties in Plainfield, Vermont.
A Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, tattered at the ednges, visits Hepatica in Plainfield, Vermont.
7 comments
Hi Barb,
The bridge at NBNC. But the flowers are now long past. So you’ve got something to look forward to next April! 🙂
Hi Bernadette,
Amazing, huh? What we might consider fragile is actually fairly tough in the Vermont winter.
I saw this butterfly on Coltsfoot in my backyard in Hyde Park three weeks ago. It was beautiful!! I had no idea they overwintered in Vt.
Thanks, Bryan. Walking on the railroad bed in Plainfield yesterday there were trillium leafing out all over. No flowers yet but coming. Also a few leafing out in our area on Lower Road.
amazing that the butterfly made it through such a rough winter. I have been looking for beaked hazelnut without success. Any suggestions where they are hiding from me?
Bryan, those posies leave me weak in the knees….It reminds me of a Mother’s Day wild flower walk we took with you about 25 years ago.
thanks 🙂
Patti Haynes
Beautiful! All I’ve seen here in Midcoast Maine so far is Coltsfoot and very tightly budded Trailing Arbutus.