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
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.
Hi Bernadette,
Amazing, huh? What we might consider fragile is actually fairly tough in the Vermont winter.
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?
Hi Barb,
The bridge at NBNC. But the flowers are now long past. So you’ve got something to look forward to next April! 🙂
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.