An Illustrated Guide to Spring Ephemerals
A Visual Journey Through Native Plants and the Pollinators They Support
The first signs of Spring in the Northeast are marked by the emergence of flowers like forsythias, daffodils, and hyacinths. They stud our parks, planter beds, and road medians with their trademark colors -- heralds of warmer weather and future foliage. If you go hiking around this time of year, you may find trilliums or Dutchman’s breeches emerging from a blanket of brown leaf litter. These woodland wildflowers are called spring ephemerals. They have evolved to complete a portion of their life cycle during this time -- before trees flush out their leaves and when sunlight can still reach the forest floor.
This diagram (above) is a celebration of Spring ephemerals, as well as a nod to the entangled relationships they have with our multi-legged cohabitors (i.e. insects). Spring ephemerals play an especially important role in that respect, oftentimes serving as a first food source for pollinators post-winter hibernation.
Below are some some personal favorites:
1. Erythronium americanum, the trout lily
2. Podophyllum peltatum, mayapple
3. Dicentra cucullaria, Dutchman's britches, or Dutchman's breeches
4. Geranium maculatum, the wild geranium
While I may not be a botanist or ecologist, I do believe landscape architects & designers should play a pivotal role in supporting ecological communities within the built environment. We need to go beyond traditional garden design and create work that is unapologetic about its advocacy for biodiversity and wildlife.
Check out the diagram on Instagram: Marvel (@marvel_is_design)