Spring Flowers Part I

Recent rains have brought the forest floor to life in the Captina Creek watershed bolstering plant growth which has blanketed the ground in a carpet of green.  Early herbaceous plants are trying to quickly cycle before the forest canopy closes later in May blocking the majority of sunlight from reaching the ground.  Below is Part I of a who's who list of the early spring bloomers I have witnessed so far.  The nice thing about these species is that they are widely occuring so anyone with access to a small woodlot can enjoy, but act fast because these plants don't flower for long.

Small but colorful, bluets occur in clusters of 10-20 stems per
bunch.  Prefers open pastures and meadows.

Rue anemone poking out of the leaf litter.  Stalks are
usually 4-5" in height.

The tiny but common spring beauty.  Flowers range from white
to shades of pink and purple.  The root or corm of the plant
is edible but given its tiny size, probably not worth the time
to collect and process. 

Another common inhabitant - the trout lily.  Favors wooded
slopes with rich soils and has a mottled green leaf with a shiny
smooth appearance.  Leaves tend to lay close to the ground
with only the flowering stalk raising above the forest floor.