A Great Rainy Day

Snow Trillium

Hepatica

Harbinger of Spring

While it was not necessarily a beautiful day, it was a wonderful day today.  I made a trip to Adams County, Ohio in the rain to hunt for Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale).  I would have loved to have ridden the motorcycle down, but I hate riding in the rain, and that was the name of the game today, never ending rain!

In many years of hunting wildflowers throughout the country, I had never observed Snow Trillium.  Birders and butterfliers usually refer to a previously unobserved species as a "Lifer".  I have never heard plant people use that term, but if they did, or do, then I could declare I got a Lifer today!  Facebook friend Andrew Gibson was nice enough to give me great directions and finding the elusive, white-flowered beauty was a piece of cake!  It is found in only a handful of counties in Ohio, and only two counties that qualify as Appalachia, which is my regional focus this year.

Along with the Trillium, I found Hepatica nobilis trying hard to bloom in the yucky rainy weather.  Hepatica is pretty common in my part of the world in southeast Ohio, but it was nice to get it on the record so early.  Also found Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa) blooming in the flood plain of the small creek which the limestone ridge that held the Trillium overlooked.  I knew Erigenia would be blooming soon, as it is one of the first of the spring ephemerals, but I figured I would just go to The Ridges in Athens as I know where it grows there.  Once again, another good one to get in the books early.

I reckon the next species to keep an eye out for will be Coltsfoot, another early bloomer.  Then Rue Anemone, Trout Lily, and other Trilliums will be popping.  April will be a busy month!