Leonard Weber

April 9, 2024

The early woodland wildflowers are often referred to as “ephemerals” because they bloom for only a short time in early spring. They take advantage of the few weeks before the large trees have leafed out and shaded the forest floor where they live.

On April 9 this year, a warm and mostly sunny day, Spring Beauty, the earliest of the ephemerals, was easily discernible to anyone looking carefully (studying the ground!) along the path in the Eliza Howell Park woodland. It is a diminutive species (about 2 inches tall), and I think, appropriately named.

Spring Beauty is sometimes more pink, sonetimes more white.

I find myself drawn to the brighter ones

and to the ones that are attracting insects.

Spring Azure is one of the very earliest butterflies to appear each spring. Its blue (azure) color shows when the wings are open.

There was just a hint on the April 9 afternoon walk of the other ephemerals that will be appearing in greater numbers soon.

Trout Lily is a little taller than Spring Beauty, as is another flower that will be in greater numbers soon – Cut-leaved Toothwort.

The above are just four of the flowers that are likely to be present on Saturday, April 27, during an afternoon Spring Ephemerals nature walk in Eliza Howell Park, sponsored by Detroit Bird Alliance and led by Kathleen Garrett.