When does spring arrive?

Good question about when spring really starts.  Looking at my past years photos, the variability of dates is large. Below is a notable memory from February 2011.  Skunk Cabbage arguably is the first native flower.  But its first emergence is not  February, more likely in early March. It is a bit unusual to see it emerging through a crust of snow.  The plant senses increasing daylight and begins a catalytic reaction to melt the ground.  The hood,  Spathe, shelters the pollen-rich Spadix.  The flower smells like carrion so flies are attracted.  The flies gather the pollen, but there is no actual food reward to the fly.

My interest in this plant is in part promoted by my desperation to find something to photograph.  Guess one can suggest that I,too, am fooled just like the fly.  However, I protest.  It is a serious challenge to find just one suitable example with the Spadix visible.  After all, the flies are attracted by smell, and it need not be visible to succeed.  My first trip to photograph in March found many, but none with a visible Spadix.  Finally a good example was found on April 4.

Actually, these were three were all growing in close arrangement with only  two Spadix visible (and, only if I reflected extra sunlight into the spathe.)  The colors were a spectacular purple, warm green and amber yellow.  (I've tried  three times to capture the hues using watercolor with little success.)

One shot was not enough.  Had to get closer.

Looking at my garden, I see many native plants sending up new growth including bloodroot, trillium, lung wort and wild leeks. Perhaps the other benefit of pursuing these first blooms is preparing cameras, lenses and achy knees for the spring photo bonanza.  

Paul Schmitt