In deciduous forests throughout the northern hemisphere, spring brings an explosion of flowers. As temperatures climb allowing plants to grow, numerous herbaceous perennials must flower before the canopy of tree limbs above is clothed in leaves, blotting out the precious sunshine. In a relatively short period, sometimes as little as a few weeks, these herbs emerge, grow, flower, and set seed ensuring the continuation of their genes. Such plants are known as ephemerals, and Heronswood’s Woodland Garden is well known for them.

Growing on the forest floor has its challenges and a lack of sunlight is chief amongst them. For much of the year, precious little light reaches herbs growing beneath the trees, except in winter and spring. Winter of course is too cold for much growth, so ephemerals aim to complete their life cycles in spring, but before the new leaves appear above them. Many different and unrelated plants have adopted an ephemeral lifestyle in the woods, and you’ll find lots of examples here in Heronswood’s Woodland Garden.

Photos 1 - 5: Anemonoides nemorosa 'Tilo', Scoliopus bigelowii, Trillium 'Volcano', Trillium grandiflorum & Anemonoides nemorosa, Trillium pusillum.

While spring ephemerals are diverse, a few from our collection stand out. Fetid adder’s-tongue (Scoliopus bigelowii) is one of the earliest to bloom and its brown mottled flowers attract gnats. Native to California’s redwood forests, once pollinated the flower stalks twist downwards to drop the seeds in the soil. Trilliums or wake-robins are native to the forests of North America and Asia. They are easy to identify as all plant parts (leaves, sepals, petals, etc.) are in threes. Trilliums conscript ants to distribute their seeds, and each has an attached food package called an elaiosomes to reward their helpers. Ants take the seeds back to their nest and consume the elaiosomes, leaving the seeds to germinate. Wood anemones (Anemonoides nemorosa) are European natives and create dense carpets of foliage in spring, topped with white, pink, or lilac flowers. As summer approaches, their ferny leaves disappear, leaving room for the summer display.