Finding Signs of Spring

Harbinger of Spring

Harbinger of Spring

Spring is springing in the Ozarks.  We saw our first burst of early spring ephemerals this weekend.  As usual, first and most common are the well named Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa).  These tiny blossoms are easy to miss among all the leaf litter on the forest floor.  The bulb is said to be edible both cooked and raw and the Cherokee were known to chew them as medicine for toothaches.  

Early pollinator

Harbingers live on the floors of   hillsides and valley edges and prefer high quality deciduous woodlands.  I would think that this is a hard time of year to start a family when there aren't a lot of pollinators flying but just as I said that, here came a little fly looking for a touch of nectar.

We found a few Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) on the hillside.  Once again the corms of Spring Beauty can be eaten by humans although their small size makes this impractical.  I suspect they would be a great food source for dieting, as much more energy would be expended in the harvest than you would get in the meal.

 

False Rue Anemone

A surprise was a few False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum) scattered along the drive.  I think of these coming out a few weeks later.  Question - there are two species called Rue Anemone, true or false?  The answer....true as explained here.  The five petals on each flower is a give away.

Dead Nettle

We found many of this winter annual, Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum).  It is an immigrant from Eurasia and considered a weed, so they are often not allowed in Springfield yards. We've learned that they are an early source of nectar for native bees and other insects so we've had a change of attitude about them. We can also be nourished by them.  We had dead nettle in our salad tonight.  It was tasty and added color.  

Toothwort

Finally we found a lonesome early Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata).  The name came from the tooth-like shape of the tubers.  They were used for toothaches. (What wasn't... there must have been a lot of toothaches before dentistry arrived in Missouri.)  The Doctrine of Signatures dating back to the early physician Galen around 150 AD states that herbs resembling various parts of the body can be used by herbalists to treat ailments of those body parts.  This idea developed spontaneously in many different cultures and is the basis of the Native American belief in using Rattlesnake Master for treating snake bites.