After a cold snowy winter, we all look forward to the first signs of spring. For me they include the calls of spring peepers, the return of migratory birds and the first visible leaves of skunk cabbage.
Spring ephemerals, as many of these plants are known, are celebrated widely and literally exude heart warming qualities as their flowers develop and the sun starts to shine. Spring ephemerals are a group of perennial herbaceous plants that have a short life cycle/short growing period and pop up when environmental conditions are most favorable. They bloom, get pollinated, and then go dormant again. The term spring ephemeral includes a variety of different species that are some of the first to emerge in the spring alongside warmer temperatures and ample soil moisture. Some inhabit upland or woodland areas while others are more well suited to the moister soils in floodplains and riparian (streamside) areas. In general, they are pretty sensitive to disturbance and can take years to develop a widespread community. Even when they are dormant, it’s important not to disturb the soils.
Native spring ephemerals help form the riparian vegetation community and provide many ecological benefits to native woodlands including:
- An early food source like nectar and pollen for pollinators and early emerging insects
- Habitat, food and cover for ground dwelling species like box turtles
- Soil erosion prevention and stormwater runoff capture during the spring rain events
- A boost of nutrients to the woodland system as the plants quickly complete their lifecycle and their biomass is returned to the soil
- And, overall, spring ephemerals provide critical support to early emerging wildlife
Native spring ephemerals I’ve observed in and around Downingtown include:
I certainly enjoy seeing the collective of color these beauties offer each spring! The native wildflowers in Pennsylvania are absolutely stunning and I think actually rival the beauty of any of the more iconic bloom events in the U.S.
Native Early Bloomers for Garden Spaces:
For those of us who love the idea of an early pop of color and may or may not have the right conditions for the ephemerals listed above, here are a variety of nursery-available native plants to help support early emerging wildlife in our own backyards:
- Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)- trumpet-shaped flowers
- Moss phlox (Phlox subulata)
- Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
- Golden Zizia (Zizia aurea)
- Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
- Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)- Provides ground cover in part shade, moist areas
- Virginia Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)
- Rose Mock Vervain (Glandularia canadensis)- tolerates drought
Check out these plant finders to help locate exactly what you are looking for:
- Homegrown National Park https://homegrownnationalpark.org/native-plants-finder/
- North Creek Nursery https://www.northcreeknurseries.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.search/index.htm
- Choose Native Plants PA https://choosenativeplants.com/
Non-Native Spring Ephemerals
In addition to these beauties, there are also classic European spring ephemerals that are not native to the U.S.
but we are all familiar with which include tulips, crocuses, daffodils, and Galanthus (snowdrops). While these
species’ historic range is outside the U.S., they are not necessarily aggressive or pose a risk of outcompeting
native spring ephemerals, especially if they remain contained within private garden areas. They provide a pop
of color in early spring and uplift our gardens as the other flowers are still dormant.
However, there are early spring emergers that are considered non-native and invasive which have become a
problem as they establish in more naturalized areas. They are not welcome since they out compete the
beautiful native early spring bloomers and pose a management problem in riparian zones. Non-native/invasive
plants are able to thrive here due to their aggressive tendencies and lack of natural predators. It is often the
case that they lack the hefty, deep root systems needed in riparian areas to hold soil in place and reduce
erosion along Pennsylvania streams. In addition, these plants do not offer the same nutritional benefits to
birds, pollinators and other wildlife as an early blooming native plant community would.
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
One invasive early blooming streamside plant to watch out for in and around Downingtown includes Lesser
Celandine (Ficaria verna). Lesser Celandine is an early spring emerger, with bright green leaves and yellow
flowers becoming visible in late February to early March. This plant is highly aggressive, thrives in streamside
areas and displaces native ephemerals which has cascading negative effects on the ecosystem. The plant
forms a thick carpet and spreads by loose root tubers, quickly displacing native spring ephemerals.
Lesser celandine was introduced as an ornamental garden plant in the 1800s from Europe, Asia and northern
Africa and has now become a management issue in naturalized streamside as well as upland environments.
Unfortunately, it is still available in the U.S. nursery trade and seed packets are readily available online.
Lesser celandine, also known as fig buttercup, is a perennial herb in the buttercup family, but is not a true buttercup
(hence the scientific name change from Ranunculus to Ficaria). The plant has bright, sometimes glossy green heart
shaped leaves with rounded teeth along the margins. Flowers are golden yellow, on long stalks and have 7-12 glossy
petals. The root systems are shallow and are not well suited for erosion control. The tubers, shown in the bottom right
picture, along with all parts of this plant are toxic if ingested, therefore it is not recommended to leave this plant in areas where livestock graze or pets have contact.
There is new state-wide community science initiative to understand the distribution of lesser celandine across
the state of Pennsylvania with the hope of assisting land managers to prioritize control strategies. This new
informal platform allows volunteers to help survey for this plant, take photos to confirm ID and then assist in
describing the extent of an infestation. To get involved, check out this link from the PA iMapInvasives Program
Lesser Celandine Seekers, where an easy to use app has been designed for anyone to document where they
observe this plant. Check it out and get involved!
Prevent the Spread
One of the best ways to prevent the spread of any non-native/invasive plant is to avoid including them in our
backyard gardens, especially in areas that back up to naturalized park lands. A second step is to be conscious
of where we walk when out in nature to avoid spreading seed to sensitive areas. And finally, decontaminating
clothing after hiking in an area with known invasive species before visiting more pristine or sensitive areas is
vital to preventing unwanted infestations. In some of our more sensitive habitats, an invasion of a non-
native/invasive wildflower like lesser celandine could truly wipe out the native spring ephemeral community.