I saw the first wildflower on my hillside today - it must be spring! This one is actually inside the vegetable garden fence, otherwise I probably would not have noticed. It seems to be the very first one blooming. I took a stroll up the hillside where I normally see them and nary another blossom could be found.
It's a Shooting Star (Dodecatheon, I think hendersonii, but not sure). Other common names for this flower are Mosquito Bills and Sailor Caps, personally I prefer Shooting Star. This is one of the colors it comes in. The colors range from white thru pink to magenta. It's one of my very favorite wild flowers, how nice that it's the first one to appear. The petals on this blossom are not a swept back as usual, perhaps because it's not fully open yet, not sure. Dodecatheon is in the primula family. This species species needs a dry summer dormancy. It mostly grows in the full sun on my hillside, but some also grow in part shade.
I saw my first wild violet of the year a few days ago. It is nice to know that spring can't be too far off.
ReplyDeleteJan
Always Growing
That's Mother Nature announcing the good news of the coming Spring! Does it have a fragrance? Strange that I almost always relate pink and violets with fragrance. Does that do to you too? Beautiful Bloom!
ReplyDeletePretty! Spotting the first wildflowers (or the last for that matter and everything in between) always makes me giddy. When I'm driving with my girls I'm always saying "Oh, look..." and they're like, "Mom, it's just a PLANT." Sorry but I'm a plant addict.
ReplyDeleteHow cheery it is to see that in the middle of the brown winter.
ReplyDeleteJan, there's a little yellow violet that blooms around here, but it's not due for a couple more months. Funny to call a flower by a color name when it's a different color!
ReplyDeleteChandramouli, I don't know if it's fragrant, I'll have to check next time I'm out there. I don't equate color with fragrance, but I always smell roses and am too often disappointed.
Grace, I'm like that too. My walks are always are always slowed down by distractions such as flowers. My poor husband is always waiting for me to catch up!
Susan, I guess our winters are really different, around here it's winter when the landscape turns green and summer when it's brown.
Don't you just love the first signs of spring? Thanks for stopping by the Ignorant Gardener and commenting. I too am shocked to see asparagus pop up so early. In fact I'm surprised I can get it to grow at all. It's so exciting!
ReplyDeleteKim, I do love the first signs of spring! I don't exactly hate winter, it's not so bad around here, but the though of spring does make me happy.
ReplyDeleteOh, and as if making us HUNGRY isn't enough, you've got to give us Plant Envy. Some people, I swear...
ReplyDeleteJan, can I make up for it by admitting I have bird envy? Those cardinals you keep taking pictures of, wow, we don't get any here.
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