Download Explore ephemerals and other early bloomers beyond tulips and

Splendid in Spring
Story and photos by
Susan Davis Price
Explore
ephemerals
and other
early bloomers
beyond tulips
and daffodils.
A
fter the long, cold, snowy winters of the last few years, we northerners long for signs
of spring. Is that a robin we hear? Are the lilac buds getting fatter? And so, of course,
we love spring flowers—crocuses, daffodils and especially tulips. Indeed, they stand in proud
lines and clusters in many a northern yard, colorful, elegant and bold.
But with so many plants available, we need not stop with tulips
or daffs. Many plants bloom much earlier, are easy to grow and
easy to find at market. They cheer us up when we need it most.
Besides being mood boosters, these first blooms are good for
the environment. Early flowers attract hungry pollinators—bees
and insects, who need all the help they can get these days. Early
blossoms give these foragers some of their first pollen in months.
massive display that can be found with tulips or daffodils, they
have subtle, intricate beauty.
So, here are some of my favorites, in order (roughly) of their
appearance in spring. Keep in mind that placement in the garden
makes a big difference in bloom time. North side, south side,
close to the house, unprotected area—all these contribute to the
time your plants will emerge and bloom.
Ephemerals and More
Mahonia or creeping mahonia (Mahonia repens)
Also called northern holly for its spiky, evergreen foliage, this
native of the Rocky Mountains is hardy to USDA Zone 4.
Mahonia was one of the first blooms I noticed and remains a
favorite. I saw it cascading down my neighbor’s stonewall, when
nothing else was alive. Soon clusters of tiny yellow flowers
In 2014, I explored the unusually lively spring gardens of several
gardening neighbors. What I discovered were numerous, lovely
plants that are sadly underused. Some are spring ephemerals,
plants that bloom early and then disappear as the season moves
on, but a number are not. Though many do not make the same
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Sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba)
Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)
Rue anemone
(Anemonella thalictroides
‘Shoaf ’s Double Pink’)
popped out, remaining on the vine for weeks. Attractive all year,
this ground hugger is hardy and drought-tolerant. The charming
yellow flowers become blue berries in early summer. It winters
over beautifully under snow.
Sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba)
One of my neighbors has a long bed of hepatica, and it practically
glows in bloom. Even in bud, its nodding head and fuzzy stems
are charming. The flowers of this Minnesota native are blue, purple, pink or white; appear in very early spring and last for several
weeks; and are followed by heart-shaped, fresh green leaves. It is
great for shady locations with rich, undisturbed organic soil and
loves woodland situations. A close relative is the round-lobed
hepatica. Zones 3-9.
Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)
Scilla are bulb plants, bearing tiny, nodding, blue, starlike
blooms. They appear in early spring, naturalize easily and are
beautiful when massed. A swath of porcelain blue flowers will lift
the heart. They thrive in a variety of light conditions, from full
sun to dappled shade. Zones 3-8.
Rue anemone (Anemonella thalictroides ‘Shoaf ’s Double Pink’)
Stunning, 1-inch-wide pink pompoms top rue anemone starting
in April and continuing for at least two months. The three-lobed
leaves fan out in whorls beneath the flowers. By midsummer, the
foliage dies down. This little plant, though delicate-looking, is
tough, deer-resistant, long-lived and attractive to bees. An easyto-grow native, rue anemone prefers part shade and a humusrich soil. Zones 4-8.
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Spendid in Spring
Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
Inset: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
The purple-flowered pasque flower is native to Europe—from
Britain to the Ukraine. A similar plant, Anemone patens, is native
to the North American prairies. Pasque flowers form small clumps
that gradually spread. The charming purple flowers appear early,
last for several weeks and are followed by attractive, wispy seed
heads. Perfect for rock gardens, pasque flower loves full sun to
part shade and well-drained soil. Zones 3-9.
Primrose (Primula x polyantha)
Primroses produce spring blossoms in bold reds, yellows and pinks
that last for several weeks and are offset by dark green, deeply textured foliage. Occasionally they are fooled by the weather and will
blossom again in autumn. Primroses do best in partial shade and
soil rich with humus. Be sure to water them when rains are sparse.
In late summer or early fall, it is easy to collect the seed to plant
the following spring (or to give to gardening friends). Other lovely
primroses include English primrose or cowslip (P. veris) and drumstick primrose. All are hardy to zone 3.
Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
If you’re looking for an easy, long-blooming plant, celandine poppy
is your answer. This native of North American woodlands has deep
yellow flowers that appear early and continue blooming for weeks.
The blue-green, lobed foliage, silvery below, is interesting itself
and stays in neat clumps. The plant will often self-seed, but it is
not invasive. Experts note that it prefers partial shade; mine
thrives on the east side of the house. Zones 4-9.
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Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia)
Bergenias are dramatic plants with
large, leathery, cabbage-shaped leaves and small, deep pink flowers rising on a rhubarblike stalk in early to late spring. Bergenia
is an extremely hardy plant that prefers sun and moist, humus
soil, but it will tolerate a wide range of conditions. It’s easy to
divide the plants in spring or early fall. During fall and winter
months, the leaves take on first a red and then a reddish bronze
hue. They look beautiful in floral arrangements. Zones 3-8.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Native to much of North America, bloodroot is found growing in
woods and thickets. The plant has gorgeous sheathlike green
leaves encircling the emerging white flower buds. As the flower
blooms, the leaf unfurls. The pure white flowers are short-lived
but the leaves continue to enlarge and often remain attractive
until midsummer. Pollinated by bees and flies, the plants develop
elongated green pods that lengthen and ripen as the foliage
develops. There is also a double form with large, showy flowers,
which is equally prized by gardeners. Zones 3-8.
Hellebore (Helleborus orientalis) Lenten rose
Surprisingly frost-resistant and tolerant of shade, the Lenten
rose, so called because it flowers around the period of Lent (in
England, at least), is wonderful for bringing early, long-lasting
bloom. The rose-shaped flowers here are white tinged with green.
Others can be found from pink to a light rosy purple. The clump
is happy under trees and large shrubs, and spreads about 1 to 1½
feet wide and 1 to 2 feet high. It is hardy to zone 3.
Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
Hellebore (Helleborus orientalis)
Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
Dainty blooms of Virginia bluebell (Martensia virginica)
Kaufmannia tulip
Large-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorium)
Large-flowered trillium is a beloved native of the woodlands in Minnesota. The exquisite white flowers perch
atop three veined, egg-shaped leaves. As the tri-petaled
flower ages, it fades to a soft pink. Unfortunately, deer love
trillium as much as gardeners do and will happily mow the
large ones down. In summer, the plants will go dormant when
there is not enough moisture. Hardy to zone 3.
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Bluebells have been a favorite of gardeners since Colonial times.
These are true spring ephemerals that emerge in April, bloom
before the trees leaf out and disappear as summer comes on.
They seed themselves around the garden (though not aggressively) and like shade and moisture. Zones 3-8.
Kaufmannia tulips
These small tulips sport bright colors and are some of the earliest to
flower. Each flower has six slightly pointed petals on short stems.
Kaufmannia tulips tend to live
longer than the later varieties. They
are ideal for naturalizing and look
lovely in rock gardens. Zones 3-8.
Lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata)
Where did such a charming plant get such
an ugly name? Well, herbalists in Roman times
believed that plants resembling parts of the body could treat ailments of that part of the body—and lungwort does indeed look like
a diseased lung. Despite its name, gardeners have long loved lungwort. Easy to grow, it has nodding flowers that start pink and turn
blue as they mature. After the bloom has passed, the speckled
leaves make a show in the shade garden. Lungwort prefers moist,
humus-rich soil in partial to full shade, but it is adaptable and fairly
drought-tolerant once established. Hardy to zone 3.
St. Paul gardener and writer Susan Davis Price is a frequent contributor to Northern Gardener.
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