Spring Beauty Wildflower
by Lila Fisher-Wenzel
Title
Spring Beauty Wildflower
Artist
Lila Fisher-Wenzel
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
If you want to see spring beauty in bloom, get to the woods before the trees leaf out. Spring beauty grows from a starchy rhizome, where it stores all the energy it made the previous season to fuel its early spring growth.
The pink veins and yellow circle on the flower petals act as nectar guides for pollinators. Because those pollinators are generally out and about when the sun is shining, spring beauty only opens on sunny days. Some old wives-tales used this behavior as a barometer to predict oncoming storms.
Wildlife also relish spring beauty. Deer and wild hogs dig the starchy tuber for lunch. Some people say that the raw root tastes like a radish, but when it’s baked it tastes like a cross between a baked potato and roasted chestnuts.
Uploaded
April 17th, 2013
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Viewed 93 Times - Last Visitor from Fairfield, CT on 04/20/2024 at 6:48 AM
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Comments (1)
Mary Myers
Aw, you got down right personal to photograph these little beauties. I'm toooo old to get down there. When we built this house 35 years ago, we brought soil up from the river for fill. In the process, some of these tubers were brought in. I have taken very good care of them and the patch has spread over a pretty large area. They are in full bloom and I've enjoyed very much. Thank you for sharing your close and personal view with me. Delightful.
Lila Fisher-Wenzel replied:
How wonderful you have them so close to you! I have a walk in the woods to get to them,but well worth it on a lovely spring day.I have often wished I had some in my yard along with the wild violets. As your spring beauties,have spread over the years, my violets have too. I don't have the heart to cut grass in that area untill most of them are finished blooming.Thank you so much for the lovely comment :)