Chicago Botanic Garden Spring 2019

chicagobotanic.org 29 thers to the sun—and pollinators. ere are also a few annual spring ephemerals. False mermaid (Floerkea proserpinacoides) is inconspicuous in that it is a small, ferny green plant with tiny greenish owers. Portions of the nature trail in the McDonald Woods are surrounded with acres of this spe- cies in spring, but even then, it is di - cult to tell when they are in ower. is species is dependent on its owers, pro- ducing one to three large seeds to be able to reproduce itself after the plant turns yellow and dies. “The wonder of the world, the beauty and the power, the shapes of things, their colours, lights and shades—these I saw. Look ye also while life lasts.” —Anonymous lines found on an old tombstone in Cumberland, England “While life lasts.” In the narrow win- dow that exists between thawing ground and the lea ng out of the tree canopy, spring ephemerals—those woodland wild owers that emerge, then quickly go dormant—live their life. is brief visible appearance makes it sweeter when you happen upon these blooms in the McDonald Woods at the Chicago Botanic Garden. You often have to be there on the day they bloom. Sometimes all you nd are petals scattered on the ground, and you realize you have to wait another year. is is particularly true of species like bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) , whose blossoms only last for a day be- fore they drop. Additionally frustrating is that cloud cover can hamper catch- ing the full glory of the blooming of species like spring beauties (Claytonia virginica) , which will only open in the full sun. Some ephemerals might pro- vide longer viewing opportunities, since they hold their owers for a lon- ger period of time, or have many more plants that ower on di erent days. Most spring ephemerals are perennial. ey have underground organs— bulbs, corymbs, etc.—that store nutri- ents to be used for producing leaves and owers in succeeding years. White trout lilies (Erythronium albidum) spread by underground rhizomes that form clumps, often covering large patches in the woodland, the mottled leaves camou aging their abundance, only to become dazzling drifts of white when the sun appears. Come to the woodland early in the morning and watch the white petals of the trout lilies curl back and expose their yellow an- While these plants often have specialist pollinators associated with them, they usually have several di erent pollina- tors that can visit, including native bees and many species of ies. For ephemerals in the genus Dicentra , such as Dutchman’s breeches and squir- rel corn (Dicentra canadensis) , queen bumblebees are an important pollina- tor. ese ephemerals have tightly closed owers, requiring signi cant strength to enter the ower and access the pollen and nectar. e large queen bumblebees are among the few pollina- tors equipped to gain access. Besides being important sources of nectar and pollen for native insects, the spring ephemerals also serve the pur- pose of saving soil and reducing water runo during a time of year when few other plants are growing. Trout lilies, for example, have very e cient photo- synthetic abilities and take advantage of the high light levels available in the spring woodland. is strong photo- synthetic response requires large quan- tities of water to maintain the process. erefore, abundant populations of this species and other ephemerals ab- sorb large quantities of water that would otherwise move o site, often carrying valuable nutrients and soil with it. With spring on the horizon, you should make plans to visit the McDonald Woods to view the diversity of colorful spring wild owers. For those of you taking pictures, pay attention to weath- er forecasts, and be mindful of the po- tential to damage other vegetation while attempting to get the perfect shot. Adapted from a blog post by James F. Ste en, senior ecologist, woodlands, and David Byron Smith Curator of Natural Areas. Visit the blog: chicagobotanic.org/blog. Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cuccularia)