Trout lilies and their friends

This graceful little wildflower was one of thousands — probably tens of thousands — in a botanical flash mob several days ago along Little Darby Creek near my home in Madison County, Ohio.
It’s the blossom of a trout lily.

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This photo doesn’t do the scene justice, but the hillside was covered with dainty white blossoms.
Trout lilies bloom for several glorious days every spring, then succumb to wind, rain, cold or bright sun.

​That’s why they’re known as spring ephemerals.
Enjoy ’em while you can, because the flowers disappear before you know it.

​A leaf illustrates why they’re called trout lilies: The brown mottling is said to resemble that of a trout.
The spots are also why they’re known as fawn lilies.
“Dogtooth violet,” another common name, was inspired by the toothlike form of the bulb.
​They’re also called adder’s tongue, though I can’t personally vouch for their resemblance to the mouth of a poisonous snake.

​Whatever you call it, Erythronium albidum wasn’t the only plant basking in the spring sunshine.
Here’s a mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) starting to unfurl its leaves next to a trout lily.

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​I think this looks so cool!
It’s the sprout of a mayapple just poking its head out of the ground. Reminds me of a matryoshka doll — one of those Russian nesting dolls with ever-smaller dolls tucked inside.

​I believe this is a common blue violet, Viola sororia. (If you know more about wildflowers than I do, which is extremely possible, please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.)
​These grow all over the place, not just in the woods, but I don’t think their abundance diminishes their beauty.

Have you ever seen a yellow violet? Kinda like “jumbo shrimp,” right? This little charmer is called downy yellow violet, or Viola pubescens.

This low-growing ephemeral lives up to its name: spring beauty (Claytonia virginica).
I’ver seen some with plain white petals and others with stripes bolder than these.
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By the time you read this, some of these wildflowers will be fading.
Their leaves will be using the sun to make energy before the trees leaf out and create shade on the forest floor.
​They’re already preparing for next year’s show.

(all photos in this blog entry: mrsgardenperson.com)