A Week in New Blooms

Uvularia sessilifolia on March 21

One of the reasons that many of us like spring is the sense of renewal after looking at dried sticks and brown stems for several months. Each new bloom of spring is magical and this is probably the best week so far (or am I just appreciating it more?).

I have made a more conscious effort this week to photograph new blooms in my garden and I thought I would share that progression: from Saturday March 21 through Friday March 27. During this time we have had good temperatures and several days of rain (again) so the plants are really making progress. My earliest milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) emerged last week and grew about 8 inches this week. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) emerged in one of my big pots and is currently about 4 inches tall. If we’re on schedule for early April monarch adults—like I’ve had in the past—I’ll be ready.

Here’s a rundown of what bloomed in my garden this week for the first time this season:

Trees – paw paw (Asimina triloba), American plum (Prunus americana), sassafras (Sassafras albidum – first time ever), crabapple (Malus angustifolia – first time ever), serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), and dogwood (Cornus florida).

Sassafras albidum

American plum (Prunus americana)

Shrubs – blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium), sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), Alabama snow-wreath (Neviusia alabamensis), dwarf witch-alder (Fothergilla major), coral honeysuckle vine (Lonicera sempervirens), red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), dwarf paw paw (Asimina parviflora), and chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia).

Viburnum prunifolium

Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)

Perennials – shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia), scorpionweed (Phacelia bipinnatifida), spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana), crinkleroot (Caradmine diphylla), sessile bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia), perfoliate bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata), spotted geranium (Geranium maculatum), wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia), bulbous bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa – like that weedy bittercress on steroids but not aggressive), spreading phlox (Phlox stolonifera), golden groundsel (Packera aurea), blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum).

Cardamine bulbosa

Golden groundsel (Packera aurea)

Phacelia bipinnatifida

Cardamine diphylla

Don’t think that spring is just getting started here; we’ve had plenty blooming before now. In no particular order, these were blooming prior to this week: early trilliums (Trillium cuneatum, T. lancifolium), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), Hhepatica, trout lily (Erythronium umbilicatum), other species of toothwort (Cardamine), Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans), false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum), yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima), spring beauty (Claytonia virginica), red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), butterweed (Packera glabella – this one and golden groundsel is to lure in the monarch butterflies, one already sited in Atlanta this week), bluets (Houstonia), pussytoes (Antennaria), green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum), violets (Viola pedata and others), Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) and Florida anise (Illicium floridanum).

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Coming soon in the next week: Erigeron, woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), coral bells (Heuchera americana), hairy phlox (Phlox amoena), and golden Alexander (Zizia aurea). I must say: if I have to stay home, I’ve been working on making this a destination for years and it’s finally paying off!

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) on March 27