It was a deliciously early spring here in southwest Virginia. At my house, where I have a small woodland surrounding my home, I had Hepatica and Bloodroot flowers blooming on March 17th! That’s early! Trout Lilies were open in all their yellow splendor by March 20th! Not far behind were the pink flowers of Allegheny Spurge –a gorgeous wild ground cover that for me is a fond reminder of springtime in Mississippi forests. By March 27th, some of my favorites, Twin Leaf and Dutchman’s Breeches, were in full flower too. So much excitement, so early in the season! Even though I couldn’t get out to the local forests, I was able to snap some photos right here in my woods. See the gallery below if you need a reminder of what these little ephemerals look like.
Wild Ginger came up next, and then Virginia Bluebells; Heartleaf, Trillium and Solomon’s Seal poked their heads out too. In early April, Skunk Cabbage was already past flowering and fully leafed out! Springtime was looking mighty fine!
But then- you guessed it- the cold came back last weekend. 😦
Ugh! The temperatures dropped into the 20’s, and there were several days of gusty winds, deep frost, and even an inch or two of snow! Talk about a demoralizing turn of events…this was going to be quite a set-back!
And it was. Many new leaves, buds, and flowers were burned by the freeze. Many will have to start over 😦 . But if there’s one thing you can learn from observing nature, it is the power of resilience. Just three days after all that bad weather, today I found new red, white, and yellow trillium in bloom! Morels are even up. It’s spring again!
So here’s to second chances, and to more wildflower adventures ahead! I promise to get out more, and I will definitely post more often. I hope you’ll be around to share my adventures in the months ahead (and vice versa). Stay in touch! -Gloria
Click any photo to open the gallery.
VIRGINIA WILDFLOWERS 
Gloria, many thanks for your lovely spring pics! What a great time to be rambling in the woods and along the trails. Your site is so helpful for plant identification. Best to you.
Patty in Roanoke
Thanks, Patty! We still need to go hiking together! Maybe in June?
Your blog is absolutely lovely! We are spending our first spring in Roanoke County. I was on the hunt for butterfly attractants/wildflowers to propagate into our lower yard. We have dense woods behind our home that back up to Reed Mountain Preserve. Thank you for creating such a beautiful resource!
Yes!
it is a lovely time of the year! that’s a great shot of the Dutchman’s breeches.
Agreed, those Dutchman’s Breeches are amazing! Must be in a really perfect spot; I’ve never seen so many blooms on one plant. Looking forward to moving from Fairfax County to Nelson County, VA later this month, with a new collection of flora and fauna to learn. Also happy to be able to keep bees again, yippee!
Thanks for the awesome blog!