When I was asked to write a post on ephemerals, I had never recognized the word as applying to woodland flowers. In my mind, ephemeral was infused with the meaning of ethereal. It is fun to have clearly delineated definitions for both words now, though ethereal also seems quite applicable to the lovely wildflowers spring gifts us with!
Ephemeral describes some of our short lived woodland flowers that emerge in the spring, poking up from under the dead leaves. Though they blossom and die back quickly, they are a treat forest walkers look forward to this time of year.
When average air temperatures reach the low 50s, one of my favorite flowers blossoms: Spring Beauties. There are two related types of this perennial. Claytonia virginica, also known as Eastern Spring Beauty or Grass Flower, has grass-like foliage. Claytonia caroliniana foliage has a rounder, broader leaf and also goes by Carolina Spring Beauty. The common names Fairy Spud and Spring Beauty can refer to either and the flowers are virtually identical in these two species.
The 4-6 inch plant has blossoms that are lovely and quite diminutive. The color ranges from almost white to pinkish with pink stripes on the petals and a small yellow center.
Spring Beauty grows from a small rhizome, which is edible (hence the name fairy spud). These starchy rhizomes are about the size of a peanut, and said to taste like a cross between potato and chestnut. A meal would require the decimation of a fairly large patch of flowers, so perhaps it is best to forgo the experience! Read more My favorite spring ephemerals