March 31, 2021 - Plants on Ferry Hill trail in flower, close to or somewhat close to being in flower. (In order of seeing them from parking near mansion clockwise around the trail.)   (Apologies for lack of scientific names.)

I = Invasive   W = Woody plant

Hairy bittercress  (I)
Spicebush  (W)
Garlic Mustard  (I)
Cutleaf Toothwort
Pawpaw  (W)
Spring Beauty - https://vnps.org/princewilliamwildflowersociety/wp-content/uploads/filebase/pwws/pwws_wild_news/pwws_newsletters_2013/WILD-NEWS-March-April-2013.pdf - see article on p. 3
Star chickweed
Smooth Rockcress
Early Saxifrage
Shooting Star
Leatherwood  (W)
Ragwort
Pennsylvania sedge
Rue Anemone
Wild Stonecrop
Trout lily
Hepatica
Bloodroot
Dutchman's Breeches - https://wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-wildflowers-dutchmans-breeches-dicentra-cucullaria.html
Sessile Trillium
Early Meadow-rue
Speedwell  (I)
Twinleaf
Dwarf Larkspur
Virginia Bluebells
False Mermaid - Logo plant of the Flora of North America
Purple Dead Nettle  (I)
Indian-strawberry   (I)
(Siberian?) Squill  (I) (near bridge)
Wild Tulip  (I)  (near parking area under bridge)
Blackhaw  (W)
Violet
Canada waterleaf
Cow parsnip - leaves only at this time - looks similar to dangerous Giant Hogweed
Squirrel corn - https://vnps.org/princewilliamwildflowersociety/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/dlm_uploads/2022/10/Wild-News-1986-March-April-~-Squirrel-Corn%2C-Dutchman's-Breeches%2C-Bleeding-Hearts-ML-and-NA-Marion-Lobstein.pdf - see article p. 6-8
Nodding Star of Bethlehem  (I)
Sweet cicely
Virginia waterleaf
Bladdernut  (W)
Wild columbine
Ground ivy  (I)
Chickweed  (I)
Spreading rockcress (?)
Miterwort
Bellwort
Blue Cohosh
Mayapple
Lyre-leaf rockcress
Serviceberry  (W)
Wild Ginger


Notes:

Lots of the spring wildflowers are referred to as Spring Ephemerals. Many, such as Bluebells, Spring Beauty, Squirrelcorn, Dutchman's Breeches and Rue anemone are truly ephemeral.  Others, though their flowers are quite fleeting, will still have leaves in evidence for much of the summer. These include Hepatica and Twinleaf.


Elaiosome: small structure attached to a seed; rich in lipids and proteins; attracts ants which then carry seed off to their nests and feed them to the larvae.  This type of seed dispersal is called myremecochory. Approximately 30% of spring ephemerals produce seeds with Elaiosomes.


Peltate leaves: when a leaf does not attach at its margin but rather on the lower surface of the leaf, often in the middle of the leaf (Mayapple, nasturtium) or sometimes just slightly in from the edge of the leaf (Canada moonseed)

Dioecious:  Spicebush is "dioecious" which means that there are distinct male and female individuals. Female flowers are small and yellow with six colored sepals and no petals. Male flowers have nine, reddish stamens. The flowers are clustered in groups of four to six. Pollination is by an array of small dipteran and hymenopteran species. 


Look on the Maryland Native Plant Society's YouTube page for a wonderful presentation by Carole Bergmann about Spring plants.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwiP7De0g3w

Some good apps:

	 Seek (free and closely related to iNaturalist)

	 The Flora of Virginia ($20 but well worth it; has the contents of the whole Flora which weighs about 8 pounds.)

	 iNaturalist  (free)

And don't forget the great app for birds
    
     Merlin (free)