As spring progresses, the spring beauties and Dutchman’s breeches give way to a more diverse collection of wildflowers. Cutleaf toothwort, Dog violet, Small-flowered Crowfoot, Bitercress – the names are as varied and colorful as the blossoms themselves, which line the trails and appear alone or in clusters wherever sunlight reaches the forest floor.
The lineup changes every couple of weeks, as one species wraps up its pollination cycle and another begins, filling familiar tails with the possibility of a surprise with each visit. But it is the first weeks of spring that feel most precious – perhaps because we are fresh from the memory of winter.