Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)
Image Credit: Native Wildflowers Nursery
Height: 6″ – 10″

Spring Beauties are Ephemerals. “A spring ephemeral is a native plant that blooms in early spring and only lasts a short amount of time. They are woodland wildflowers that emerge, then quickly go dormant.” Google ai

First Blossom Noticed in May Garden
February 16, 2024

I am reminded of a garden journal entry that I treasure in the book Sharp Eyes by William Hamilton Gibson – 1898.

The First Blossom

“What is the first token of returning spring? … The winter still rules the landscape….
“But the breath of spring is in the air…. Almost any day now we may listen confidently for the fine prophetic hum of the first honey-bee. For the bees have felt the vernal prophecy, and have heard whispers of sweets and blossoms in the air.” Gibson, Sharp Eyes, pg. 1.

Image Credit: Camp Creek Native Plants

Last month, I started working toward my New Year’s Resolution–to vastly increase the number of Mississippi Native Plants in my garden–month by month. Camp Creek Native Plants had posted a list of plants that native gardeners and foragers might find each month of the year, and I used that graphic to help me search.

During January, I ordered 3 Winterberry trees to plant in my garden. I ordered 2 females and 1 male. The Arbor Society will ship them next month. After that, I began an ardent search for plants to buy that represent all the other months during the year. I have many native plants scheduled for delivery in March.

February is the essence of the “Bleak Mid-Winter,” but in Mississippi, signs of spring begin to emerge during that month.

According to the Camp Creek infographic, my garden will be teeming with blooms in a couple of months, but the primary natives for February are Witch Hazel and Spring Beauty. I wasn’t sure what a Spring Beauty was, but today, on February 16, 2024, I noticed precious little pink flowers dotted around my yard.

 

I checked my Plant ID app, which told me that Alas! I have spring beauties growing naturally all around my lawn. I plan to go outside today and move some of the plants to prominent places in the front of my garden.

Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)
Image Credit: Native Wildflowers Nursery
Height: 6″ – 10″

Spring Beauties are Ephemerals. “A spring ephemeral is a native plant that blooms in early spring and only lasts a short amount of time. They are woodland wildflowers that emerge, then quickly go dormant.” Google ai

Mining Bee Gathering Pollen from Spring Beauty Flowers
Image Credit: Flickr

Mining Bees depend on the pollen from Spring Beauties. We must preserve all our native plants–even the tiny ones. Each plant is an important part of our region’s biodiversity.

“…mining bees do not produce honey. Mining bees are solitary bees that create nests in the ground. They are important pollinators for many types of flowers.” Google ai

Check the following post to see Mississippi native plants for other months:

4 – Season Garden: A Year of Garden Native Perennial Plants – Garden Calendar