Our first spring flowers to appear are the lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) - bright little suns with heart-shaped leaves that grow in damp and mossy places. As well as being uplifting to human spirits, reminders of spring after a long dark winter, they are important nectar sources for bumblebees and insects coming out of hibernation. The poet Wordsworth was so fond of them that he wrote three poems about them.
'But the thrifty cottager
Who stirs little out of doors,
Joys to spy thee near her home;
Spring is coming, Thou art come!'
('To the Small Celandine' - William Wordsworth)
Like seeing old friends that have not been around for a while.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see. Yellow is so nice for spring flowers!
ReplyDeleteWe get something similar first in spring- tiny blue-violet flowers that grow in shady spots in the latter half of April.
ReplyDelete