In the Bluegrass we are surrounded by deciduous forest. The beautiful falling leaves in autumn give way to the bare limbs in winter and early spring. Those bare branches allow a short window in early spring where the forest floor is flooded in light, allowing herbaceous plants to grow and fill the understory with all the colors of the rainbow before the oaks, maples and other trees gain their summer coat. This group of herbaceous annuals, biannuals and perennials we call spring ephemerals.

Take a walk through the woods of The Arboretum or in the Shawnee Hills Ephemeral beds and you’ll be surrounded with white trout lilies (Erythronium albidum), spring beauty (Claytonia virginica), twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla), squirrel corn (Dicentra canadensis), harbinger of spring (Erigenia bulbosa) and many others. We have been removing invasive species such as honeysuckle, garlic mustard and euonymus from the woods for over 20 years, and the tough little spring ephemerals have started making a comeback. Throughout The Arboretum many of our trees are maturing, leaving large areas too shady for grass but perfect for spring ephemerals.

Many of our native ephemerals are notoriously hard to propagate from seed, some taking 2-3 years to germinate in the greenhouse, others needing an acid dip. This spring we have connected with a couple of landowners in the bluegrass region for permission to collect seed. This wild-collected seed will build our collections in the bluegrass region of The Arboretum and, over time, fill the understory of the collection with blues, purples, whites, yellows and a multitude of other colors. While beautiful, they also will be providing important food sources and habitat for insects, birds, amphibians and a host of other wildlife.