Woodland Spring Ephemerals
Dutchman's Breeches
Spring ephemerals are a sublime gift of nature at the end of a long cold winter.
These early woodland wildflowers occupy a short yet glorious interval in the woodland, blooming and
setting seed during a small window of time between snowmelt and when the trees leaf-out.
Their brief presence in the woodland is connected to the lives of numerous other members
of a community, all participating in beneficial exchanges at a critical intersection in their lives.
Consider adding these harbingers of spring to your shaded garden or woods.
The first to bloom in spring, ephemeral flowers are a critical source of nectar and pollen for bumble
bees, mining bees, various flies and gnats.
Woodland plants grow among the rich humousy soil created by leaf litter. This leafy environment
is also home to myriad insects that interact with the spring ephemerals.
The first to bloom in spring, ephemeral flowers are a critical source of nectar and pollen for bumble
bees, mining bees, various flies and gnats. An abundance of these early blooms helps to lay the
foundation for healthy bumble bee numbers all season long. Unlike bumble bees, which can feed
from a wide range of flowers, many early pollinators are picky eaters that collect nectar and pollen
only from one group of closely related plants.
The 13 species in this collection comprise some of the most common spring wildflowers in Wisconsin's
deciduous forests.
Bloodroot
Genus-Species: Sanguinaria canadensis
Benefits: Bees
Height: 6-9 inches
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Loam
Moisture: Medium
Color: Pink, White
Columbine
Genus-Species:
Benefits: Bees, Birds
Height: 1-3 feet
Bloom Time: Late Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 2-8
Soil: Loam, Sand
Moisture: Dry, Medium
Color: Red, Yellow
Common Blue Violet
Wisconsin's State Flower
Genus-Species: Viola sororia
Benefits: Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Height: 6-12 inches
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade
Zones: 4-7
Soil: Loam
Moisture: Moist
Color: Blue, Pink, Purple, White
Dutchman's Breeches
Genus-Species: Dicentra cucullaria
Benefits: Bees
Height: 6-12 inches
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 3-7
Soil: Loam
Moisture: Moist, Wet
Color: White, Pink, Yellow
Jack-In-The-Pulpit
Genus-Species: Arisaema triphyllum
Benefits: N/A
Height: 1-2 feet
Bloom Time:Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 4-9
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist, Wet
Color: Green
Sharp-Leaved Hepatica
Genus-Species: Hepatica acutiloba
Benefits: Bees
Height: ¼-½ inch
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 4-6
Soil: Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist
Color: Pink, Lavender
Shooting Star
Genus-Species: Dodecatheon meadia
Benefits: Bees
Height: 1-2 feet
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade
Zones: 4-8
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist
Color: Pink, Lavender, White
Spring Beauty
Genus-Species: Claytonia virginica
Benefits: Bees
Height: 6-9 inches
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 3-9
Soil: Loam
Moisture: Medium, Moist
Color: Pink, White
Trillium
Genus-Species: Trillium grandiflorum
Benefits: Bees
Height: 1-2 feet
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 3-7
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Dry, Medium
Color: Pink, White
White Trout Lily
Genus-Species: Erythronium albidum
Benefits: Bees
Height: 6-12 inches
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Acid
Moisture:Medium
Color: White
Virginia Bluebells
Genus-Species: Mertensia virginica
Benefits: Bees, Birds
Height: 1-2 feet
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade
Zones: 3-9
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium, Moist
Color: Blue, Lavender
White Doll's Eyes
Genus-Species: Actaea alba
Benefits: Butterflies
Height: 1-2 feet
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Medium
Color: White
Wood Anemone
Genus-Species: Anemone quinquefolia
Benefits: Bees
Height: 6-12 inches
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Part Shade, Shade
Zones: 3-8
Soil: Loam, Rocky
Moisture: Moist, Wet
Color: Green, White, Brown