Coltsfoot

As I drove over the mountain today, I noticed that the coltsfoot was blooming amidst all the pea gravel that had been deposited over the winter. Thrusting up through leaves and road debris they cast a cheery smile and shoot their feathery fist at old man winter.

Signs of Spring

What is the first sign of Spring for you? The first Robins? The faint pink blush on the trees? The thermometer inching past 60? The chorus of Spring Peepers in the wetland? Now that the signs of Spring are all around us, even up here on the mountain; I asked a friend what were his first signs of Spring. He said the golden waves of Forsythia along the highways. Now, I love Forsythia as much as the next girl, and they do bloom early, and I have lots at my house; but they are not native. I guess I was hoping for something wilder.

The first (non-crocus) flower of the Spring for me is the Coltsfoot. It is at the other end of the Aster family since most Asters bloom in fall. It can start blooming as early as February along roadsides and waste places.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that it is not native either. It was introduced from Europe. Bummer. What a bubble burster.

So I am back to the tried and true childhood favorite.