Early Plants for Your Spring Garden
As soon as you see spring ephemerals at your garden center, don’t hesitate—purchase and plant them right away! These fleeting beauties emerge before tree canopies leaf out and fade as temperatures rise. They provide an essential food source for early pollinators and have been valued for centuries, including for medicinal use by Native Americans.
7 Top Spring Ephemerals to Consider
Virginia Bluebells
(Mertensia virginiana)
One of the first to bloom, these nodding blue flowers attract pollinators and thrive in loamy soil with morning sun. They also tolerate shade, though with fewer blooms. A true native, Virginia Bluebells will naturalize over time.
Moss Phlox
(Phlox sublata)
A ground-hugging native that comes in shades of red, pink, and blue/lilac. This evergreen perennial blankets garden beds, banks, and walls with delicate flowers in early spring. It prefers full sun and good air circulation, growing 4-6 inches tall and spreading up to 3 feet.
Creeping Phlox
(Phlox stolonifera)
A woodland favorite that blooms from April to June, this variety prefers part shade and moist loamy soil. Unlike moss phlox, creeping phlox forms low, spreading mats with flowers in white, blue, or lavender.
Columbine
(Aquilegia spp.)
These whimsical flowers, often called Granny’s Bonnet, begin blooming in mid-April and last up to six weeks. With over 30 varieties, colors range from white and yellow to blue, purple, orange, and red. Aquilegia canadensis, a native variety, stays compact at just 8 inches tall and produces striking orange-red blooms that attract hummingbirds.
Mayapple
(Podophyllum peltatum)
A colonizing native, Mayapples thrive in moist, dappled woodland areas. Standing 10-12 inches tall, they develop hidden white flowers beneath their large leaves, later producing fruit that attracts native bees. Also known as American Mandrake, they spread readily in the right conditions.
Trilliums
(Wake Robins, Toadshade)
These iconic woodland perennials are native to Maryland, with eight species found in the region. Growing best in loamy woodland soils with part to full shade, trilliums take 4-7 years to bloom but reward patience with striking three-petaled flowers in yellow, maroon, and white. Due to their rarity, they are protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Bloodroot
(Sanguinaria canadensis)
A striking colony-forming ephemeral, Bloodroot thrives in moist woodlands and along streambanks. Each plant produces a single white flower with a lobed leaf. If the stem is broken, it releases a red sap, historically used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes.
Preserve and Enjoy These Spring Gems!
Many of these ephemerals grow naturally in Maryland’s undisturbed woodlands and along streams. While they’re a joy to observe, please do not dig or pick them—they do not transplant well and often die when disturbed.
