Saturday, March 25, 2023

Harbinger of Spring at Hager Park and Grand River Park

 Spring is starting to spring here in Ottawa County Michigan!  Marie took me on an adventure yesterday March 24, 2023.  We went in search of Harbinger of Spring, the plant.  We found several blooming at Hager Park.




Marie spotted the first plant just barely open then as we looked closer, we saw several more Harbinger of Spring blooming.  We also checked on the spring flowering Witch Hazel.  It was also blooming.



After a lovely time at Hager Park, we visited Grand River Park.  We wanted to see if the Harbinger of Spring was blooming there.  And surprise it was!   We also saw Skunk Cabbage.  


That was our quick little adventure to welcome Spring! Maybe next week we will go looking for Hepatica. 





8 comments:

Sister in the Mid-west said...

I am here to experience spring through your camera lense! I have never heard of Harbinger of Spring before. What a romantic name! Thank you for sharing!

Plants Amaze Me said...

Sister in the Mid-west, thank you I'm glad you got to see it, at least in a picture. It is a tiny flower belonging to the carrot family. The flower is about 1/4 inch across. It is also called Pepper and Salt, Erigenia bulbosa is the scientific name.

There was more fun to tell about our adventure yesterday, like the thick mud we walked through. We had our boots on, still it was slippery mucky going for a bit. Fun to get outside with a sister!

New Hampshire Gardener said...

As I say each spring, I'd love to see both harbinger of spring and hepatica but they're extremely rare here if they grow at all. I'm pretty sure it's because they like soil with a lot of lime in it and we have very acid soil.
It was great to see them again. Happy hunting!

Plants Amaze Me said...

We don’t see Harbinger of Spring everywhere, we know a few places we are pretty sure to see it. At Hager Park it is on the edge of a very wet lawn and where the leaves are blown off the lawn. We found a few plants several years ago at Grand River Park those are along a creek. We only find them along that one spot at Grand River Park. They definitely like the soggy dirt.

Hepatica are my real favorites. If the weather is good they should be blooming just south of here in Allegan County next week. Around here it will be another few weeks before the Hepatica really start blooming.

I hope you find some Hepatica!

Anonymous said...

You definitely immortalize our adventures with your photos!
Hepatica on our favorite hill next week, for sure.
Thanks, your happy-to-go-with sister Marie

Dave said...

Learned a new plant today- Harbinger of spring. What a Beauty!!! Thanks for sharing

Plants Amaze Me said...

Thanks Marie. I try to take good pictures of our adventures. As you know that whole thing is getting more convoluted because of changing technology. And where is the quarter for size comparison? Those Harbinger of Spring are tiny. You spotted the first one, again! Such fun.

Plants Amaze Me said...

Thanks Dave. The Harbinger of Spring is very small. I was at one of your favorite parks yesterday! Rosy Mound Natural Area. It was beautiful.