It’s the most wonderful time of the year – when trilliums are in bloom! Since I can’t get out in the woods much right now, instead have some completely useless facts about red trilliums. Red trillium (Trillium erectum), like all trilliums, is a monocot, meaning it arises from a seed with a single cotyledon or seed leaf. Most plants are dicots, which have seeds with two cotyledons, so this makes trilliums a little bit special.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The snow has melted, spring ephemerals are… ephemering, and woodpeckers are gettin’ it on in the trees. In my continuing effort to bring you more dumb plant facts, I figured I’d share some of the pictures of what I’ve been seeing in the woods in the past ~week or so. Round-lobed hepatica, Hepatica americana. Close-up on the white/pinkish flowers Round-lobed hepatica (Hepatica americana), zoomed out a bit to see some of the leathery, tri-lobed leaf This is round-lobed hepatica, Hepatica americana.