Picky Plants

Sharp-lobed Hepatica

Something I learned yesterday, after branching out from my beloved Arboretum to try and find some different species, is that our two hepaticas grow only in maple-beech forests. Like, exclusively, no exceptions. I had been wondering why I wasn't seeing any at the Arboretum, which is lousy with trout lilies and trilliums and bloodroot, but not a hepatica to be found. I guess it just isn't maple-beechy enough? Because Starkey Hill is covered with hepatica in bloom right now. Geographically, the two areas aren't that far apart. Topographically, both have wetland pools interspersed with (I thought, at least) maple-beech upland forest. Starkey is a bit rockier and hillier, of course, so maybe that makes the difference.

Clearly I'm going to have to keep an eye on both places from now on, if they're going to throw different species at me like this. I am apparently on a mission this year to document the bloom times of the spring ephemerals. For posterity! ...and iNaturalist.