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Trillium, Trillium cernuum:

A perennial flowering plant that grows from their rhizomatous roots. Trillium seed dispersal is facilitated by ants, who are attracted to the elaiosomes on the seeds. Beetles sometimes interfere with this process by eating the elaiosomes and causing the seeds to be less attractive to the ants. Trillium is native to the temperate regions of North America and Asia. This plant has been used traditionally as a uterine stimulant, inducing labor and reducing postpartum hemorrhaging. These plants are very long lasting, able to live up to 25 years, but they are also very slow growing and spreading. Due to the tendency for trillium to die if picked, a few trillium species are named as threatened or endangered and collecting these species may be illegal. For example, in New York State, picking the red trillium is illegal.  

“Ten Things to Know About Trilliums.” The Native Plant Herald, nativeplantherald.prairienursery.com/2015/02/ten-things-to-know-about-trilliums/.

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Wild Cabbage, Brassica oleracea:

A plant species that combines many common foods as cultivars, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and many more. Wild cabbage is a biennial plant, in year one creating a “stout rosette of large leaves,” and in year two, using the nutrients it had saved to produce a yellow flower spike. It has been established as an important food crop because of its large food reserves, and is rich in vitamin C and other essential nutrients. In its uncultivated form, wild cabbage is native to South and Western Europe. It grew primarily in costal areas (limestone sea cliffs) due to its high salt and lime tolerance.

“Brassica Oleracea.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassica_oleracea.

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Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides:

Christmas Fern got its name from the plant’s fertile leaves’ (fronds) tendency to stay green throughout the holiday season, making it available to be sold as decoration in the home at Christmas time. The fronds of this plant are tough, leathery, and lance-shaped to a pointed tip. The sterile fronds of the plant are able to be distinguished by their shorter nature, and they are less supported by the plant than the spore-producing, fertile fronds. This plant prefers cool, moist, shaded, well-drained soil to grow in, so it can typically be found on well-shaded and forested hillsides near streams. 

“Growing ferns and the accumulated detritus of past sterile fronds form a dense covering mass over the soil surface. This mass helps to stabilize the underlying soil and prevent or lessen erosion. It also generates a protective, concealing habitat for a number of ground feeding and ground nesting bird species” (Christmas Fern).

“Christmas Fern.” Penn State University, 8 Oct. 2013, www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/christmasfern.htm.

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Virginia Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum virginianum:

A herbaceous perennial plant that is native to eastern North America. This plant is found in colonies in shady mesic woodlands. When young, the plant can be good for eating, giving it another common name of “John’s Cabbage.” This plant spreads both by rhizomes and seeds. Its tubular flowers bloom in mid to late spring, and can be: blue, white, or purple. Preferring shaded areas, these flowers will bleach rapidly once exposed to direct sunlight. The name “Virginia Waterleaf” came from the water-stained appearance of the leaves that emerge as the plant matures. 

“Hydrophyllum Virginianum (Virginia Waterleaf).” Minnesota Wildflowers, www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/virginia-waterleaf.

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Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata:

A biennial flowering plant in the mustard family, usually found in the undergrowth of forest edges. During the plant’s first year of growth, its leaves are round, slightly wrinkled, and smell like garlic when crushed. Once fully mature, the entire plant gives off a garlic-smelling odor. Garlic Mustard is one of the oldest discovered spices found within European cooking. This is an invasive species in North America- spreading all across the continent- first introduced in the 1800′s by European settlers for both medical and culinary purposes. There are no native predators, so biological control is seen to be the most promising method of controlling its growth and spreading. 

“Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata).” New York Invasive Species Information, www.nyis.info/index.php?action=invasive_detail&id=25.

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Hepatica, Hepatica nobilis:

A small evergreen herb, hepatica is an early blooming species in eastern North America, typically found growing in rich woodlands. Its flowers can be pink, blue, white, or various shades of pink, and give off a “fresh delicate smell.” The flowers open to their fullest potential on sunny days, and can last for several weeks. Each flower grows from its own stem, which is covered by long fine hairs. Its leaves have three lobes and are heart-shaped at the base. The leaves darken as the plant matures, and over winter, the leaves darken further to the point where they can hardly even be seen. 

Pivorunas, David. “Hepatica (Hepatica Nobilis).” USDA Forest Service, www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/hepatica_nobilis.shtml.

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Dutchman’s Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria:

A herbaceous perennial found commonly in the eastern United States. Flowers bloom in early spring, during March to April. They range from white to pink, resembling a pair of old fashioned knee breeches. It’s leaves are fernlike and bluish-green in color. It’s seeds are spread by ants, attracting them to the plant with its elaiosomes, and is also dependent on bumblebees for cross pollination. This species has different names depending on what part of the country you're in, some being Dutchman’s Breeches, Bleeding Heart, and Little Blue Staggers- named after its ability to induce drunken staggering in cattle that graze upon it. This effect is due to its “narcotic and toxic substances from its poppy-related genus.”

“Dicentra Cucullaria.” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The University of Texas at Austin, www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=dicu.

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Spring Beauty, Claytonia virginica: 

Spring Beauties are one of the most commonly seen native perennials in Eastern North America. These flowers can be found in a “star-like cluster” of five. Flowers range in color from white to pink, and all have fine pink stripes on each petal. The foliage will continue to grow following blooming, and can reach up to a foot tall before falling into dormancy in late spring. 

These flowers have the ability to grow and thrive under fairly degrading conditions, such as livestock grazing or partial tree removal. When spring beauty isn’t found in woodlands, it can be a sign of severe and extreme degradation in the past. 

Spring beauties are not only beautiful spring ephemerals, they can also be a unique snack as a “tasty spud-like vegetable.” The tubers are often compared to small potatoes or radishes, are edible, and a good source of potassium, calcium, and vitamins A and C. However, they are much sweeter in taste, being compared to a chestnut. 

“Spring Beauty Wildflower.” Red Foxes in Indiana | The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/indiana/journeywithnature/spring-beauty-wildflower.xml.

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Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis:

A herbaceous perennial natively found in Eastern and Central North America. These flowers grow best in moist, well-drained soils, and in partial to full shade; it can be found along streams and in rich woods. Flowers bloom from March to April, and are either white or slightly pink in color with multiple yellow stamens. The flowers are very short lived, visible for only one or two days. Leaves continue to grow until mid to late summer when the plant goes dormant. 

Bloodroots got their name from the bright red sap exuded when the plant is cut; this sap has been used by Native Americans for dyes. The rootstock has been used for its emetic and antiseptic properties, despite being poisonous and caustic if ingested. 

“Sanguinaria Canadensis.” Missouri Botanical Garden, www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=m290.

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Wild Leeks, Allium tricoccum:

A species of wild onion found widely across eastern Canada and the United States. They are bulb-forming spring ephemerals, with broad, smooth, light green leaves. They have a scallion-like stalk and bulb, and are edible. These plants grow in tight groups and they are rooted strongly just below the soil’s surface.  

The flower heads of leeks tend to appear in July, well after the leaves have disappeared, and the balls of white flowers are found on leafless nine-inch stalks. 

Wild leeks are popular within the cuisines of the “rural uplands of its native region,” being categorized as an early spring vegetable. Their strong onion flavor and garlic-like smell make them enjoyable in many dishes, but can also be eaten alone. 

Barlow, Virginia. “Wild Leeks.” Center for Northern Woodlands Education, 1 May 2017, northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/wild-leeks. 

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Blue Cohosh, Caulophyllum thalictroides:

A many-stemmed perennial that grows up to 1-3 feet tall. The plant is characterized by its blue, berry-like fruits and bluish green foliage. They are found in the eastern United States in hardwood forests, from Oklahoma east to the Atlantic Ocean. It favors moist coves/hillsides, shady locations, and rich/moist/well-drained soil. Blooms can be yellow, green, or brown, appearing during the months of April and May. 

This plant has been used by Native Americans and European herbologists/midwives. Mixed with other herbs and liquids, it would be utilized for contraceptive and abortive purposes. 

Blue Cohosh’s berries can be poisonous to children if ingested, and the roots/leaves can cause irritation if come into contact. Raw seeds and roots are poisonous, alkaloid and saponins being their toxic principle. 

“Caulophyllum Thalictroides.” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The     University of Texas at Austin, 2 Oct. 2015, www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cath2. 

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Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum: 

The Trout Lily received its name because of the visible similarities between the markings of its leaves, and the markings of a brown or brook trout. It is a perennial, spring ephemeral wildflower that is native to woodland habitats in North America. The plant will not flower for the first 4-7 years of its life, but when it is mature enough, it will bloom a yellow flower in the early spring before the trees, gaining unobstructed sunlight and high nutrient levels in the soil. Trout lily is also a myrmecochorous plant, relying on ants to be attracted to the elaiosome of its seeds and disperse them. 

“Erythronium Americanum.” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at Austin, www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=eram5.