10 Great Northeastern Spring Flowers

As a budding botanist I’m constantly geeking out about cool plants and this spring I’ve been able to learn about so many fun new species as these plants begun to sprout and bloom around Burlington. In South Dakota, we don’t get much of a spring. There is the state flower, the Pasque flower or Pulsatilla patens var. multifida, which is a beautiful fuzzy purple crocus, but besides that we only really get golden pea, Thermopsis rhombifolia. There may be some planted daffodils or hycaniths that come up but for the majority of spring in the hills the pines stand strong and snow comes and goes.

Here in the Northeastern United States blooms a plethora of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and flowering trees. There’s also a good mix of spring ephemerals–plants that only bloom for a short time–which I’m eagerly seeking out this year. Below is a list of 10 plants I’ve been loving seeing around town this past week (early/mid April).

1. Crocus sp. Crocuses These cute cup flowers come in a wide range of colors and different species bloom during the spring, summer, and fall. They’re a member of the Iris family and carry the meaning “cheerful” in the Victorian language of flowers.

2. Scilla sp. Scilla siberica (Siberian squill) pictured below, Scilla forbessii (pink/white squill), etc. Spring Beauty, Snow Glory, Woodland Bluebells. These adorable plants are currently blanketing Burlington lawns and come in a wide variety of colors.

3. Magnolia sp. Magnollias. These flowering trees are so distinctive and absolutely gorgeous! The flowers are commonly white or pink and beautiful spring blossoms. This year I found out some species have edible flowers and they taste like ginger! The petals can be pickled, used in tea, or even turned into magnolia cookies which taste like gingersnaps!

4. Narcissa sp. Daffodils. One of the most common spring flowers, their bulbs are often planted in the fall and the plant begins to develop in the early spring under the snow. There are many cultivars ranging in color, size, and shape. They often symbolize new beginnings and rebirth.

5. Muscaria botryoides Grape Hyacinth are actually not one of many hyacinths that bloom in the spring. These are relatives to the true genus, Hyacinthus, but their flowers often resemble that of the other genus. They are rounded, ‘urn’ like, and a beautiful ‘grape’ color.

6. Cordyalis solida Bird-in-a-bush is a beautiful magenta plant that is covering Vermont’s landscape right now. A member of the poppy family, this is a fun one to find in the spring.

7. Forsynthia sp. Forsynthia are flowering bushes in the Olive family. They have distinctive four petaled flowers that bloom in the spring before any leaves appear. The flowers are edible and have a mild taste which makes them perfect additions to salads.

8. Tussilago farfara Coltsfoot is a relative to dandelions, Taraxacum sp., and asters, Aster sp., distinguished by it’s scaling stipe. This plant often blooms before the basal leaves are developed. It’s a beautiful spring sunburst. Apparently it can be used as an herbal tea to treat respiratory infections and sore throats.

9. Acer sp. Maple flowers are the gorgeous little red flowers on the giant trees. I haven’t taken dendrology yet so I’ll report back later on using the flowers to identify different species, but for now I’m just enjoying the sight of them around town.

10. Viola sp. Violets are lovely spring plants that come in a multitude of colors. The purple ones are probably my favorite, but you can easily find them in white and yellow. These are another great edible plant, as the leaves and flowers can be added to salads or as a garnish for other dishes.