Spring is when the native wildflowers in the woods really show off. I love this time of year, when I can go out to look for all my favorites in natural areas.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis, Zones 3–8) is so pretty. I just wish the flowers lasted longer!

Closer look at the bloodroot flowers

Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba, Zones 3–8) is such an early bloomer. It is fun to look at big groups in the woods and see all the different colors. Some I see are white, others are blue, and there are lots of lavenders in between. I love all of them!

This hepatica is so pretty—such a rich color.

I think this is Cardamine douglassii (Zones 3–8). The pink flowers are so delicate, and they smell good too. I always see so many pollinators visiting the flowers in the spring.

I can’t get enough of Cardamine douglassii. There are so many blooms, it makes the woods look like a flower garden.

Dutchman’s britches (Dicentra cucullaria, Zones 3–7) is a favorite. I like the flowers, of course, and the foliage is pretty too. It almost looks like fern fronds. After it flowers, it will go completely dormant and disappear.

Usually when I see trout lily (Erythronium americanum, Zones 3–9) I just see a lot of leaves, but not many flowers. But not this clump! It is blooming so much.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

The New Organic Grower, 3rd Edition: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener, 30th Anniversary Edition

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Since its original publication in 1989, The New Organic Grower has been one of the most important farming books available, with pioneer Eliot Coleman leading the charge in the organic movement in the United States. Now fully illustrated and updated, this 30th Anniversary Edition is a must-have for any agricultural library.

Buy at Amazon

Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.

Buy at Amazon

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.

Buy at Amazon