Common Name: Harbinger of Spring

Scientific Name: Erigenia bulbosa

Family: Apiaceae

Habitat: Woodlands, Slopes, Ravines, Along Streams

Native: Yes

Life Cycle: Perennial, Ephemeral

Bloom Time: Spring

Height: Up to 8 inches

Light: Partial shade to deep shade

Soil: Moist, Well drained, Loamy

Pollinators: Bees

Description: Between late winter and early spring, you may notice tiny white flowers blooming along Little Huckleberry Creek known as Harbinger of Spring. Harbinger of Spring is one of the first spring ephemerals to bloom each year between February and March. Harbinger of Spring prefers to grow in moist, mostly shaded woodlands and slopes near streams or creeks. Harbinger of Spring is a bulbous flower, which grows from underground tubers and produces a tiny white flower with tiny black and red stamens. This photo of a Harbinger of Spring was taken along the Watershed Trail at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve.