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One of the great things about living in this area is the abundance of wildflowers blooming in the spring. Everyone appreciates their beauty, but not everyone is aware of how well adapted they are for life in their environment.

Spring ephemerals, as they are known, must grow, flower, be pollinated, and produce seeds in a relatively short period of time. The challenge for these plants is that they must do all of their reproductive work before the trees open their leaves and block the sunlight from the forest floor.

The ephemerals begin blooming as early as March and April. While this gives them some time before the trees begin to shade them out, it also limits the number of pollinators that are available to do the reproductive work for the plants. When there are lots of plants trying to attract a few pollinators, the results can be impressive.

It’s no coincidence that the spring ephemerals are among the showiest of the region’s flowering plants. Bright colors, enticing scents, and nectar guides on the petals have all evolved as strategies for attracting pollinators. Some even have petals which serve as landing platforms for flying insects.

One of my favorite wildflowers is the columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, our region’s only columbine. In the Western U.S., some 15 - 20 species are found – mostly blue, a color that attracts bees. Our species, however, is primarily pollinated by ruby throated hummingbirds, and has evolved to appeal to these birds. The reddish color, five long, narrow spurs which contain the nectar, and the fact that they bloom when the hummingbirds arrive in April are all designed to help the plant reproduce.

Other strategies have evolved to ensure that the seeds are dispersed away from the parent. This eliminates parent versus offspring competition for resources and provides the seed with a better chance of survival.

Wild ginger, Asarum canadense, has seeds with small "bumps" containing oils and possibly sugars which attract ants. The ants will carry the seeds up to 70 yards to reach their nest. The bumps are consumed, but the shell of the seed is too hard for the ants to eat and the seed is discarded, often in an unused tunnel in the nest. This frequently proves to be an excellent environment for germination. This is called "myrmechochory," which literally means "ant farming." Wild ginger flowers are found at ground level where the ants have easy access, and bloom in April and May. Other spring bloomers assisted by ants are violets, bloodroot, anemones, hepaticas, and trillium.

The next time you’re out enjoying the wildflowers around you, keep in mind that they are the end result of hundreds of thousands of years of trial and error. Only the best adapted have survived.

This article was originally published in the Friends of the WNC Nature Center newsletter Vol. XXIII, No. 2, April - May 2001