A Sneak Peek at Spring: Spotting Maine’s First Flowers

As Maine awakens from its long winter slumber, early signals of spring are popping up all around us—but they won’t be here long! These native wildflowers, called spring ephemerals, are the first to bloom and take advantage of the sunlight before trees begin to leaf out. In this short growing window, they produce leaves, flower, and set seed all in just a few weeks before they go dormant until next year. Supporting conservation means you’re protecting these little heralds of spring, so keep an eye out for them and enjoy the sweet beginnings of the season while they last.

Here are some common spring ephemerals you might encounter on your next walk:

Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum

Named for its mottled green and brown leaves resembling a brook trout, trout lilies are found in woodlands and meadows. They have between two and three leaves and a single yellow bloom that sits atop a long, slender stalk.

Did you know? Trout lilies are often found in large colonies and can live for hundreds of years!

Red Trillium, Trillium erectum L.

This low-growing woodland flower’s distinguishing features come in threes: three leaves, three sepals, and three maroon petals. Even the flower’s center reproductive parts come in threes, with three stamens (male) and three carpels (female).

Did you know? It takes an average of 15 years for red trillium to be mature enough to produce a flower, and they can live for 30 years each.

Wild strawberry, Fragaria vesca

Found anywhere from roadsides to forests, wild strawberries are a member of the rose family with soft, five-petaled white flowers surrounding a yellow center and a hairy stalk with toothed green leaves. Return in June, and these flowers will bear red fruit.

Did you know? Archaeological records show that humans have been eating wild strawberries since the Stone Age.

Tread lightly and take care with these cuties when you’re out and about so we can all appreciate them as we welcome spring!