Hepatica and Bloodroot

All of today's pictures were taken across the river where the ridge slopes to the southeast.  The solar advantage here has flowers opening while ours have yet to appear.  Today we saw Trilliums pushing up out of the soil while ours have yet to appear.  Spring Beauties were also in flower here while ours have presented only the beginnings of visible leaves.

A purple Hepatica flower above one of last year's leaves is a picture that must be shared.  Our new transplants have been showing flowers for the past several days but this photo also shows a leaf.  The doctrine of signatures is reported to see something of a human liver in the leaves.  Perhaps a single leaf petal has the suggested shape but the complete three does not look even vaguely human.

Hepatica flowers are either white or blue in this area.  They appear rather close to each other but some difference in the soil may account for the two different colors.  All that I know for certain is that these flowers occurring here in great number really boost the mood.  We will likely see more snow this month but the season of flowers is definitely underway.

This marks the first time that I have ever seen a tightly closed Bloodroot bud above a yet unopened leaf.  The flowers do close every night and in response to bad weather but then the leaves remain open.  Notice the two stems visible below the leaf.  Only one stem can be seen above the leaf so it follows that stem and flower are supported by separate stems.

If you look closely at the center of the flower, a vase shaped reproductive part can be seen.  Pollen will be carried here resulting in a rather large seed pod.  Flowers are very short lived but the seed pod develops over a longer period of time.  This is quite possibly the purest white displayed by any flower.

One of these newly opened flowers has lost several of its petals.  Little wind is needed to shake the petals loose.  Beautiful, early and fragile describe Bloodroot flowers.