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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Control burn planned Thursday Interim chief talks about the stress of police work Police Reports Backstage: Ashland Film Festival programmer Feinberg played major role in its success 10 things to know for Wednesday Education Grade-school philanthropist Ashland, Scenic win Brain Bowl competitions Ten nonprofit proposals get a chance to pitch for support Teacher's Tips: Spring! Time for standarized testing Schneider Children's Center set to close Environment Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. Ashland on course Rarely seen Pacific fisher to have prominent spot Students at Walker Elementary School in Ashland get hands dirty for Earth Day Ashland Fire & Rescue Alarm Box: There are good fires and there are bad fires Business Harry & David weighs down 1-800-Flowers during latest quarter Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. Ashland on course Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland to host Thanks for the Memories' 'Company' for one night Cars We Remember: Mr. Hot Rod’s 1966 Chevelle 396 Ride & Drive: 2015 Ford F-150 FX4 Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s earthquake election Council wants changes to agreement with ODOT for I-5 welcome center Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable State News Bill under debate in Oregon would limit livestock antibiotics Oregon lawmakers begin minimum wage debate Runners to follow historic salmon migration path Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Death Notices Edward Joseph Pentkowski Death Notices Kenneth Lee Barger Tanner Pascoe Shareable Sports Latest Stories Oregon coaches, players ready to 'split up and play' Baseball: Controversy may be blooming over Pete Rose Blazers stay alive Fourteen Raiders earn CCC academic honors Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. Ashland on course High school Two Raiders place seventh in CCC Multis Neal, Reitman lead SOU at multi-event championships Ashland Karate Academy racks up trophies in Medford Ashland drops eight-inning pitchers' duel SOU swept, but gets help in playoff race Southern Oregon University Oregon coaches, players ready to 'split up and play' Fourteen Raiders earn CCC academic honors Two Raiders place seventh in CCC Multis Neal, Reitman lead SOU at multi-event championships SOU's Maguin pockets fourth CCC honor Voices Latest Stories Granlund cartoon: Earthquake in Nepal Our View: Ski area slips by Letters to the Editor, April 29 Our View: Child care conundrum Letters to the Editor, April 28 Editorial Our View: Ski area slips by Our View: Child care conundrum Our View: Fun with university funding formulas Our View: Passion vs. practicality spelled demise of Ashland theater company Our View: Raises raise eyebrows Letters Letters to the Editor, April 29 Letters to the Editor, April 28 Letters to the Editor, April 27 Letters to the Editor, April 25 Letters to the Editor, April 23 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: A good day to act Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Guest Opinion: Fremont cottonwood is not a hazard Columns Council Corner: Strategic plan sets goals for city Chris Honoré: Things for which there are simply no satisfactory explanations Herb Rothschild Jr.: 'Right to rest' misguided Guest Opinion: A good day to act Jeffrey Gillespie: Bad cops vs. smartphones Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Cut up that poetry Community blog: Workshop on writing and craft Ashland Middle School to perform "Shrek Jr." musical A Taste of Ashland returns Five picks for entertainment this week Theater Backstage: Ashland Film Festival programmer Feinberg played major role in its success Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland to host Thanks for the Memories' 'Company' for one night Ticket Availability Ashland Middle School to perform "Shrek Jr." musical Ashland New Plays Festival is ready to grow, says new director Music Interview: Offspring plays hits new and old on tour The Farr Side: Slow disappearance of physical music On TV: Your guide to the Academy of Country Music Awards The Farr Side: Intriguing time on the Hot 100 Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship Visual Art More films, excitement than ever for AIFF Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies Interview: Sofia Vergara talks ‘Hot Pursuit’ Quick Flicks: ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Insurgent’ and more 2015 summer movie preview Movie review: ‘Lambert and Stamp’ doc tells who was behind The Who Movie review: ‘Ex Machina’ is the droid you’re looking for Food and Drink Business profile: Couple opens second Pita Pit in Ashland Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories 5 Things to Do This Weekend (May 1-3) Page H. Onorato: Enjoying good food just for the fun of it Page H. Onorato: Food items appear in the funnies Donna Knight: Alzheimer’s brings challenges In Good Faith: Baltimore’s burst bubble Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Control burn planned Thursday ... Our View: Ski area slips by ... Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' ... Control burn planned Thursday ... Our View: Ski area slips by ... Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' ... Garden Cameos: Now is the perfect time to spot wildflowers Comment By Betty Montgomery More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Betty Montgomery More Content Now Posted Mar. 17, 2015 at 9:19 AM By Betty Montgomery More Content Now Posted Mar. 17, 2015 at 9:19 AM » Social News Walking in the woods and finding wildflowers in bloom is a highlight of early spring. I am fortunate to live in the foothills where I can find many lovely wildflowers blooming this time of year. Some of the more common ones that bloom in the early spring are worth a hike to see. These jewels are called spring ephemerals. One of the first to bloom is hepatica or liverleaf. The brilliance and iridescence of the flower petals makes this little flower catch one’s eye. They are similar in size to African violets or primroses but the leaves are quite different. The leaves are distinctive having three lobes that have a little muddled pattern. Hepatica flowers are shaped like an open bowl in either blue, lavender, or white and occasionally, but rarely, pink. They are native to North America from Canada and south to Florida. They are evergreen in our area and in early March, flowers on 6-inch spikes start to appear. In the wild, they are found in acidic soil that is rich with leaf-mold that is well drained. I have seen this plant as a single plant while walking in the mountains and in a large colony with about 30 blooms in lower Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Another very early wildflower is bloodroot. The petals are narrow and white with gold stamens. The leaves are deep lobed and quite distinct. The roots contain an orange-red sap, giving it the name of bloodroot. These flowers stand out in the woods when in flower because there is little greenery out at this time and the backdrop of brown leaf-litter surrounding the plant makes the flowers more obvious. Trillium, is another flower that brightens the woods and fields in early spring and is considered to be the royalty of woodland gardens. To encounter a large mass of these lovely flowers in the spring is a sight to remember. Trilliums have three leaves, three sepals and three petals and appear before the trees leaf out in spring. There are more than 40 species and the North Carolina parks claims to have 10 of them. I have seen several but just the simple ones that are white and pink and seen along dirt roads are favorites. These jewels of the forest floor are one of the most popular wildflowers in our area. Trillium are easy to grow and are often available in specialty garden centers. They can be expensive because it takes about four years from seed to be the size plant that blooms. You can see these blooming along the side of Pearson’s Fall Road and of course you can see these and others if you go to the beautiful Pearson Falls, both north of Tryon, North Carolina. Another favorite is the lady slipper orchids. The pink ones are much more prevalent and I have seen these on many occasions growing in stands of pine trees. They like the acidic soil that the pine needles produce and the dappled sunlight. There is a yellow orchid that was once more common but today it is not as common as the pink. These flowers mentioned above are called spring ephemerals because the flowers appear before the leaves are on the trees making them stand out in the brown forest floor. They grow in rich, well-drained soil that is moist this time of year. The flowers fade as the soil dries out, sleeping for another year until the conditions are right again. Betty Montgomery is a correspondent for The Spartanburg (S.C.) Herald-Journal. She can be reached at [email protected] or 864-585-9213. By Betty Montgomery More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Betty Montgomery More Content Now Posted Mar. 17, 2015 at 9:19 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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