Snowdrops, scillas and crocuses are mistakenly considered to be the first plants to bloom in early spring. The real primroses in the middle zone are trees and shrubs.
You may be surprised, but it is not entirely correct to call galanthus and anemones primroses in the full sense of the word. Why? Yes, because real primroses in nature are trees and shrubs.
Next time you're strolling through a forest park, take a closer look at these early birds. Some of them may already be actively blooming in your area!
Magnolia star
Most magnolia species bloom in April-May, while star magnolia begins to bloom from the end of March. The flowers of this ornamental plant are snow-white and beautifully shaped. And what a fragrance they exude! Fortunately, star magnolia is frost-resistant and can withstand the climate of the middle zone, so you can safely plant it on your site.
Even though we can admire the flowering of these trees and shrubs for only a few days, or at best a week or two, this magnificent spectacle is worth it. After a long, cold winter, we wish you bright colors on your property and in life!
Yellow spring flowers
I would also like to tell you about yellow spring flowers. To my untrained eye, all yellow primroses of Kuzbass are the same. However, knowledgeable people along with AI claim that I am mistaken.
Buttercup
However, I’m still right. If there are more than 400 species of Buttercups alone, how can they be distinguished from each other?
Buttercups bloom relatively late, in the second half of May.
Kaluzhnitsa
Kaluzhnitsa belongs to the Lyutikov family.
Marsh marigold begins to bloom in April.
Bloodroot
Another spring yellow flower is Cinquefoil erecta. Also known as Kalgan grass.
Belongs to the Rosepovnikov family. It begins to bloom in May.
Celandine
Asian celandine. It turns out that celandine belongs to the poppy family. Can be found from the end of April.
At the height of summer
Summer forest flowers settle in open spaces. It is important to remember that many of them are poisonous. Therefore, when walking, you should not pick unfamiliar flowers. Midsummer Plants:
- Kupena multiflorum resembles a lily of the valley. Small green-white flowers hang from the leaves. Kupena is poisonous. The most toxic berries.
- Saranka or curly lily is a rare species listed in the Russian Red Book. This is one of the most beautiful forest plants. Tall stems, reaching 1.5 meters, are strewn with pink or purple bells.
- Another decoration of the forest can be considered the nettle-leaved bell. Beautiful blue or lilac flowers shower the stem. The leaves have small hairs on the surface. But the plant does not burn, despite its name. This large herb reaches a height of 1 meter.
- An amazing plant - nesting plant. This is an atypical species that grows only in synthesis with fungi. The mycelium thickly envelops its roots, helping to obtain nutrients. The nest does not require sunlight for life processes, so it can exist in complete darkness.
- Another unusual plant is impatiens. The name of the species speaks for itself. Its fruits explode when touched. This phenomenon can be observed in the fall, when the “cones” are ripe. In this way, the impatiens scatters its seeds located in the fruit-box.
The flora of the forest is rich and beautiful. Landscape designers are trying to incorporate wild plants into compositions for gardens and dachas, using them to design rock gardens and artificial forest corners. However, not all “free” plants are able to survive in such conditions, and perhaps this is true: natural beauty is a unique phenomenon.
Euonymus warty
Deciduous shrub growing in coniferous-deciduous and broad-leaved forests. His average life expectancy is 50 years. It grows up to 2-3.5 m, and is also found in the form of a tree up to 6 m high. The branches of the bush are thin, covered with numerous growths. The leaves are simple, smooth, green in spring and summer, pink or reddish in autumn. The flowers are small and emit a “mouse” smell. Ripe fruits have an attractive bright color, but eating them risks poisoning, since the plant is poisonous.
Early summer
The forest becomes covered with leaves at the end of May. Bright meadows filled with numerous primroses are being replaced by more modest grass. As a rule, these are plants with white flowers, visible in the dusk. The denser the forest, the more noticeable is the predominance of light colors. In early summer they bloom:
- Wild strawberry is not only a tasty berry, but also a beautiful flower. Strawberry prefers to settle on the edges, clearings and along paths.
- Maynik bifolia is a fairly recognizable plant. Its shoot always has two leaves. Corollas with 4 petals are collected in a panicle. White flowers give way to large red berries, poisonous to humans.
- Common oxalis is the most shade-tolerant representative of the forest. Oxalis can be found even in thickets, conifers and among bushes. Our ancestors also predicted the weather thanks to the plant. Oxalis folds its leaves when it gets cold, like an umbrella.
- Spotted arum is a very tricky herb. The inflorescences are designed to ensure pollination of the plant in forest conditions. They smell like rotten meat, and this attracts gnats and flies. The insects fall into a trap: the flowers secrete a special sticky nectar, and the flies find themselves trapped in the arum “pot” for some time. After the flower falls, the insects fly to pollinate the next flower in the same way.
- Bear onions or wild garlic have a distinct garlicky odor. People use this plant for food. The flowers of the plant are very beautiful; the inflorescence is a ball with small white stars. The height of an adult plant is about 40 cm.
Early summer flowers in the forest, as a rule, are harbingers of berry abundance. Several weeks will pass, and the flowering plants will produce juicy, beautiful berries, which, by the way, are not always edible.
Forest shrubs
There are many beautiful shrubs in our forests, you just have to look closely. Here the hazel has hung its beautiful long catkins, wild species of willow are greeting spring with fluffy “seals”, wolf's bast, euonymus, honeysuckle, dogwood, brittle buckthorn, and privet are delighting with flowers and decorative fruits. Beautiful and useful black elderberry, hawthorn and blackthorn. You can't count them all.
Elder
Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) - this shrub is found everywhere in the wild. Its height is 6-10 m, the leaves are large and slightly shiny. In May it is covered with fragrant whitish-cream umbels of inflorescences. And as autumn approaches, the flower umbrellas turn into clusters of black berries. This unpretentious shrub causes trouble on the site due to its active reproduction. However, this is not a reason to refuse this nice and very useful medicinal plant.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn (Crataegus) is a tall bush of the Rosaceae family. Has many types. This plant remains decorative for almost the entire warm season. At first, the bush pleases the eye with beautiful white flowers, and in the fall it bursts with red-orange clusters of very healthy berries. The color of the fruit can range from light orange to black. A very undemanding and robust plant. Beautiful in hedges, thorny branches will make such a barrier impassable. It also looks decorative alone on the edges.
Turn
Thorn or blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.) is a branched prickly shrub from 1.5 to 4 m, from the Rosaceae family. Oblong-oval leaves with toothed edges. In the spring it is covered with small white five-petaled flowers, and in the fall in their place black and bluish fruits appear, reminiscent of small cream. Sweet and sour in taste, they have a slight tartness. Medicinal plant. In the wild it grows in the forest-steppe zone. Unpretentious.
Poultry farmer
The name of the plant was given by the ancient Greeks; its flowers look more tender than bird's milk.
The poultry plant is widespread in Asia and Africa, but Western Europe is considered its homeland. Some species grow up to one and a half meters tall. The forest birdbird in Crimea is low-growing and spreads along the ground. White poultry stars are among the first to bloom on the young spring grass. For this resemblance to a stylized celestial body, the plant was nicknamed the “Bethlehem” star. Maria Mikhalchenko
Hazel
Deciduous shrub of the Birch family. It is found in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests as undergrowth, and quickly grows in areas of forest clearings and fires. In optimal conditions it lives up to 100 years. It reaches a height of 5 m, has an ovoid or spherical crown. The leaves are large, up to 12 cm long, up to 9 cm wide. The fruits ripen in August-September and are nuts with a dense shell. The kernels are used in the food industry for the preparation of halva, sweets and other products.
Cowberry
An evergreen shrub that grows in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, in thickets of bushes and other places. The usual height of the plant is 15 cm, but some bushes reach 1 m. At the end of spring, lingonberries bloom with regular white or pinkish flowers, collected in drooping clusters. The leaves are leathery, overwintering, and arranged alternately. The bright red berry-shaped fruits ripen in late summer - early autumn and have a sweet and sour taste.
Siberian cedar pine
An evergreen tree typical of dark coniferous taiga. It grows up to 44 m, the trunk diameter reaches 2 m. Life expectancy can exceed 500 years. The tree has a straight, even trunk, a dense crown, soft, bluish needles and large, ovoid cones filled with seeds - pine “nuts”. There can be up to 150 of them in each cone. In one season, a tree can produce about 12 kg of “nuts”.
What fertilizers to use and how to care for them
After transplanting flowers, proper care must be taken. This will allow the culture to be saturated with all the important minerals, which are naturally abundant.
Immediately after planting, aminophosphate is added to the open ground. This substance speeds up the rooting process. After a few weeks, complex substances are added.
During the first month after planting, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil and moisten it regularly. Otherwise, the tubers and roots will dry out and may die. Since the first spring flowers are immune to the cold, the crops do not need shelter.
Attention!
After transplantation, it is not recommended to use nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrogen provokes rapid growth of green mass.
Violet or viola
Tiny blue violets bloom in the forest under the first rays of the sun. Garden pansies are bred to suit every taste and color and are in wide demand. They decorate flower beds in parks, garden plots, and window sills in houses. Forest Crimean violets are so small that sometimes it is difficult to even notice them. But it’s worth bending down to the ground and taking a closer look at them to understand how beautiful they are. According to legend, a girl named Anyuta turned into this flower, never having waited for her beloved from the war.
A list of 30 spring flowers that can be found in Russia. Photos, names and detailed descriptions of each individual species. The list contains both the first and earliest flowers, as well as garden and perennial flowers.
Snowdrop, or Galanthus (lat. Galánthus)
Snowdrop is a representative of perennial spring flowers. It belongs to the amaryllis family and is a bulbous plant. The height of the stem reaches 10-15 cm. Snowdrop bulbs can be divided into separate scales, which can be separated from the main rhizome and subsequently used to increase the growing area of this flower.
Snowdrops are also often mentioned in folk art and legends. For example, a fairy tale about 12 months. It gained such popularity due to the fact that it is one of the first to be born and is not afraid of spring frosts.
And the most interesting thing is that these flowers are widely known not only in Russia! The very first mentions of it appear in the Bible. When the Lord expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, they walked on the cold ground, and Eve’s tears falling down turned into the first flowers of snowdrops.
Hellebore, or Winterberry (lat. Helléborus)
Belongs to the genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the Buttercup family. Most species grow in Southern and Central Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. And the most common types of this plant in Russia are black, blushing and Caucasian.
And the time when this flower is born is literally indicated in its name! Hellebore appears in mid to late February, just after the last winter frosts have gone.
Scilla
A genus of perennial bulbous plants of the Asparagus family. Also, Scilla was often confused with Snowdrop, considering it one of the species with blue flowers, and previously it was even classified as a member of the Hyacinth or Liliaceae family. Scilla is one of the first flowers, like the two specimens above. She is not afraid of the cold and is born with the first melting of snow.
Primrose (primrose)
Primrose is a very interesting plant in terms of its characteristics. It is a perennial herbaceous rhizomatous monocarpic plant. The primrose blooms only once in its life and then dies.
Primrose belongs to garden plants and in Russia has gained enormous popularity among summer residents and gardeners. She fell in love with her unpretentiousness and beauty. But the most important thing for gardeners is the pleasant experience when you arrive at your dacha at the end of April, and there is already a beautiful blooming garden there. These flowers are of course later than those described above, but they are also among the first, appearing in mid-late April.
Erantis
Another name (spring flower) refers to perennial plants of the ranunculaceae family and, unlike the fellows presented above, has a not so long history of existence, having become widespread only since 1570. Erantis can be found in North America, Southern Europe and Asia, among which seven different species of this plant have become widespread in the wild.
Vesennik can be safely planted in the garden before winter; it is not afraid of cold weather and appears in early to mid-April. It is also worth noting that there are earlier varieties of this flower, for example, Erantis Winter or Erantis Siberian.
Crocus
Crocus or saffron is an ornamental perennial plant from the iris family. In the wild, it is most often found in Central and Northern Europe, the Middle East, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. Crocus is distinguished by a huge variety of species, which in turn differ in the color of their buds. There are both single-color varieties (with orange, blue, yellow, cream, purple and white buds) and spotted two-color varieties.
Crocuses are planted in autumn or summer. Flowering usually also occurs in autumn, but they are born at the end of April, beginning of May.
Periwinkle
Periwinkle belongs to the genus of settling subshrubs or perennial herbs of the Kutrovaceae family. It is found in North Africa, Asia and Europe, although it is not considered rare in Russia. In our country, 12 species of this plant have become widespread. They differ from each other primarily in their habitats and appearance.
The plants themselves have been known to people for several millennia, and the first memories of them come from Greek mythology and appear in the myths about the goddess Flora.
This flower is born in early spring, when the first snow melts. The flowering period occurs at the end of August, beginning of May.
Adonis (adonis or starodobka)
Adonis is interesting for its flowering because its life begins precisely with this. Bright yellow flowers are born, opening and closing with the sun. What is noteworthy is that in cloudy weather the Adonis flower does not open. The plant itself is a bush containing 10-20 stems decorated with bright yellow flowers. The adonis itself is distributed throughout Russia in 7 species. And only four of them are used as garden flowers.
The flower appears in early May.
Buttercup (spring grass)
Herbaceous plant of the Chistyak genus, Ranunculaceae family. At the same time, it used to be classified specifically as a Buttercup, but over time it began to attract more and more attention from gardeners and botany enthusiasts and was separated into a separate genus - Chistyak.
Most often, this plant is planted next to beekeeping. Chistyak begins to bloom from the end of March, beginning of April and releases a large amount of pollen, attracting bees. Thanks to this, very tasty honey is obtained from it.
Liverwort (copse)
A type of evergreen herbaceous forest plant. It has become widespread in Western and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and North America. It is found primarily under the forest canopy, in damp places.
The liverwort also has several different species, differing not only in appearance, but also in the time of their flowering. And she is born at the end of April, beginning of May.
Violet
There are no clear answers with these colors. Violet has more than five hundred different species, some of which are diametrically opposed to each other in all respects. They differ in both flowering time and appearance. The “earliest” representatives may be born in early April, while some, on the contrary, prefer warmer soil. At the same time, the violet has been known to mankind since ancient times and its first mentions date back to the second millennium BC.
Lungwort
Belongs to the genus of herbaceous perennial plants of the Borage family. Lungwort grows both in Eastern Siberia, Asia Minor and Western Europe. In total, Lungwort has from 12 to 70 species. Difficulties with counting are associated primarily with the high cross-pollination of the plant and this flower is very difficult to find in its pure form.
Lungwort is born at the end of April, beginning of May. Moreover, some species may be born even earlier, although everything greatly depends on weather conditions and the soil in which the flower grows.
Whiteflower
Belotsvetnik belongs to the genus Amaryllis herbaceous plants. In total, 10 species of this flower are known in nature. It is also often confused with snowdrops due to the similarity in appearance - however, these flowers grow up to 40 centimeters in height and as they mature, this similarity is lost. The white flower is also distinguished by green spots at the ends of the bud, and its flowers are not only white, but also pink.
This flower appears when the cold weather goes away, usually at the end of April, beginning of May.
Muscari (Armenian viper onion)
A perennial plant belonging to the Asparagus family. Muscari is not at all afraid of cold weather and has more than 20 different species in its family. It is primarily a garden plant and is usually planted in October.
It is born at the end of March, beginning of April. In this case, flowering begins in April.
Belladonna (belladonna)
Belladonna is a poisonous perennial herbaceous plant of the belladonna genus of the nightshade family. Although it is a heat-loving plant, it can also be classified as a spring flower. Grows in Western and Southern Europe, Asia Minor and on the coast of the Carpathians. It can also often be found in more southern countries, for example in North Africa or Pakistan.
For the northernmost places of the Belladonna village, flowering occurs at the end of August, beginning of May.
Chionodoxa
A perennial plant belonging to the Scylla genus of the Liliaceae family. Chionodoxa is one of the early flowers, but also has its own characteristics. This plant loves shade, and its flowering time will vary depending on where it is planted. If you plant it in the sun, then flowering will begin already in the last days of April, but if you plant it in the shade, then it will begin to bloom later, but the flowering will last much longer.
The plant usually comes to life after winter in mid-to-late April. Here again, everything depends on the warming of the soil and the landing site.
Pushkinia
It is a representative of the Asparagus family, subfamily Hyacinthaceae. Pushkinia has only two species and several varieties, and is found in Asia Minor and Western Asia and the Caucasus.
Pushkinia is one of the very first spring flowers and is absolutely not afraid of frost. It emerges in late March and early April, and can withstand almost any bad weather, from sultry heat to unexpected frosts.
Corydalis
Corydalis grows in Central Asia, Siberia, Tibet, the Caucasus and the Himalayan mountains. This plant is very unpretentious and unites more than three hundred species of this plant. And although these flowers prefer a temperate climate, they also cope well even with severe frosts.
In Russia, Corydalis emerges in March and early August. It easily survives frosts and begins to bloom on the first clear, sunny days.
Kandyk (erythronium).
A herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Lilac family. Found in Japan, Southern Siberia and North America. It has twenty-nine species in its family, differing from each other mainly in appearance. Due to its unpretentiousness and its beauty, Kandyk managed to charm many gardeners and become a popular garden plant.
Kandyk emerges at the end of March, and already in early April its rapid flowering begins.
Kaluzhnitsa
Belongs to the genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the Buttercup family. Marigold is found throughout Europe (with the exception of the Southern regions), North America, Mongolia and Japan. Initially, the plant was just a marsh flower, but over time it was noticed by gardeners and botany lovers, and Marigold smoothly migrated to gardens, becoming a favorite decoration for creeks and small ponds and lakes.
Marigold tolerates cold well, and “comes to life” in early spring at the end of March, beginning of April. And flowering begins when the soil warms up to the required temperatures (usually the beginning of May).
Anemone (Anemone)
Herbaceous perennial from the buttercup family. It has more than 160 different species, differing in appearance, flowering time and places of growth. At the same time, what’s interesting is that anemone grows in both hemispheres and is distributed literally everywhere! But the flower got its name from the Greek word Anemone - daughter of the winds. This is due to its unusual petals fluttering at the slightest breath of wind.
Some species of this plant are also very early and in Russia they can sprout even in cold server regions immediately after the last snow has melted.
Hyacinth
A perennial plant from the Asparagus family. The plant is native to North Africa, but at the same time survives well in colder climates, so it has spread throughout almost the entire Bad Hemisphere.
The flower has been known to people since antiquity and some of the first mentions date back to the myths of ancient Greece. There it is believed that the flower was created by the god Apollo from drops of the blood of his dying friend.
Hyacinths “come to life” at the end of April or early May, but there are also other species of this plant that are even more adapted to the cold.
Hyacinthoides
The plant belongs to the bulbous perennials and is widespread in Europe and the northern hemisphere. This flower is also often called wild Hyacinth. It has only three different species in its genus, differing in the color of the buds (white, blue and pink).
It belongs to the early spring birds and comes to life after winter in mid-late April.
Bulbocodium (Brandushka)
It belongs to herbaceous perennials and is part of the Colchicum family. Found in Central Europe and the Mediterranean. It is one of the early spring plants and it is funny that it is often confused with Colchicum due to the external similarity of the buds - however, the plants differ in the time of their flowering.
Blooms in late April, early May. And the first signs of life begin to show about a week before it blooms.
Iridodictium (reticulate iris).
In fact, the second name of this flower is not entirely correct, because unlike irises, Iridodictium is a bulbous flower, while irises themselves are tuberous. Although both flowers belong to the iris family. This flower is very loved by gardeners, because it exudes a subtle but noticeable and pleasant aroma and has an unusual color. Depending on the species, the color can be blue, yellow, pink or cream, purple, lilac, etc. Moreover, the flowers always have an unusual pattern consisting of spots of different colors.
It comes to its senses after the winter cold immediately with the disappearance of the last snow, and flowering begins in the month of May.
Narcissus
The plant belongs to the Amaryllis family and has more than 60 species in the genus. Found in the Mediterranean, Asia and Northern Europe. Also, some species are classified into a division of flowers called Narcissus Hybrid.
It is an early spring flower and usually blooms in early May. Some of the garden species can also begin flowering even earlier, already from the first days of April.
Brunner (forget-me-not)
A perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Borachnikov genus. Grows in Asia Minor, Western and Eastern Siberia and the Caucasus. There are only two types of plants - Brunner macrophylla and Siberian. And both varieties look similar to forget-me-nots, hence the second name of this flower.
It tolerates cold well and blooms in late April, early May.
Tulip
Belongs to the genus of perennial bulbous herbaceous plants of the Liliaceae family. The tulip is widespread throughout the northern hemisphere and is actively cultivated by botanists and gardeners and currently has more than 80 species, more than half of which are artificially bred.
Flowering occurs at the beginning of May. And many of you probably brought this flower to the last bell at your school :)
Grouse
Belongs to the genus of herbaceous perennials of the Liliaceae family. Widely distributed in warm climates, but also grows in Russia. It has the second name “trees of paradise”, due to its external resemblance to a palm tree.
Flowering occurs at the beginning of May.
Poultry farmer
Ornithogalum or ornithogalum refers to bulbous herbaceous perennial plants. It grows in Central Asia, the Mediterranean and North Africa. In total, there are more than 150 species of this plant. The poultry plant is interesting due to the characteristics of some of its species, for example, there are species that become covered with leaves by the arrival of winter, but the leaves fall already in the summer.
It can also be called a spring plant, since many species tolerate cold well and begin to bloom immediately after the snow melts.
Well, this is where our list ends. These were thirty spring flowers with names and photos. You can find more useful information about gardening, types of plants and caring for them on our website.
