Ephemerals: Celebrating Spring’s Fleeting Beauty
Spring is a busy time of year here at Johnson's Nursery and even more so in our local ecosystems. After a long, cold winter, once temperatures increase and our days become longer, plants begin to wake up and exit their dormant period. Different kinds of plants experience different forms of dormancy and have different life cycles. There are many enjoyable things about spring, with a favorite being spring-blooming Wisconsin native ephemerals.
What are Spring Ephemerals?
Spring ephemerals are like limited edition perennials; they’re only viewable for a short time.
The word “ephemeral” comes from the Greek medical term 'ephēmeros' meaning “lasting a day,” first appearing in English print in the late 16th century. Later, it was applied to organisms such as flowers with short life spans. An ephemeral plant will appear for a relatively short time and undergo growth, flowering, and dieback, all in a few days or weeks. The entire visible portion of the plant senesces shortly after flowering, and as spring transitions into summer, their roots enter a long dormant period. Spring ephemerals grow and reproduce quickly, maximizing their limited time and taking advantage of optimal conditions such as temperature, moisture levels, and sunlight.
Do Spring Ephemerals Have Wildlife Value?
Many spring ephemerals bloom so early that most pollinators like butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds are absent. Instead, they are primarily pollinated by bees. Carpenter bees, sweat bees, and occasionally mining bees pollinate these wildflowers. The fruits and seeds of these various plants provide a valuable food source for many insects and wildlife. The fleshy appendages attached to Sharp-lobed Hepatica (Liverwort) and Large White Trillium seeds are loaded with healthy fats and proteins, a favorite among many ant species. The tiny red berries of Green Dragon and Jack In The Pulpit are enjoyed by birds such as wild turkey, wood thrush, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Avian visitors aren’t the only ones who want the fruit of spring ephemerals; the endangered Ornate Box Turtle will feed on the low-hanging fruit of Mayapple. Mammalian foragers such as squirrels, raccoons, and chipmunks also enjoy the fruit of Mayapple.

Where Do Ephemerals Grow?
These plants are typically found deep within our local woodlands, growing in organically rich soil fueled by annual leaf litter. The shade of the surrounding trees heavily determines their life cycle. These plants take advantage of the sunlight penetrating the bare branches of deciduous forests. Spring ephemerals are often the first plants to pop up, the first to flower, and senesce as the surrounding trees start leafing out. By growing at these times, they gain an advantage over other plants which are still dormant. They thrive on moist, rich, and undisturbed woodlands. These plants are delicate and sometimes take several years to bloom fully and produce seeds. Often, these plants are rhizomatous and spread through underground horizontal stems. If allowed to grow in peace in the wild, they can usually be found in spectacular groupings forming carpets of color when in bloom.
If you have ever witnessed an unspoiled woodland in May, you may recall seeing washes of color on the forest floor from large colonies of these ephemeral blooming wildflowers.
Find Spring Ephemerals At Johnson's Nursery
Be sure to check our Public Availability to see inventory and pricing.
Large White Trillium
Trillium grandiflorum

Width: 6-12 inches
Flower: Bright white, ages to pink
Fruit: Berry-like capsule, pale green before darkening to red-maroon when ripe. 2.5-5 cm long
Catalog: Pint, Quart
Bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis

Width: 3-6 inches
Flower: White with central yellow stamens
Fruit: Green, spindle-shaped capsule
Catalog: Quart
Sharp-lobed Hepatica (Liverwort)
Hepatica acutiloba

Width: 8-12 inches
Flower: Variable. White, but can be blue-violet
Fruit: 2 inches long hairy, oblong achene
Catalog: Pint
Wild Hyacinth
Camassia scilloides

Width: 12-24 inches
Flower: Light blue to white
Fruit: Tiny green capsule that matures to brown. Contains numerous tiny black seeds
Catalog: Pint
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica

Width: 12-18 inches
Flower: Bell-shaped, sky-blue, and purple, to purple-pink
Fruit: Wrinkled nut, each with four seeds
Catalog: #1 Container
Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum

Width: 8-12 inches
Flower: White. Hidden beneath dark green, umbrella-like foliage
Fruit: Green, ovoid fruit. Ripens to a golden color. 1 ½ – 2 inches long
Catalog: Quart
Jack in the Pulpit
Arisaema triphyllum

Width:12 inches
Flower: Cylindrical hooded flower, green-purple
Fruit: Clusters of green berries that ripen to orange-red; ¼ inches wide
Catalog: Quart
Green Dragon
Arisaema dracontium

Width: 12-18 inches
Flower: First appears as tiny, yellowish clusters. Later extends to a long whip-like flower stalk
Fruit: Clusters of green berries which ripen to bright red
Catalog: Quart
Shooting Star
Dodecatheon meadia

Width: 12 inches
Flower: Naturally variable. Pink, purple to nearly white.
Fruit: Capsule
Catalog: Pint, Quart
Large-flowered Bellwort
Uvularia grandiflora

Width: 12-24 inches
Flower: Lemony-yellow
Fruit: 3-cell seed capsule
Catalog: Pint
American Pasqueflower
Anemone patens

Width: 12-16 inches
Flower: Variable. White. Bluish-white. Light Lavender
Fruit: Achenes with pink-purple silky hairs
Catalog: #1 Container
Bird-foot Violet
Viola pedata

Width: 3-6 inches
Flower: Violet
Fruit: Capsule containing numerous coppery seeds.
Catalog: Pint
Get Out And Find Spring Ephemerals
There are many other spring ephemerals native to Wisconsin. We encourage you to get out and find these limited-edition perennials. Here are some amazing resources:
- Celebrating a season of spring ephemerals on state natural areas (wisconservation.org)
- Spring Ephemerals (schlitzaudubon.org)
- Cedarburg Bog (No. 2) (dnr.wi.gov)
- Explore Wisconsin’s wetlands (wisconsinwetlands.org)
- Wisconsin State Parks (dnr.wisconsin.gov)
Check our Public Inventory for some of these spring ephemerals. Stock is limited, and plants move fast!