Spring days: March Wildflowers

March is said to be the month that comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb, though it may be a somewhat disgruntled lamb that likes to kick up a fuss and stomp about before it heads off. In Scotland, it often feels like winter is still hanging about until the start of May. I've experienced many blizzards and frosts that arrive in April, covering the ground in a white blanket and sending me back inside for the gloves and scarf I optimistically packed away on the first warm day.

Yet March is the month of the spring equinox, and there are days that arrive with the promise of summer. The dawn chorus is growing louder as migratory birds return, and the first spring flowers have begun to appear, though rather slowly this year. By the first week of March, my garden's snowdrops finally flowered, much later than last year; however, this delay seemed to encourage everything else to grow. Now, I have crocuses, daffodils, and primroses brightening up the day with their vibrant splashes of color.

I love the first spring flowers. While summer can be riotous and beautiful, spring gives you the first splash of colour since the leaves began to fall in November. This blog post will be part of three that focus on the flora and fauna of spring, with the theme of March being wildflowers - common flowers you can spot on a springtime walk, how you can identify them, and a little about the folklore and history behind them.

Snowdrops: Winter Flowers

The snowdrop can be easily recognized by its white flower, which typically has two or three petals. The flower hangs like a pendant from long green stalks. The leaves of the snowdrop are tall, narrow, and a dark greyish-green color. Usually flowering as early as January and as late as March; the snowdrop can be spotted in woodlands, gardens, meadows, and along riverbanks.

Snowdrops are not native to Britain, they are believed to have been brought to the islands during the 16th century as ornamental garden plants and were not recorded in the wild until the 18th century. Today, they have spread so widely that it is hard to believe they once did not exist here.

In folklore snowdrops have been symbols of hope and purity. However, during Victorian times, a single snowdrop was seen as a sign of coming death, and to bring one inside the house was considered bad luck. Another name for the snowdrop is "Candlemas bells", as it often blooms around the Christian festival of Candlemas, which is celebrated on February 2nd.

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)

Primrose: Woodland wonders

Primroses are native to Britain and are primarily found in woodland. They stand out on the brown, leafy woodland floor in bright clumps of yellow. The primrose is often considered a good indicator of ancient woodland; however, they can also be found in hedgerows, grassland, and gardens. Primroses provide a food source for several types of butterflies, including the small tortoiseshell and brimstone, as well as the Duke of Burgundy caterpillar.

Shakespeare, a great lover of flowers, referenced the primrose in his famous tragedy, Hamlet. At one point, Opheilia warns her brother not to take the "primrose path", which represents an easy way that could lead to ruin and instead encourages him to follow the more arduous route of goodness toward heaven. Shakespeare used primroses again in Macbeth, referring to it as the "primrose way", and in All's Well That Ends Well.

The primrose’s connection with myth and folklore dates back further than Shakespeare. In Norse mythology, it was sacred to the goddess Freya and symbolized eternal love. Scottish folklore suggested that rubbing your eyes with the juice of the primrose allowed you to see fairies; and many druids believed that standing in large clumps of primroses would grant you a doorway to fairyland.

Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Lesser Celandine: Flowers of gold

A small, golden, star-shaped flower with heart-shaped leaves, almost hidden among the greenery of the woodland floor, the lesser celandine brightens up a wood in spring. Typically flowering as early as January right through to April. Each flower usually has around ten to twelve petals and grows along woodland paths, in gardens, and alongside hedgerows. Preferring damp environments, the lesser celandine can also be found in ditches and along riverbanks.

Lesser celandine can be easily mistaken for winter aconite, as both plants bloom around the same time. However, winter aconite has fewer petals surrounding its flower. It can also be confused with greater celandine, which is much taller; lesser celandine typically grows to about 25 cm in height. Like the early-flowering primrose, lesser celandine serves as an important nectar source for bees and insects so early in the season.

The lesser celandine is commonly regarded as a symbol of spring and has inspired many poets and writers, including William Wordsworth, Edward Thomas, and C. S. Lewis. Wordsworth, wrote two poems about the flower: "To the Small Celandine" and "The Lesser Celandine."  In Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan's return brings spring, and with it the golden lesser celandine.

Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)

Wild Daffodils: Dancing in the breeze

Most daffodils you see in the countryside and towns are either planted or escaped from gardens, there are few wild native daffodils left in Britain. Wild daffodils can be identified by their pale-yellow petals and deeper yellowish-orange trumpet. They are shorter than garden varieties, and their leaves have a greyish-green colour.

There are some wonderful daffodil walks throughout Britain, showcasing both wild and cultivated varieties. The best daffodil blooms I've seen are in the Lake District, particularly along the banks of Ullswater. Other places that have beautiful displays include Alnwick gardens in Northumberland and Brodie Castle estate in Moray, which is also the home to the National Daffodil Collection. The Woodland Trust also have a wonderful article on where to see wild daffodils:  Where To See Wild Daffodils In The UK - Woodland Trust.

Like the lesser celandine, the daffodil has inspired many poets, artists, and writers, the most famous being William Wordsworth and his poem, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud". Wordsworth was said to have been inspired by a belt of daffodils growing along the shores of Ullswater, where he was walking with his sister Dorothy. The daffodil, again like the lesser celandine, symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings, heralding the arrival of spring. It is also the national flower of Wales and is associated with St David's Day, the patron saint of Wales, which is celebrated on March 1st.

Daffodils (Narcissus)