Canadian Mayflower IDd

These tiny forest floor plants are absolutely everywhere in our Connecticut oak/pine/maple/black cherry forests. Everywhere! They must be so commonplace that most people don't bother taking photos of them or issuing information, because I haven't been able to ID them for the life of me. They form dense forest floor monocultures, similar to the way ramps do. Each individual plant has only one or two small leaves, around the size and shape of a large peach stone, meaning that the leaves are shorter, wider and more rounded than that of ramps, but they do come to a tip. Other than those leaves, they consist of nothing else, just a short, thin stem running down to a tiny root. I'd love to find out what they are, and if they have any uses in permaculture!

do they have the oniony smell/scent? can you take a photo

Whoa! I finally figured out what they are: Canadian Mayflower!



I'm about to check them out on PFAF. What do local Northeast permies use them for? If you free-range chickens or pigs in your woods, will they eat them?

those are really pretty.