This
thread is to identify various
perennial plant as they first emerge in spring.
First here are bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) emerging. Each closed flowerbud is tightly hooded by a single gray-green leaf as it pushes up through the soil.
The large leaves of Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) first emerge as tightly folded triangles; flattened whitish fuzz gives them a dull waxy look. The bright green sprout in this photo is Siberian squill (Scilla siberica), which will soon sport a stalk of blue-purple flowers.
The furled leaves of columbine (Aquilegia) look almost like green carnation flowers pushing out of the soil. The leaves may have a purple cast to them in cold weather.
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) may emerge with purple leaves or green leaves. In the first picture, green snow-on-the-mountain (Ageopodium podograria), aka bishop's weed or goutweed, grows next to a purple-leafed bluebell. In the second, green-leafed bluebell grows near some common blue violet (Viola sororia) rhizomes.
A closer look at violet rhizomes, and a picture with new leaves opening up.
Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans) may be purple, especially in cold weather. The compound leaves look almost like tiny fern fronds. Also visible in this picture is a columbine at left and an aster just above the Jacobs Ladder.
Native asters, like many perennials and biennials, have a low-growing "rosette" of leaves which survive the winter, or else emerge very early in spring. (best if they have a bit of cover from fall leaves and snow). This little sprig of fuzzy, spade-shaped leaves gather
energy from the sun so that in late summer the plant can put up a tall stem which will support large panicles of flowers. The leaves which you will see on the mature plant later in the year look much different from these on the early spring rosette. This is Short's ast
er (Symphyotrichum shortii)
Here is Bee Balm aka wild bergamot (Monarda sp.), which looks pretty much like a miniaturized version of the mature plant.
I believe this is Phlox (Phlox sp.) emerging from its fallen fall stems.
The shiny, wrinkled, light green leaves of late figwort (Scrophularia marilandica) look almost like little lettuces.
IN cold spring weather, lovage (Levisticum officinale) may be tinged red or purple. Here new shoot emerge from last year's dry stems.
Hosta's thumb-sized conical shoots push up through the soil. This is another plant that may first emerge as purple, regardless of the mature leaf color.
Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) may have reddish highlights on its shoots of shiny, yellow-green leaves.
Golden alexanders (Zizia Aurea) similarly has a reddish cast to the early leaves and stems.