What's Blooming – March 2020

Winter Blooms

The late winter months can present many challenges for people. While the snows are absent, the freezing temperatures and bleak landscape promise little in beauty or enjoyment. Given these conditions, most people choose to remain inside. What many don’t know, however, is that there are plants that produce gorgeous flowers during the winter. 

Hidden along trails and walkways, these tiny treasures brave the cold and give a dash of color to the otherwise dormant scenery. If you get the chance, take a moment to explore the frozen world around you. You may discover some of these flowers before the full spring season wakes.

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

The snowdrop is a small, white flower that blooms during February or March. Native to Europe and Southeast Asia, this tiny plant only grows to be 3-6 inches tall. The snowdrop pops through the snow while most other plants are still dormant during the cold temperatures. Before the flower opens, it resembles a downward-facing droplet. Once it blooms, 6 soft, white petals are revealed, arranged in two concentric rows. These delicate little flowers like to grow in clumps and make for a lovely surprise against the bare landscape of winter.

Crocus (Crocus vernus)

The crocus is a perennial plant from the iris family, native to parts of the Mediterranean and China. Like the snowdrop, the crocus only grows 3-6 inches tall, blooms during the late winter, and then lies dormant during the summer heat (though there are some varieties that bloom during the fall). This plant sports a cup-shaped flower with 6 petals. While they are usually violet in color, you can also find varieties in white, cream, yellow, orange, blue, and purple. Since this is one of the first plants of the year to bloom, the crocus is often considered the harbinger of spring.

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)

Winter aconite is a bright yellow flower of the buttercup family native to Southern France and Bulgaria. Growing only 3-6 inches tall, this small plant blooms between March and April, sometimes even before the crocus. This flower sports a bright yellow bloom of 6 petals in an upward-facing cup atop a drooping collar of green leaves. Though it’s small, winter aconite can grow beneath trees in full to partial sun since it doesn’t need to compete with other plants for sunlight. Amidst the brown and white hues of winter, this bright little blossom throws a splash of color into your day.

Glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii)

Brought over from western Turkey, glory-of-the-snow is a flower that blossoms in the early spring, sometimes so early that it will pop right through the snow (hence its name). Each stem can have 5-10 flowers, each sporting 6 petals with brilliant blue edges that fade to a white center. Other varieties can have white or even pink flowers. Like the flowers mentioned before on this list, glory-of-the-snow only grows to be 6 inches tall. Though it becomes dormant in the summer months, many flowers can be grown together and can even be fashioned into a tiny winter bouquet.

Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger)

The Christmas rose is an evergreen native to central and southern Europe. A member of the crowfoot family, this flower appears between November and February, but most often blooms in December. The largest on this list, the Christmas rose can grow 7-23 inches tall. This delicate, frost-resistant flower basks in full sun to partial shade during the coldest temperatures of the year. In fact, it relies on below-freezing temperatures to stimulate the growth of flower buds. Even in these cold conditions, the Christmas rose has its white to light pink-petalled flowers on full display.

Several of these flowers can be found at Brincka Cross Gardens, our park just outside Michigan City. Come find these beautiful blossoms before they disappear with the awakening of spring!