Another Early Spring Creeping Bloomer – Purple Dead Nettle

Purple Dead Nettle, Lamium purpureum, is another very-low-growing plant that flowers in early Spring.

Characteristics of purple dead nettle include the fact that it is one of the first creeping plants to start growing in Spring. Passing by the plant one can look down and miss the flowers that are tucked under the foliage on erect stems.

Looking down on purple dead nettle you can totally miss the flowers!

Looking down on purple dead nettle you can totally miss the flowers!

The toothed, opposite leaves are somewhat rounded and have a crinkly appearance due to heavy leaf veining. Leaves have longer stalks when found lower on the stem.

Upper leaves hide the lavender flowers that sprout from leaf axils.

Upper leaves hide the lavender flowers that sprout from leaf axils.

Flowers of purple dead nettle are irregular in shape with two lobes on the lower lip. Light lavender or lilac-colored blossoms have spots or lines of purple.

Irregular in shape the purple dead nettle flowers are lilac in color.

Irregular in shape the purple dead nettle flowers are lilac in color.

Speaking of lilacs, the lilac trees have broken out their winter buds.

You can see how the lilac bud's exterior protected the newly formed greenery.

You can see how the lilac bud’s tough exterior protected the newly formed greenery.

I don’t remember if these lilacs were purple or white-flowered varieties. Since being transplanted a couple of years ago neither has bloomed, so I hope this year that one of the lilacs will surprise us.

Winter lilac buds are open now to let the foliage grow.
Winter lilac buds are open now to let the foliage grow.

Beginnings of Spring in Pennsylvania

Spring at last! Here in the Northeastern United States the outdoor temperature is starting to agree with the calendar.

A last hurray by Winter was about 7-8 inches of snow two weeks ago after some very cold temperatures in February. Today is expecting a mix of sun and clouds and high temperatures in the 60s. Time to open the windows and doors for a breath of fresh air!

Tulip greenery is pushing through the composted leaves used as protection against the harsh winter weather. A blast of warm temperatures a couple weeks ago started the tulips on their spring journey, so now the green tops are about 6 inches out of the ground.

Song birds are becoming more active. We watch them chase each other among the trees and wonder how they can twist and turn through the air so quickly. I suppose the males are chasing after the females, but it’s really hard to tell who’s chasing whom. The juncos are still here, but probably not for long before they fly back to Argentina. It’s nice to see bluebirds again!

Next to the house we have lilies sprouting. Notice the light green foliage with one leaf being sheathed by the previous one. Flowers arise on separate stalks.

Day lilies sprouting in very early spring.

Day lilies sprouting in very early spring.

Lamb’s ear rosettes from last year are becoming more noticeable now. Lamb’s ears get their name from the soft, downy leaves of the first year plant. The crowded rosettes will be transplanted to other areas so they will have room to grow into two to three feet tall plants.

Beautiful magenta lamb's ear flowers will brighten the flower gardens this summer.
Beautiful magenta lamb’s ear flowers will brighten the flower gardens this summer.

Common Chickweed is an Early Bloomer

The very earliest blooms are miniscule and usually borne on creeping stems or plants that wind their way through lawns and roadside gravel. Most of us completely ignore these little plants and tiny flowers because they are so small.

Chickweed growing among the gravel on the side of the lane.

Chickweed growing among the gravel on the side of the lane.

Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is found throughout our area – the Northeastern United States and particularly Pennsylvania – and can be found blooming for much of the growing season.

Chickweeds have tiny flowers that are so deeply cut it appears that the blossom has ten petals, when in fact it has five. The little white flowers look like they have pairs of long white petals.

The sepals are longer than the petals in common chickweed and have a fuzzy appearance.

Long, green sepals and an apparent 10 white petals of common chickweed.

Long, green sepals and an apparent 10 white petals of common chickweed.

This particular chickweed is distinguished from other chickweeds by its long leaf stalks, or petioles.

Long-stemmed leaves are an indentifying characteristic of Common Chickweed.

Long-stemmed leaves are an identifying characteristic of Common Chickweed.

As you take a stroll around your neighborhood, look down! You might find a few of these weeds already blooming.

Nuttin’ Bloomin’ Outdoors Just Yet!

The Vernal Equinox is less than a week away and, right on cue, Spring is starting to take hold here in the eastern U.S.

The past week witnessed birds returning from their winter havens. Robins were seen hoping around the field edges, while red-winged blackbirds were heard singing from utility poles. Flocks of Canada geese communicated noisely as they flew North in fantastic “V” formations.

Crocuses were blooming in Virginia a couple weeks ago, and here in southcentral Pennsylvania I spotted my first golden yellow crocuses coming up in the Millerstown town square – crossroads, really – just yesterday.

We’ll likely have more winter weather yet, but the last two days have been gloriously warm for the season. Warmer than average by 15 to 20 degrees! Snowbanks are history now and the brown grass is starting to green up.

No trees are budding or sprouting yet, but some weedy types that have foliage left over from last growing season are making an attempt. Pennsylvania bittergrass and purple dead nettle volunteered in the vegetable garden. Day lilies next to the house are sprouting and lamb’s ear rosettes are green in the flower garden.

We have to look indoors to find something blooming. What’s blooming now, you ask? A member of the Spiderwort family, the Wandering Jew!

Easy to care for and resilient, the Wandering Jew is a popular houseplant.
Easy to care for and resilient, the Wandering Jew is a popular houseplant.

The wandering jew has linear-veined, oval-shaped, pointed leaves with a distinctive purple underside. The stalkless leaves clasp the creeping stem in alternate fashion. The creeping stems and flower stalks are purple.

White, three-petaled flowers at the terminal stem ends are 1/4 inch in diameter with stamens having bright yellow anthers.

Nearly every stem will produce a cluster of small, white flowers.
Nearly every stem will produce a cluster of small, white flowers.

This plant has been flowering since February 24 – going on three weeks. A single bud rises up from a loose cluster to open its bloom in the sunlight. Blooms last for one day, only to be replaced by another waiting in the cluster. Drooping buds are actually blooms that have wilted.

Wandering Jew in a south-facing window blooms indoors.
Wandering Jew in a south-facing window blooms indoors.

Last year we had some other houseplants bloom in March, too. It’s interesting that one of the profuse bloomers was “Moses-in-the-boat”, another member of the spiderwort family.