Peppering woodland understories with soft white blooms with pink pinstripes, the aptly named spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a delicate yet resilient, shade-loving wildflower that appears early each spring. Its small, star-like blossoms open with the sun and close again at dusk, tracking the light in a daily rhythm, known as nyctinasty. These flowers provide an essential source of pollen for early pollinators, particularly specialized mining bees (Andrena erigeniae), which have co-evolved with spring beauty and rely on it to feed their young. Widespread across eastern North America, spring beauty thrives in nutrient-rich soils, often at the base of mature trees or along stream banks. At Glenstone, these blooms are more commonly found along the forest understory of the Woodland Trail and at the base of the two large sycamore trees (Platanus occidentalis) near the Arrival Bridge, but specimens appear all over. Keep your eyes on the ground in the springtime and see if you can spot them!

–Bonne Di Giansante