THE FLOWER CALENDAR 



CHAPTER XXI 



March, April 



In the latitude of New York but few native wild flowers are 

 hardy enough to endure the severe climate of early spring. March 

 is the month of preparation in the vegetable world. The plants 

 still seem asleep, but myriads of seeds dropped last fall, all the 

 perennial herbs, shrubs and trees feel stirrings of life, and start 

 to grow before the advent of April, the true month of leaves and 

 first blossoms. Some trees, as the silver maple, birches, and 

 alders, blossom very early, introducing the Flower Calendar; and 

 a curious perennial herb called Christmas Flower (Helleborus 

 viridis), lately naturalized from Europe, which blossoms from 

 December to April, has been found wild in a few spots in Long 

 Island, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. It is of the Crowfoot 

 Family, has minute petals, larger sepals, nodding, single flowers, 

 large, palmate leaves. 



Beginning then with March, in the latter half of that month 

 and first part of April, one may quite surely find : 



Skunk Cabbage {Symplocarpus joetidus). Page 21. 



White Dog's-tooth Violet (Erythronium album). Page 46. 



Liverleaf {Hcpatica triloba). Page 308. 



Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris). Page 166. 



Wild Allspice or Fever Bush {Benzoin aestivale). Page 427. 



A shrub with yellow blossoms. 

 A Small Mustard (Draba caroliniana). Page 7c). 

 Snowdrop and Star of Bethlehem of our gardens. For the 



latter, see page 46. 

 Fetter Bush (Lcucothoc axillaris). Page 410. In bloom until 



last of April. 

 The beautiful Yellow Jessamine of the South (Gelsetninum 



sempervirens) . Page 432. 

 Pennywort (Obolaria virginica). Page 118. 



499 



