Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis).
These cheery little flowers pop up at about the same
time as the Coltsfoots, among the first flowers of
spring. The flowers open before the leaves are fully
unfurled, so each flower stem is elegantly wrapped in
a shell-like green leaf. The English and Latin names
both come from the fact that the root is full of red
juice. This is the only member of the genus
Sanguinaria.
Celandine (Chelidonium majus).
Not related to the Lesser Celandine, this greater
Celandine is a member of the poppy family that likes
to grow at the edge of the woods. These plants were
growing by one of the tufa bridges in Schenley Park,
where they were blooming in the middle of May.
Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra
cucullaria). These charming relatives of
the Bleeding-Heart like a damp wooded hillside, more
often a gentle slope than a steep incline. The flowers
really do look like old-fashioned pairs of
breeches hung upside-down to dry. “Pretty, but odd” is
Gray’s description. They start blooming in the middle
of April, and are usually done by May.
Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis).
A charming white Bleeding-Heart with delicately
divided leaves; but for the shape of the flowers, it
is very similar to Dutchman’s Breeches. The easily
observed difference is in the rounded lobes at the
tops of these flowers; Dutchman’s Breeches has
tapering pointed lobes. This one was blooming at the
beginning of May along the Trillium Trail in Fox
Chapel.
Yellow Corydalis (Pseudofumaria lutea).
Formerly Corydalis lutea. A relative of
Bleeding-Hearts and Dutchman’s Breeches, native to
Europe, but gaining a foothold in North America. It is
not very common in Pittsburgh, perhaps completely
unknown except for this patch, which was growing in
the rocks beside a small stream in Frick Park, where
it was blooming in late June. We suspect that this
plant was deliberately introduced to Frick Park, but
it is thriving there.
Celandine
Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum). Like a
larger version of the Celandine, this bright yellow
poppy blooms at the same time, but is easily
distinguished by its larger flowers with overlapping
petals and bright orange stamens.
These plants were blooming at the beginning of May
along the Trillium Trail in Fox Chapel.