My attention piqued when I saw the forecast high for last Wednesday was 65. I believe I drooled a little when I saw it was supposed to top 70 on Thursday and Friday. Despite the fact it had been 11 two days earlier I could think of only one thing.
Spring. Specifically, spring wildflowers.
We’re all about Spring this week, with the first sightings of trout lilies and spring beauties, and 70-degree weather in the wings. This should be the week that spring bursts out in all its eagerly awaited glory.
That said, today we crib from our GetHiking! Spring Wildflowers tip sheet and share some insights into where to look for spring and what it is you’re looking for.
You can tell spring and warmer weather are coming based on the number of N.C. State Parks programs scheduled this weekend at the coast and in the coastal plain. Of the 10 programs Saturday at State Parks, 9 are down east; of Sunday’s six programs, five are at or near the coast. Three of our favorites:
Remember those two really nice days last week? We spent them doing field research, seeking signs of spring.
And we found them. The two spring wildflowers that, to us, signify that spring has sprung: the spring beauty and the trout lily. Both are featured in the accompanying video, shot along the banks of the Eno River in both Durham and Orange counties. Our search is also the topic of this week’s GetHiking! Southeast Podcast, which you may find here.
When I was growing up in Colorado, my countdown to spring began when pitchers and catchers reported for training. It wasn’t warm enough to play baseball where I was, but it would be in six weeks or so. Spring was on the horizon.
Today, I use a different standard to count down to spring: the appearance of the first trout lily.
