What is happening in the forests and fields of Vermont while we rake away the leaves and other debris of winter off our lawns and out of our gardens?  We have already seen crocuses pop their violet, white and yellow tops out of the soil where we thought we would never see life again.  Even the hardy daffodils have emerged from a spot where there was nothing but dried, brown grass and piles of old leaves.  Spring is appearing all across the Vermont landscape, and it is the most exciting time for outdoor observing. 
 
While your garden flowers are starting to poke their heads out of the cold ground, the same thing is happening in the forests of Vermont.  Do you remember walking along the river in Jamaica State Park or hiking up to the fire tower in Elmore State Park last summer?  You probably enjoyed a nice shady hike under a canopy of green trees.  When you head out the door today, instead of shady leaves, all you will see above your head are tree buds swelling up nice and big-with every tree getting ready to bust out with new spring leaves and flowers.  

Conditions are perfect for forest wildflowers because it is

the only time of year when sunlight reaches the forest floor and temperatures are nice and mild.  Early spring wildflowers are taking the opportunity to have their moment in the sun.  These jewels of the early spring forest are everywhere, and you will see them if you know where and what to look for.
 
When you walk through the spring forest, look down along the forest floor for the yellow drooping lily flowers of the trout lily.  The green leaves, speckled with brown like trout, carpet the forest floor this time of year in Coolidge State Park. 
 
One of the greatest treats in looking for wildflowers is to find a native poppy plant.  What can this possibly be?  The blood root flower, a small white flower with a yellow center (kind of like a big, low to the ground daisy), with a unique curled leaf can be found in moist forest edges.  Look for these below a row of sugar maple trees next to a road.  If you are having trouble finding these, try Branbury State Park - they have been spotted there.  
 
Watch the ground in front of your feet to keep an eye out for the tiny spring beauties.  These flowers are pink with lines of darker pink and seem to pop right out of rocks before your eyes.  You can see them in moist soils and along trails and roads in Underhill State Park.
 
Look carefully for the rare native orchid, the pink lady slipper, under oak and pine trees in moist woods.  Lady slippers are a treat to find-look for the two large green leaves on either side of the stem, and the pouched pink orchid flower hanging in the center.  These have been spotted in Brighton State Park.     
 
Watch for the deep burgundy petals of the red trillium in the rich soils in Gifford Woods State Park.  Later in the summer, this three leaved plant will have a red berry-like fruit where red flowers can be found today. 

Conditions are perfect in the forests of Vermont for these beautiful wildflowers.  Take a closer look at the woods near your own home, and then watch for these flowers in State Parks during your next visit.   Look carefully and you will find these beautiful and temporary signs of spring.